Winter’s long gone, and humidity is almost here, so why not celebrate with some free ice cream? Friendly’s, who’s Happy Ending Sundaes and Jim Dandys can bring a smile to just about anyone’s face, is giving away free ice cream from 12 to 5 p.m. on June 6th, to celebrate their Free Ice Cream Day. Kids and adults who need a creamy fix will receive their flavor of choice in a one-scoop dish or cone. This will be Friendly’s second time giving away their goods for free - last year, the restaurant ended up giving away 300,000 free cones on the first Free Ice Cream Day. Once an endangered species of restaurants, Friendly’s has saved face over the years and has now even jumped on the social media bandwagon by joining Twitter, and creating a fan page and an interactive quiz on Facebook where fans can answer questions to determine which Friendly’s ice cream dessert best resembles their personality.

There are a few new restaurants sprouting up in the area, defying these “bad economy” rumors…or at least we hope. First up: Estabrook Grill at 57 Palm Street in Nashua. The upscale-looking establishment is attached to a new senior housing center, and even boasts a nice large patio for outside seating in a bistro-style setting. Excited to give their menu a whirl, I tried going to the eatery last weekend, as a recent ad of theirs in The Telegraph said they were open 7 days a week. Unfortunately, not on this day, right smack in the middle of dinner time.

Another new eatery is down the road in Litchfield, called Woodman’s Famous Seafood, with an original location in Essex, Mass. (Since 1914!) The crustacean-infested eatery is right at Mel’s Funway Park off Route 3A, and has been named “Best Seafood in America” by Forbes FYI, among others.

Any local foodies out there who have tried these new restaurants? Thumbs up or down?

I now know why Nashua House of Pizza’s spinach pizza is “famous.” I feel like I am the newest member to a spinach-pizza-cult, and boy am I glad to be a part of it. Being the skeptic that I am, I refused to believe that NHOP’s spinach concoction was really the best in the area, as their ads boasted, until I tried it for myself. Also being the thrifty diner that I am, I ordered the personal-sized spinach pizza for under $5 last week, and every bite of the perfectly-sized pizza for one was a delightful culinary experience. Gobs of fresh spinach, melted cheese and chunks of what I believe were feta cheese and garlic oozed over crusty, toasted pita bread that helps make this famous pizza…well, famous. Thick pizza crust was not missed here, and probably would have taken away from the harmonious flavors of the toppings. A must-try for vegetarians and pizza fans alike.

On a side note, NHOP was also named “the best pizza place in the area” by Pat Whitley of the Boston Herald. I’m pretty psyched to try more of their pies in the near future.

On Tuesday night, I helped organize a local food blogger and social media meet-up at San Francisco Kitchen, a trendy, Asian fusion eatery in downtown Nashua. Although the tables outside are unfortunately too small to fit a larger party like us, the meal I had inside quickly made me forget where I was sitting.  I started with the seaweed salad, which was surprisingly one of the most delicious dishes I’ve eaten in the past couple weeks. It was literally a small bowl filled with shredded seaweed and sesame seeds – but trust me when I say, it was really good. For an “entrée” (that was actually listed under “appetizers”), I had the hot & spicy lamb skewers, that were cooked to an ideal rare, although some pieces were too fatty for chewing. All-in-all, SF Kitchen turned out to be a prime meeting spot for such an event, and I am still dreaming about that seaweed salad. Next time I go, I plan to have a nice bowl of that…outside. On a side not, the SF Kitchen’s owners’ son sat with us for a bit, and spoke about how the restaurant is working on getting a face on the web (i.e. Twitter, etc.). So stay tuned.

Has anyone else noticed that in this rough economy local businesses have chosen to support each other, versus compete? Says a lot for the neighborhood business owners, doesn’t it? One recent example is The Black Forest Cafe, who has teamed up with LaBelle Winery (both in Amherst). LaBelle Winery prides themselves on using locally-grown New Hampshire fruits to make their wine, and The Black Forest is also known for using natural ingredients in their food. Last Saturday, the cafe hosted a wine tasting with LaBelle Winery owner Amy, and from now until June 13th the cafe will be featuring three LaBelle wines in the dining room at lunch, brunch and dinner, including LaBelle’s Seyval Blanc, Cranberry and Blueberry wines. The wines will be offered by the bottle, the glass, and even a new 2 oz. “try me” size. Being a self-proclaimed wine-o myself, and a fairly healthy eater, this is one pairing I plan to try. Who’s with me?

The proof is in the veggies: The Hippo named them Best Vegetarian Menu and Best Salads for 2009, and New Hampshire Magazine gave them Best Wraps. The Seedling Cafe, tucked away behind Main Street, is showing off their newly expanded dining room…and menu. The Cafe, which is known for their vegetarian-friendly lunch items, now has a breakfast menu for the lacto-ovos and omnivores alike. The new menu boasts new wraps like The Allie, which is stuffed with scrambled eggs, red onion, tomatoes, avocado, cheddar cheese, organic baby spinach, all grilled on a wheat wrap. Each wrap can even be made into a scramble, or gluten-free wraps are available, and each is served with a fruit salad. Daily specials are also included in the new menu, like the Belgian Waffle of the Day topped with fresh fruit compote and N.H.-made maple syrup, as well as Quiche of the Day made with seasonal, local and organic ingredients. Perfect timing, as the farmer’s markets are starting to open up around the state. What are some other restaurants the local vegetarians like to eat at?

Pizza and sub shops can all start tasting the same after a while, so it’s always nice when a new, family-run establishment opens up in the neighborhood. Giovanni’s is a family-owned pizza/Italian eatery that’s been in business for 15 years, but opened a new location recently on Broad Street (as well as at 209 West River Road in Hooksett). The pizzeria has older locations in Londonderry, Salem and Manchester, and prides themselves in serving “fast-n-fresh family Italian.” So when I found myself hungry and on the road at lunch time this week, I eagerly pulled in to Giovanni’s on Broad and ordered one of my lunch time favorites: a small turkey sub with cheese, mayo, pickles and tomatoes. Giovanni’s version was on an insanely fresh sub roll, and the tomatoes and pickles were diced, causing the veggies to stumble out of the roll and leave the smokey, also fresh turkey behind. Not a downfall here, though - I am a firm believer that some of the best-tasting food is good because it’s messy. I suggest to ask them to go light on the veggies, though, if you don’t want a salad in your sub (which I tend to enjoy). Food aside, the employees behind the counter were working together so harmoniously, and efficiently, that I was reminded what it takes a restaurant to succeed: its team. When I go back to Giovanni’s, I plan to try some of their signature dishes, like the Chicken Kabob sub and the Greek Fiesta Pizza, with meat, onion, spinach, feta cheese and alfredo sauce.

Bread Bowl Pasta

Some local chain restaurants are offering new menu items, and some sound a lot better than others. Let’s start with the yummy-sounding treats: Dairy Queen, with various locations including Nashua and Hudson, is showing off their new Nut & Fudge Waffle Bowl sundae for the upcoming summer season. Made with DQ’s rich and creamy vanilla soft serve ice cream, smothered in peanut butter, hot fudge and peanuts, this sundae is served in a homemade, chocolate-dipped waffle bowl; for under $4. Another local ice cream shoppe, Coldstone Creamery, is now offering iced and blended coffee drinks for a limited time only, starting at the tiny price of $1.99. Raspberry Truffle Mocha Latte, Sweet Cream Latte, and Milk Caramel Latte are the chilled flavors offered, and are also available “light” with 1/3 fewer calories. While picking up a latte, I also recommend trying one of their new ice cream cupcakes. The final, and most unfortunate, new menu item at a chain is the Bread Bowl Pasta at Domino’s. Starting at $5.99, these entrees look like a carb-lover’s dream, but also express everything that is wrong with “fast food.” Not only do the advertisements show that Domino’s could care less about an actual serving size of pasta, but the size of the thick pizza crust it lies in seems just downright wrong. Anyone who’s tasted these new carb-a-holic meals and liked them…please prove me wrong.

Although Express Cafe at 182 Main Street has been open for a few months now, the light breakfast and lunch spot (next to Fresh) will be holding a grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting on Wednesday at 10 a.m. The ceremony is put on by Great American Downtown, and Mayor Lozeau will make a welcoming address before the ribbon cutting at 10. The cafe will also be providing sample items for attendees to try - just looking over their menu, I’m hoping the Falafel Wrap, Turkey Bruschetta Panini and Mochaberry coffee are included in the tasting. Word on the street is Express Cafe even uses locally roasted coffee, gluten-free meats and the freshest produce they can find. Just by supporting local businesses, they can count on my attendance Wednesday morning.

A church-turned-Irish-pub is not something I stumble upon everyday, but boy was I excited when I did this past Wednesday night. The Holy Grail Pub in Epping proves that some eateries are worth the extra drive. This family-owned pub still boasts the large, stained-glass windows and architecture that the original St. Joseph’s Church had back when it was built around 1896, and the Irish-inspired menu had all the classics my ancestors would be proud of, including Bangers and Mash, Shepherd’s Pie and Corned Beef & Cabbage. However, the menu also included a wide variety of entrees, salads, sandwiches and pasta. We started with the Black & Tan-battered Onion Rings with BBQ sauce (a special that night), which came out hot and fresh in five minutes. The rings were perfectly crunchy and not too greasy, and the black & tan batter gave them a unique beer-battered flavor. For dinner, I got the Grilled Portobello sandwich which almost made me wish I was a vegetarian so I could eat it everyday. This gigantic portobello was coated in balsamic marinade and grilled, smothered in creamy, melted goat cheese and garnished with perfectly roasted red peppers and baby spinach, all sandwiched between a demi baguette that was so fresh, I assumed it was baked that afternoon right on the premises. Served with a pickle and sweet potato “chips” (circular, crinkle cut sweet potato fries) and washed down with several delicious brews, this was an amazing dining experience. Our waitress Robin was also friendly (without hovering) and knowledgeable about the menus, and brought all our food to the table as soon as it hit the plate.