NH Magazine’s ‘Best of NH’ Winners Announced

MANCHESTER, NH — New Hampshire Magazine announced the 2018 Best of NH award-winners, and tickets are now on sale for the 17^th annual Best of NH Party. For the second consecutive year, tickets for the event, which takes place on Thursday, June 14, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, benefit Best of NH 2018’s non-profit partner, Stay Work Play New Hampshire.

The highly anticipated Best of NH Party gathers the best restaurants, wineries, distilleries and local producers from all corners of the Granite State under one “roof” for an evening of unlimited sampling, giveaways and entertainment at the ballpark. Partygoers will enjoy food and drink samples from more than 65 culinary stations, live music, a celebrity appearance from Jimmy Dunn and a spectacular fireworks display by Atlas to culminate the celebration.

“The Best of NH Party embodies the essence of summer fun in the Granite State – couples toasting over mini martinis, groups of friends sharing a laugh and families dancing to local bands. The only time people don’t have a smile on their face is when they’re too busy washing down a juicy burger with a frosty beverage,” said Rick Broussard, editor of New Hampshire Magazine. “As partygoers taste the best flavors each region of the state has to offer, they’re supporting an amazing organization dedicated to highlighting the Granite State as a premier location for recent college graduates and young professionals to plant their roots.”

The Best of NH Party is a food and beverage lover’s must-attend event; samples include The Common Man’s crab cakes, bourbon meatball sliders from New England’s Tap House Grill, Korean BBQ lettuce wraps from Pearl Restaurant & Oyster Bar, a variety of Granite State Candy Shoppe chocolates, a crisp glass of wine from Labelle Winery and a selection of 603 Brewery’s New Hampshire-made beer. On top of enjoying mouthwatering culinary options, one lucky partygoer will walk away with an all-inclusive, one-week vacation for four to Rockyworld-Deephaven Camps on Squam Lake in Holderness, NH—valued at up to $5,500.

“The Best of NH Party reminds young New Hampshire residents of the many reasons they love calling the Granite State home, and everything our state has to offer when it comes to entertainment, activities and, of course, great food,” said Will Stewart, executive director of Stay Work Play New Hampshire. “Stay Work Play is thrilled to be Best of NH’s nonprofit partner once again, and we look forward to connecting great local businesses with the next generation of New Hampshire’s loyal patrons.”

The Best of NH Party has been known to draw the attention of celebrities with New Hampshire connections, with appearances over the years from Taylor Swift, Steven Tyler and local favorite, Recycled Percussion. This year, Hampton, New Hampshire, native actor and stand-up comedian Jimmy Dunn will join the party, arriving by helicopter on the baseball diamond. Dunn recently starred on the CBS comedy “The McCarthys,” and has performed at some of the comedy industry’s most prestigious events, including Denis Leary’s Comics Come Home, Montreal’s International Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and the “Late Show with David Letterman.”

Musical entertainment will be situated throughout the venue to spread out a variety of sounds. This year’s lineup includes:

Rockspring – a high-energy string band that bends bluegrass, rock and various other influences. The band is known for making people “dance out of their shoes.”

Gretchen & the Pickpockets – a soul/jazz rock band that features heavy horn lines and improvisation. Accolades include two Iguana Music Fund grants from Club Passim, Best in State: New Hampshire 2015 from the New England Music Awards and Best Rock Band 2015 from the Seacoast NH Spotlight Awards.

Jasmine Mann – a New Hampshire singer and songwriter known in the local community for her powerful, smoky voice and electric live performances.

David Corson – a young pop singer-songwriter that creates timeless music for the mainstream audience and music lovers.

Ryan Williamson – a self-taught musician known for his “solo acoustic” sound that is gaining the attention of a growing New England fan base.

The roster of local restaurants, wineries, breweries and distilleries participating at the party is constantly growing. For an updated list, please visit www.bestofnh.com and check back weekly for updates.

Tickets for the Best of NH Party cost $65 per person, or $55 per person for a group of six or more. Tickets for children age 12 and under cost $19 per person. Advance ticket purchasing is strongly encouraged, though remaining tickets will be available at the party. To purchase tickets, please visit www.bestofnh.com.

Winners are determined by an online poll organized by New Hampshire Magazine. The poll is divided into more than 80 categories that range from best ice cream to best margarita and much more. More than 210 New Hampshire businesses have been selected as the 2018 winners, and more than 15,000 votes were cast by readers.

In addition to the Readers’ Poll, New Hampshire Magazine editors include their favorite restaurants, events, shops, bands and more on their list of Editor’s Picks. This is where readers will find insider and expert information on the places they might have overlooked but will certainly not want to miss.

New Hampshire Magazine would like to thank the following sponsors of the 2018 Best of NH Party: Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England, Hornitos Tequila, CR Helicopters Inc., Atlas Fireworks, Best Damn Sweet Tea, Liberty Utilities, Samuel Adams, AutoFair, Ninety Plus Cellars, NH Division of Travel and Tourism Development, 92.5 The River, 95.7-FM WZID and WMUR.

With nearly 15,000 total votes cast we’re happy to congratulate this year’s Best of NH Readers’ Poll winners. All of our winners, including Editors’ Picks, will be listed in more detail in the July Best of NH print and online editions of New Hampshire Magazine.

What readers should know about the winners and the process:

• “Multi-location regional” refers to businesses with three or more locations, including at least one location in New Hampshire and the remaining locations in the New England area.
• “Multi-location local” refers to businesses with three or more locations in New Hampshire.
• Multi-location winners are awarded if they receive more votes than standalone locations. Example, if Lexie’s Restaurants has the most votes of any business in the burger category, then it is awarded the “Burger Multi-location Regional” winner and the next restaurant with the most number of votes is awarded the standalone winner. In this burger category example, that winner was Tuckaway Tavern and Butchery.
• We have selected some of our most popular categories (ice cream, burger, bakery, diner, etc.) and have awarded an overall winner as well as regional winners.
• Regions or areas are determined by the State of New Hampshire and can be found here.
• Some categories really do come down to a tie and businesses receive the exact same number of votes. It doesn’t happen often, but this year it happened three times.

About New Hampshire Magazine
New Hampshire Magazine is the essential guide to living in the Granite State, each month joining readers in a quest for all the best the state has to offer. With over 20,000 annual subscribers, New Hampshire Magazine presents features on the most fascinating people, most entertaining places and most delicious cuisine and includes departments covering everything from health to home to humor.

About Stay Work Play
Stay Work Play is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is “To work collaboratively across New Hampshire to support ongoing economic, workforce, and community development by promoting the state as a favorable place for young workers and recent college graduates to stay, work and play when considering employment and lifestyle opportunities.” Additional information on the organization can be found on the website, www.stayworkplay.org or by contacting Executive Director, Will Stuart, will@stayworkplay.org  or (603) 860-3986.