BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL

Corey Fletcher started out washing dishes at a family-style restaurant in Milford, New Hampshire -- and almost 30 years later, he owns one of the busiest kitchens in downtown Concord. Revival Kitchen and Bar opened on Depot Street in 2016, taking over the space of the shuttered Sunny's Table, and it has been a farm-to-table anchor of the Concord, NH restaurant scene ever since.In this episode, Corey Fletcher tells Carol about the seared sea scallop dish that has been on the Revival Kitchen and Bar menu since day one, the lobster poutine he put on the menu with total confidence and then didn't taste for a month and a half, and the nine-year run of house-made French macarons that now go out 250 at a time in flavors like blueberry chamomile with Concord Bee Company honey. He also breaks down what black garlic actually is, how he sears a scallop, and why he refuses to charge $44 for swordfish over plain rice.They get into the hard parts too -- surviving COVID with a takeout deal and Burger and Beer Fridays that families ordered eight and ten at a time, keeping a kitchen team together for five-plus years, and building a beverage program around New England distillers like Tamworth Distilling. Plus Corey's life outside the kitchen: bird hunting, deer hunting, foraging for chanterelles and black trumpets, and an 11-year-old daughter who already helps him portion burgers and pipe macarons.📍 Revival Kitchen and Bar -- 11 Depot Street, Concord, NH🔗 revivalkitchennh.comCarol Erickson has spent nearly 40 years in the hospitality industry as the longtime owner of the Red Arrow Diner before turning her attention to Beyond the Plate with Carol, a New Hampshire-based podcast covering food, restaurants, and hospitality all across New England. Every episode, Carol sits down with the chefs, entrepreneurs, content creators, and everyday people with an interesting New England story to tell -- from family-owned restaurants and food trucks to chef-owners like Corey Fletcher. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond.This episode is sponsored by Belmont Hall & Restaurant.Manchester, NH -- family-owned for over 90 years.belmonthall.net | Instagram: @belmonthallandcatering | Facebook: @belmonthallandcatering🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday -- hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one!Find Beyond the Plate everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH0:00 - Intro0:12 - Welcome to Corey Fletcher0:27 - Two dishwashers walk into a studio1:35 - Elijah's in Milford, NH1:54 - The culinary vacuum 😂2:18 - Baldwin's on Elm, Manchester2:47 - Nantucket, then Concord for good5:31 - How Revival Kitchen was born6:01 - Concord's Main Street comeback6:42 - Building a farm-to-table menu9:21 - Hunting, foraging, and mushrooms10:00 - Carol walks in with no reservation12:36 - Doing the rain dance 😂13:42 - The copper table problem14:36 - The scallop dish since day one16:01 - The lobster poutine confession 😂17:04 - Value on the plate18:29 - When COVID hit Revival19:26 - Burger and Beer Fridays20:45 - Picnic tables and DoorDash eggs 😂23:57 - Nine years of French macarons24:04 - It is not a macaroon 😂26:16 - Building the late summer menu30:15 - Black garlic, explained31:57 - Life outside the kitchen32:50 - Carol's archery adventure 😂35:51 - His daughter in the kitchen36:47 - How he met his wife37:04 - Private events at Revival38:16 - The beverage program41:24 - Lightning Round44:06 - Best New England classic47:23 - A hospitality story49:12 - Closing thoughts

He wanted to be a Disney animator. Instead, Chef Evan Hennessey became the first chef in New Hampshire history to win the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northeast -- and this year, he opened his fourth venture in Dover.Carol sits down with Evan right at Stages at One Washington to talk about the whole arc -- from a dishwashing job with no career plan, to staging in some of the country's best kitchens, to building three completely different restaurant concepts and a culinary travel company, all without leaving his hometown.In this episode:• What it actually felt like to hear his name called on that James Beard stage• How he discovered his own foraged ingredient -- a rare "sea truffle" red algae• The full, very sweet story behind his daughter's cookies, served at the end of every tasting menu at Stages• A walkthrough of Stages, The Living Room, and his brand-new Mediterranean spot, Topolino• Why he started "Staging At Stages," a hands-on apprenticeship program for young chefsStages at One Washington | 1 Washington St, Dover, NH | stages-dining.comSubscribe on YouTube, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and like, comment, and share this episode. New episodes of Beyond the Plate with Carol drop every Tuesday.This episode is sponsored by Belmont Hall & Restaurant.Manchester, NH -- family-owned for over 90 years.belmonthall.net | Instagram: @belmonthallandcatering | Facebook: @belmonthallandcateringABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROLCarol Erickson brings nearly 40 years of hospitality experience as the longtime owner of the Red Arrow Diner to Beyond the Plate with Carol, a New Hampshire-based podcast covering food, restaurants, and hospitality all across New England. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond.Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNHFollow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24

Andy Day built way more than a bar -- he's the owner and chef behind Cask & Vine in Derry, NH, and the founder of both Doire Distilling and Daydreaming Brewing Company, all under one roof.This week's episode is mixed up a little bit -- we're on location at Cask & Vine in Derry, New Hampshire! Carol sits down with Andy to talk through how a 2010 beer festival turned into an entire craft beverage empire -- and how Andy Day became Chef Andy Day, now in the finals for the Favorite Chef competition hosted by Chef Carla HallIn this episode:How a barrel-aged beer at a film festival changed Andy's whole pathBuilding three completely different concepts under one roofAndy's entry into the Favorite Chef competition presented by Chef Carla Hall, benefiting the James Beard FoundationThe story behind the Super Duck Three Way sandwichKeeping his whole team employed through the pandemicCask & Vine1 East Broadway, Derry, NH 03038caskandvine.comfacebook.com/CaskandVineIf you loved this episode, subscribe to Beyond the Plate on YouTube, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and like, comment, and share with someone who needs to see it. New episodes every Tuesday, with on-location specials like this one along the way!This episode is brought to you by Belmont Hall & Restaurant.belmonthall.net | Instagram: @belmonthallandcateringABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROLCarol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond.Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNHFollow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24

John Milliard ran the toaster at Pappy's Pizza & Subs when he was just 12 years old. Over three decades later, he owns the place -- and he's carrying forward the legacy of the man who mentored him, founder Ron Pappas.In this episode, Carol sits down with John at Pappy's on Elm Street in Manchester to talk about buying back his mentor's restaurant, the three-month renovation that brought it into a new era, and what it means to honor someone who changed the course of his life.They cover:● The story behind the "Toast Boy" nickname and how it led to ownership● Ron Pappas's legacy running Pappy's from a wheelchair -- and what it taught John about giving back● The 2022 purchase and the full-scale renovation that followed● Pappy's most iconic menu staples, plus the 20-inch pizza eating challenge● What John thinks Ron would say if he walked through the door todayPappy's Pizza & Subs1531 Elm St, Manchester, NH 03101ilovepappys.comSubscribe to Beyond the Plate with Carol on YouTube, follow along on Instagram and Facebook, and like, comment, and share this one. New episodes drop every Tuesday!This episode is sponsored by Belmont Hall & Restaurant -- Carol's family restaurant, now owned by her sister.[Belmont Hall address / website / social -- confirm exact details before publishing]ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROLCarol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond.Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNHFollow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24

What's it really like to be 8 years old and growing up outside the walled city of Lucca, Italy -- with a go-kart, a backyard full of chickens, and grandparents who make their own tomato sauce every summer? On this special episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol, Carol sits down with her great-nephew Oliviero -- Oli, as the family calls him -- for a conversation that has nothing to do with restaurants and everything to do with what makes a childhood in Tuscany so special.Oli walks Carol through a day in his world -- go-kart racing (red, obviously), taking care of his chickens, the treehouse he plays in with his brothers Leonardo and Ludo, and Nonna's homemade tomato sauce that gets them through the winter. He explains the history of Lucca's walled city like a local tour guide, shares what he loves most about visiting Popsy and Nonna in New Hampshire, and answers a full round of rapid-fire questions -- pizza or pasta, racetrack or playground, gelato or cake.This one is pure family, pure fun, and a reminder of what "beyond the plate" really means -- the people, the traditions, and the everyday moments that make a place home.🌍 Lucca, Tuscany, Italy -- just outside the historic walled cityThis episode is sponsored by Belmont Hall & Restaurant.Manchester, NH -- family-owned for over 90 years.belmonthall.net | Instagram: @belmonthallandcatering | Facebook: @belmonthallandcatering🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday -- hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one!Find Beyond the Plate everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNHCarol Erickson ran the Red Arrow Diner for nearly 40 years before turning her attention to Beyond the Plate with Carol, a New Hampshire-based podcast covering food, restaurants, and hospitality all across New England. Every episode, Carol sits down with the chefs, entrepreneurs, content creators, and everyday people with an interesting story to tell -- and once in a while, that means bringing family into the studio too. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond.

What's it really like to be 8 years old and growing up outside the walled city of Lucca, Italy -- with a go-kart, a backyard full of chickens, and grandparents who make their own tomato sauce every summer? On this special episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol, Carol sits down with her great-nephew Oliviero -- Oli, as the family calls him -- for a conversation that has nothing to do with restaurants and everything to do with what makes a childhood in Tuscany so special.Oli walks Carol through a day in his world -- go-kart racing (red, obviously), taking care of his chickens, the treehouse he plays in with his brothers Leonardo and Ludo, and Nonna's homemade tomato sauce that gets them through the winter. He explains the history of Lucca's walled city like a local tour guide, shares what he loves most about visiting Popsy and Nonna in New Hampshire, and answers a full round of rapid-fire questions -- pizza or pasta, racetrack or playground, gelato or cake.This one is pure family, pure fun, and a reminder of what "beyond the plate" really means -- the people, the traditions, and the everyday moments that make a place home.🌍 Lucca, Tuscany, Italy -- just outside the historic walled cityThis episode is sponsored by Belmont Hall & Restaurant.Manchester, NH -- family-owned for over 90 years.belmonthall.net | Instagram: @belmonthallandcatering | Facebook: @belmonthallandcatering🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday -- hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one!Find Beyond the Plate everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNHCarol Erickson ran the Red Arrow Diner for nearly 40 years before turning her attention to Beyond the Plate with Carol, a New Hampshire-based podcast covering food, restaurants, and hospitality all across New England. Every episode, Carol sits down with the chefs, entrepreneurs, content creators, and everyday people with an interesting story to tell -- and once in a while, that means bringing family into the studio too. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond.

Ryan of Crazy Dreamers never planned any of this. A random line his wife said years ago -- "keep dreaming, you crazy dreamer" -- became the name of the New Hampshire food content account that's now grown to roughly 20-26K followers on Facebook and more than 50,000 on TikTok. Ryan builds all of it around a full-time job at his family's concrete company in New Hampshire and raising his 4-year-old son, also named Ryan.In this episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol, Ryan of Crazy Dreamers sits down with Carol Erickson to talk about the England trip that made his food content explode overnight, his surprisingly strict food rating scale (he has never once given a 10), the real story behind his viral Free Money Fridays series where he hides cash across New Hampshire towns for followers to find, and his personal rule of always paying for his own food at every restaurant, food truck, and NH eatery he reviews so nothing skews his honest opinion.Ryan and Carol also swap notes on food content creation, local NH restaurant recommendations -- including Messy Mike's Barbecue, Sig's Kitchen, Buckley's Burgers and Steaks in Hampton, and Alibi Aftermath in Manchester -- his podcast Lonnie and Ryan, and what it actually takes to keep short-form video viewers hooked in an age of shrinking attention spans.📍 Crazy Dreamers -- based in New Hampshire, content filmed statewide (search "Crazy Dreamers" on TikTok and Facebook)🔗 Search "Crazy Dreamers" on TikTok and Facebook to follow along, including Free Money Fridays-- linktr.ee/crazy_dreamersCarol Erickson spent nearly 40 years in the hospitality industry as the longtime owner of the Red Arrow Diner before turning her attention to Beyond the Plate with Carol, a New Hampshire-based podcast covering food, restaurants, and hospitality all across New England. Every episode, Carol sits down with the chefs, entrepreneurs, content creators, and everyday people with an interesting New England story to tell -- from family-owned restaurants and food trucks to rising creators like Ryan of Crazy Dreamers. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond.This episode is sponsored by Belmont Hall & Restaurant.Manchester, NH -- family-owned for over 90 years.belmonthall.net | Instagram: @belmonthallandcatering | Facebook: @belmonthallandcatering🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday -- hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one!Find Beyond the Plate everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH0:00 - Intro0:10 - Welcome to Ryan of Crazy Dreamers0:38 - Follower count reveal -- 50K+ on TikTok, 20-26K on Facebook1:06 - Life before food content -- the Thrift Mind years2:32 - Becoming a dad changes everything2:47 - The England trip that changed it all3:33 - Posting British McDonald's reviews 😂4:33 - Is Crazy Dreamers still a family project?5:43 - When Ryan knew Crazy Dreamers was really taking off7:02 - Guessing Carol's age 😂9:00 - Strategic content or just having fun?10:52 - Guest plug -- find Ryan and Crazy Dreamers online11:04 - The psychology of hooking short-form video viewers early14:23 - Ryan's rating scale explained -- why nothing is a 1015:22 - Free Money Fridays -- how it works across New Hampshire17:12 - The "mhm" bio explainer22:47 - How Crazy Dreamers got its name22:54 - Ryan's podcast, Lonnie and Ryan25:56 - What Ryan loves about podcasting vs. short-form video28:02 - Why New Hampshire keeps showing up in Crazy Dreamers content32:38 - Balancing a full-time concrete company job, content, and family33:19 - Ryan's rule: always pays for his own food35:50 - Lightning Round -- NH food recommendations45:52 - Closing thoughts -- what's the dream for Crazy Dreamers?48:16 - Outro

Jim Varney spent 25 years designing consumer products -- until he saw one of his own designs sitting in a pile of "trash" at a modern art museum, and it changed everything. Now he and his wife Deanna run Wavelength Coffee Roasters out of a solar-powered former rope mill in Shirley, Massachusetts.In this episode, Jim and Deanna talk about the industrial design background that led to their steel-can packaging (no foil bags here), why they use air roasting instead of the 150-year-old drum roasting method, how Deanna's library science background became an unexpected business asset, and what they're calling their "spaghetti year" as they figure out what sticks. Plus, a lightning round covering pancakes vs. waffles, night owls vs. morning people, and the one thing Jim didn't expect people to be surprised about.📍 Wavelength Coffee Roasters -- Shirley, MA🔗 wavelengthcoffee.com🔔 New episodes drop every Tuesday -- hit SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you never miss one!👇 Follow Beyond the Plate everywhere: Linktree: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNHYouTube: youtube.com/@beyondtheplatewithcarolInstagram: @beyondtheplatenhFacebook: Beyond the Plate NHTikTok: @nhbeyondtheplateSpotify: Search "Beyond the Plate with Carol"This episode is sponsored by Belmont Hall & Restaurant.Manchester, NH -- family-owned for over 90 years.belmonthall.net | Instagram: @belmonthallandcatering | Facebook: @belmonthallandcateringABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROLCarol Erickson sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond.Follow Carol:Instagram: @carolsew240:00 - Intro1:20 - Meet Jim and Deanna Varney2:00 - From engineering coffee equipment to running the machines3:50 - Working retail coffee in college5:50 - The value of working in food service7:15 - Getting the itch to leave industrial design9:00 - The museum moment 😳11:00 - "Can we do something better?"14:00 - Founding Wavelength in 202515:00 - Falling in love with coffee grower stories16:10 - Deanna's library science background as a business asset19:20 - Explaining air roasting vs. drum roasting23:35 - The solar power story at Phoenix Park26:30 - Finding a home in an old rope mill29:00 - The steel can packaging decision36:20 - Wanting to be part of the local community38:40 - Manchester's coffee shop density39:40 - What a coffee "cupping" actually is1:00:20 - Lightning Round1:03:45 - Where Wavelength wants to be in 5 years1:04:00 - Closing thoughts

There is a camp in Bedford, New Hampshire with a 250-person waiting list. And most people in this state have never heard of it.In this episode, Carol Erickson sits down with Mel Gosselin, Executive Director of Camp Allen NH, and Emily DiRusso, Camp Director -- to talk about 95 years of changing lives for people with developmental and physical disabilities. Camp Allen is not just for kids. Their oldest camper is in his 60s and has been coming for 50 years. This place is the best-kept secret in New Hampshire, and it is time for that to change.In this episode:• How a classical guitar major ended up running the New Hampshire Food Bank for 13 years -- and what brought Mel to Camp Allen• The history of Camp Allen: founded in 1931 by a director from Perkins School for the Blind• Carol's personal moment: her son Jesse was greater than legally blind and attended Perkins School• 250 people on the waiting list -- and how camperships and the Harry Allen Gregg Foundation help families access camp• The new kitchen, the sensory building, and the hospital-grade equipment arriving from Germany• What Mel's most unforgettable moment at Camp Allen has been -- and Emily's too• Ways to volunteer, donate, and help right nowCamp Allen NH56 Camp Allen Rd, Bedford, NH 03110campallennh.orgInstagram: @campallennh | Facebook: CampAllenNHDonate: campallennh.org/donate | Volunteer: campallennh.org/volunteer | Camperships: campallennh.org/campershipsIf this episode moved you, please subscribe to Beyond the Plate with Carol on YouTube, follow us on Instagram and Facebook at @beyondtheplatenh, and share this with someone who needs to know Camp Allen exists. New episodes every Tuesday.ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROLCarol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond.Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNHFollow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24Timestamps:0:00 -- Intro -- Carol at Camp Allen0:31 -- The classical guitar degree question1:16 -- Mel's story: concrete with dad, Keene State, stage fright2:49 -- What is Camp Allen? Mel explains for first-timers3:09 -- "The one word is magical"4:07 -- The origin story: Perkins School for the Blind, 19314:52 -- Best-kept secret: it's not just for kids 😂5:47 -- Red Arrow meets Camp Allen -- Carol's 24/7 weave-in5:57 -- Carol's Jesse + Perkins connection6:09 -- How the mission has evolved over 95 years8:11 -- Hiring staff from around the world9:35 -- Camper-to-counselor ratio: 1:1 or 2:111:11 -- A week at camp: Sunday to Friday11:51 -- 250-person waiting list every season15:17 -- The new kitchen -- Karen from Mexico, T-Bones consulting16:08 -- Camperships + Harry Allen Gregg Foundation: how campers are funded19:19 -- Staff 24/7: Carol's Red Arrow comparison21:16 -- The most underrated donation at Camp Allen22:49 -- Almost at 100 years -- the archive, the history24:34 -- Carol gets personal: Jesse, Perkins, and this place26:13 -- "Mom, go home. I'm at camp."29:52 -- Moments they will never forget30:00 -- Mel's moment: a camper sobbing at checkout ♥33:50 -- "When camp season ended, it was like someone shut the power off"37:33 -- The sensory building and $50K German equipment38:07 -- Emily's background: master's in special education41:22 -- "Salt and pepper -- I'm probably more salty" 😂41:30 -- LIGHTNING ROUND42:32 -- What are you ordering at the Red Arrow?42:44 -- Guitar at the campfire -- "That was a low blow!"43:49 -- Funniest camper story: Martha the mischief-maker 😂45:01 -- Something about Camp Allen that would blow people's minds46:10 -- What Camp Allen needs most right now46:49 -- Best leadership advice: mindfulness and being present48:17 -- What's next: adaptive sports, new pool dream49:26 -- "I'm just here as a conduit for the magic of camp"49:37 -- Closing + "We knew you'd be jealous"

I just could not wait to share this -- so here it is early!!At Camp Allen in Bedford, NH, Carol sat down with Executive Director Mel Gosselin and Camp Director Emily DiRusso to talk about everything that makes this place run. But she also got to do something even more special -- she sat down with the campers directly and heard about the Camp Allen experience straight from the people who live it.If you have ever been curious about what Camp Allen really has to offer, you do not want to miss this.The full episode with Mel and Emily drops TOMORROW on this channel and everywhere you listen to podcasts.Learn more about Camp Allen NH:campallennh.orgInstagram: @campallennh | Facebook: CampAllenNHDonate: campallennh.org/donateVolunteer: campallennh.org/volunteerSubscribe to Beyond the Plate with Carol for new episodes every Tuesday:linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNHFollow Carol: @carolsew24