Manchester

Manchester, the queen city of New Hampshire was built up during the industrial revolution with bricks, labor and community. While the original industries have faded away, the buildings and community remain along with the same resourcefulness. We spent a day downtown in New Hampshire's largest city.

Manchester is in Southern New Hampshire within the I93 corridor and is considered to be part of the greater Boston area. The brick buildings of the old Amoskeag textile mill tower over both sides of the Merrimack river. While the mill is no longer in operation, the Millyard Museum located in one of these old buildings details the history of the people and place from colonial days through modern times.

The museum is immersive and on par with experiences you might have at one of the Smithsonians - just on a smaller scale. All of us were impressed with the number and quality of the exhibits with artifacts that must be seen in person to fully absorb. We had a new appreciation for the history of the area, and context for the buildings that surrounded us.

After time indoors, we walked along a portion of the Heritage trail that parallels the Merrimack river through the Amoskeag mill waterfront. A mural by James Chase graces walls and stairs leading down to an overlook of the river. It is a great way to get some fresh air.

Cutting through parking lots and brick structures we made our way to Boards and Brews located on Elm Street (Rte. 3). This area of downtown is filled to the brim with restaurants and local shops. A self proclaimed "Nerd Heaven", Boards and Brews has the largest board game library in New England. It didn't appear all of their games were available when we visited, but there were hundreds of options on hand.

We had reserved a table in advance through their online booking form. The price is very reasonable at $5/person for a 3-hour block. Within an hour of our arrival just about every table was full and the waitstaff were strained with all the food and drink orders.

The menu is simple and slightly above cafeteria quality. We enjoyed the fried pickle chips and gaming snacks. They have a list of sweet and salty treats from which your party can pick any four. Boards and brews has a full bar with fun cocktails and a cafe that seems to continuously steam out lattes and mochas. During the afternoon hours the atmosphere is perfect for families with children.

Sometimes when searching for restaurants online we find spots where the marketing sets the bar a bit too high for what the staff can deliver. Evolution Bistro and Bar is on a great corner location almost directly across the street from Boards and Brews. It looks and feels the part with a nice fit and feel, but all the food seemed to be lacking balance in one form or another. Heavily oversalted, asynchronous flavors/aromas, and the feeling that our dishes were the output of a kitchen at idle. We'll try someplace different next time.

Manchester has been tempered in tough times which ripples into the modern-day vibe. There are a lot of interesting things going on but you have to seek them out with purpose. Substantial traffic is drawn to the Mall of New Hampshire and endless big-box stores, but the heart and soul are downtown. We'll be back!