There may be other things to order at Hanover Street Chophouse besides filet mignon, but I don’t want to know about them…
The kona-rubbed filet, one of six ways this tender cut of beef is prepared at the uptown Manchester restaurant, left me weak. As I sliced into the thick medallion, dusted with ground coffee and chili powder, I knew in an instant I had been robbed. All the “steaks” I had consumed in the past were imposters, pale stand-ins for this sublime, 8-ounce indulgence.
Actually, the gastronomic juices began to flow as we walked into the five-year-old restaurant, a few blocks from Elm Street. There are similarities to The Capital Grill, a national steakhouse chain, in that both share the same interior designer. But this is not a chain, and it shows. A warm glow envelopes you from the get-go.
From the dimly lit dining room with its black leather booths and white tablecloths to the clean lines of the bar, Hanover Street Chophouse radiates fine dining. And not just by New Hampshire standards. This chophouse can stand up to any restaurant in any city. Owner Chuck Rolecek, whose well-loved restaurant C.R. Sparks closed in Bedford, N.H., in June, has given Manchester a dining establishment it can be proud of.
General Manager Tony Chapman and Executive Chef Stuart Cameron. Photos by Kevin Harkins.
When our server came to our table we were immediately impressed. The distinguished gent appeared in a pressed white coat and black tie with a white towel draped over his forearm. Laying on the old-school charm, he delivered a congeniality that is absent in most modern restaurants. Hospitality and a sense of grace are celebrated at the Hanover Street Chophouse as much as gourmet beef and chops.
We launched with the evening’s special — a plum salad with blackberries, blue cheese and pepitas. It was perfectly palatable and pleasantly unpredictable. The bright purple plums were “sweated” to bring out their juices, and the result was a puckery mashup of freshness.
The wine list is what you would expect — deep and pricy. You will pay more for your cabernet, but each glass is so well cared for, you won’t mind after the first sip. The pinot noir from Monterey, Calif., that I ordered was smooth and expertly aerated. This is what wine by the glass should taste like at $13 a splash.
Familiar steaks, including porterhouse, and eclectic chops, such as the “Tomahawk,” dominate the menu. Many are dry-aged, and the prime rib is slow roasted (available only on Friday and Saturday). There is a raw bar and a few atypical side dishes like truffled tatter tots and portobello fries that keep the Hanover Street Chophouse from getting too serious.
I was tempted by the Kobe burger, an über-patty from the sought-after Wagyu cattle, but opted for the filet mignon and savored every bite. My dinning companion ordered the top sirloin with blue cheese and onion rings and was perfectly happy, that is until he took a bite of my “like butter” filet.
Steak gets marquee billing on this street, but you don’t have to be a carnivore to enjoy the show. A bevy of delicious sounding entrees, such as “Ahi Tuna Au Poivre,” served with porcini mushrooms and asparagus atop wild mushroom-risotto fritters, offer a refreshing take on this trendy fish. Maine lobster is prepared steamed, baked stuffed, or lazy-man style, and North Atlantic salmon is flame-grilled and served with a lemon white wine cream sauce, warm greens and haystack fries.
Although I didn’t consider dessert (not wishing to curb the beef buzz still riding high), several items caught my eye. I will return this winter for a slice of red velvet cake with a dessert wine and hopefully get snowed in.
There is no pussy-footing around it, the Hanover Street Chophouse is one of the pricier places to dine in the Merrimack Valley, but dine you will, and memorably.
Hanover Street Chophouse is located at 149 Hanover Street, Manchester, N.H. The restaurant serves lunch Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner is served Monday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 5 to 10 p.m.
(603) 644-2467 - www.HanoverStreetChophouse.com
Good Eats – Hanover Street Chophouse
The kona-rubbed filet, one of six ways this tender cut of beef is prepared at the uptown Manchester restaurant, left me weak. As I sliced into the thick medallion, dusted with ground coffee and chili powder, I knew in an instant I had been robbed. All the “steaks” I had consumed in the past were imposters, pale stand-ins for this sublime, 8-ounce indulgence.
Actually, the gastronomic juices began to flow as we walked into the five-year-old restaurant, a few blocks from Elm Street. There are similarities to The Capital Grill, a national steakhouse chain, in that both share the same interior designer. But this is not a chain, and it shows. A warm glow envelopes you from the get-go.
From the dimly lit dining room with its black leather booths and white tablecloths to the clean lines of the bar, Hanover Street Chophouse radiates fine dining. And not just by New Hampshire standards. This chophouse can stand up to any restaurant in any city. Owner Chuck Rolecek, whose well-loved restaurant C.R. Sparks closed in Bedford, N.H., in June, has given Manchester a dining establishment it can be proud of.
General Manager Tony Chapman and Executive Chef Stuart Cameron. Photos by Kevin Harkins.
When our server came to our table we were immediately impressed. The distinguished gent appeared in a pressed white coat and black tie with a white towel draped over his forearm. Laying on the old-school charm, he delivered a congeniality that is absent in most modern restaurants. Hospitality and a sense of grace are celebrated at the Hanover Street Chophouse as much as gourmet beef and chops.
We launched with the evening’s special — a plum salad with blackberries, blue cheese and pepitas. It was perfectly palatable and pleasantly unpredictable. The bright purple plums were “sweated” to bring out their juices, and the result was a puckery mashup of freshness.
The wine list is what you would expect — deep and pricy. You will pay more for your cabernet, but each glass is so well cared for, you won’t mind after the first sip. The pinot noir from Monterey, Calif., that I ordered was smooth and expertly aerated. This is what wine by the glass should taste like at $13 a splash.
Familiar steaks, including porterhouse, and eclectic chops, such as the “Tomahawk,” dominate the menu. Many are dry-aged, and the prime rib is slow roasted (available only on Friday and Saturday). There is a raw bar and a few atypical side dishes like truffled tatter tots and portobello fries that keep the Hanover Street Chophouse from getting too serious.
I was tempted by the Kobe burger, an über-patty from the sought-after Wagyu cattle, but opted for the filet mignon and savored every bite. My dinning companion ordered the top sirloin with blue cheese and onion rings and was perfectly happy, that is until he took a bite of my “like butter” filet.
Steak gets marquee billing on this street, but you don’t have to be a carnivore to enjoy the show. A bevy of delicious sounding entrees, such as “Ahi Tuna Au Poivre,” served with porcini mushrooms and asparagus atop wild mushroom-risotto fritters, offer a refreshing take on this trendy fish. Maine lobster is prepared steamed, baked stuffed, or lazy-man style, and North Atlantic salmon is flame-grilled and served with a lemon white wine cream sauce, warm greens and haystack fries.
Although I didn’t consider dessert (not wishing to curb the beef buzz still riding high), several items caught my eye. I will return this winter for a slice of red velvet cake with a dessert wine and hopefully get snowed in.
There is no pussy-footing around it, the Hanover Street Chophouse is one of the pricier places to dine in the Merrimack Valley, but dine you will, and memorably.
Hanover Street Chophouse is located at 149 Hanover Street, Manchester, N.H. The restaurant serves lunch Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner is served Monday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 5 to 10 p.m.
(603) 644-2467 - www.HanoverStreetChophouse.com