Discover Milford, NH Through the Eyes of a Top Chef
Chef Chris Viaud at Ansanm
Photos by Little Outdoor Giants
Milford, NH, is a midsize New England town located just about an hour north of Boston, centered on a classic green common (known as the Milford Oval, though it’s decidedly triangular). Crosswalks connect the bandstand-equipped park to the streets of a bustling little business district, and Milford is the kind of place where motorists always stop for pedestrians. It’s also the type of town where friendly locals are inclined to strike up a conversation with somebody sitting alone at the bar.
Late this past summer, that solo diner was me, in Milford to meet chef Chris Viaud and check out his restaurants, Greenleaf and Ansanm. As soon as I told anybody I was a visiting food writer from Boston, they instantly understood: “Chef Chris!” they’d say. “He was on ‘Top Chef’!”
Since Viaud’s turn in season 18 of the Bravo TV reality cooking show, filmed in an isolated “bubble” of contestants and judges in Portland, OR, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Massachusetts-born chef has also been a James Beard Award semifinalist for Emerging Chef, and has garnered national media attention for a pop-up inspired by his Haitian roots. That pop-up recently became his quick-service restaurant in town. He’s a veritable celebrity in the town of 16,000 people—but the uninitiated wouldn’t know it by talking to him.
Viaud, who is often present in his restaurants but has taken more of an operational role outside the kitchen, is quick in conversation to elevate Greenleaf Executive Sous Chef Justin O’Malley and Sous Chef Nick Breyare, who run the day-to-day and make menu decisions at the contemporary, farm-to-table restaurant. Viaud’s wife, Emilee, is the pastry chef responsible for seasonal desserts. At Ansanm, Viaud’s parents— mother Myrlene, a retired nurse assistant; and father Yves, a retired mechanical engineer—get the credit for the recipes from Haiti, from which they emigrated to New England as teens. Sister Kassie is the company’s director of marketing and administration, brother Phil is a professional photographer who’s always on hand to document company events and sister Katie maintains her own day job but helps out in the restaurants whenever she can, Viaud says.
The Viaud family moved from Randolph, MA, to Londonderry, NH, when Chris was 15 years old. After finishing high school and graduating from culinary school at Johnson & Wales, he moved to Somerville and worked his way up the ranks at Deuxave, the Back Bay gem of high-end French cuisine. In 2018, the ambitious Viaud began scouting New Hampshire locations to open his own restaurant. Greenleaf debuted in May 2019, when the chef was only 28 years old.
“There’s a lot going on in town,” Viaud says of Milford, but he admits he had never heard of the place before finding the former bank location that would become his first restaurant. Moving to a smaller town, off the well-trod path of southern New Hampshire, was a risk that has so far yielded great rewards, he says. “As opposed to trying to shove yourself into major cities, or even bigger cities in New Hampshire, there are other small communities that need places like this, where people can just enjoy themselves.”
Milford is central: about 25 minutes from Nashua, half an hour from Manchester and 40 minutes from Concord. Situated along the Souhegan River, it has a history of farming, granite quarries and textiles, and is the hub of a valley alive with plenty of agricultural activity. Viaud sources ingredients for his menus from throughout the region—and also enjoys the region recreationally with his family and young daughter.
Following an itinerary from the chef, the Milford area is well worth a day trip from Boston, or a diversion during your next vacation in southern New Hampshire. (Just make sure to bring an insulated bag for all the cheese you’re about to buy!)
Begin your day at Union Coffee Co., a small-batch roaster and café located just off the Milford town center on South Street (and next door to Ansanm, named for the Haitian Creole word meaning “together”). Whether you opt for cold brew, whatever’s on drip—perhaps the medium-bodied Every Day Carry, an affordable offering from Colombia; or a Tanzanian light roast—or a specialty drink made with Union Two-Stroke Espresso, you’re getting a high-quality cup of coffee that’s been ethically sourced and freshly roasted. Greenleaf serves Union Coffee exclusively, Viaud notes.
Once you’ve fueled up, head west about a 12-minute drive to the neighboring town of Wilton for a hearty breakfast at the Hilltop Café. This scenic place is a cozy farmhouse adjacent to what’s now Temple-Wilton Community Farm (TWCF), with a backyard dotted with shaded picnic tables in the nicer weather. The Hilltop employs talented baristas crafting beverages made with Nashua-roasted A&E Organic Coffee, should you need more caffeine. The llapingachos—South American-style potato pancakes filled with cheddar cheese and topped with fried eggs and a spicy peanut sauce—are a unique menu speciality, but you can’t go wrong with breakfast tacos, huevos rancheros or crêpes with your choice of filling.
After breakfast, say hello to the TWCF cows on your way over to the honor-system farm store next door. Produce and eggs from Temple-Wilton Community Farm are mainly for the members of its robust community-supported agriculture program, but the state-inspected, licensed dairy farm also supplies raw milk, whole-milk yogurt and a wonderful selection of cheeses to the general public. Abbot Hill Creamery, named for the slope where the farm is located, was founded on-site in 2013 by TWCF dairy farmer Benjamin Meier. His soft and hard cheeses—such as the aromatic, washed-rind Souhegan; the sharp and crumbly Caerphilly; and creamy and pungent Abbot Hill Blue—are made with milk from Temple-Wilton’s grass-fed cows and other local herds.
When you’re ready for lunch, it’s time to head back to Milford to visit Viaud’s buzzy new restaurant, Ansanm. The counter-service spot opened in October, after months of successful pop-ups his family helped pull off at Greenleaf following his stint on “Top Chef.” Being the youngest person in a cast that included Japanese American culinary innovator Shota Nakajima and retired Olympian-turned-soul food chef Dawn Burrell, Viaud was inspired to push the envelope for his own culture, he says.
“Haitian [food] is not well recognized or respected as a global cuisine,” Viaud says. “I look up to all those chefs that were so heavily involved in wanting to advocate for their cuisine and culture.”
Ansanm is about bringing Haitian flavors and recipes to the Milford community—but it’s also about bringing himself into Haitian cuisine, Viaud says. Along with his mother’s recipes for poule nan sòs (chicken in Creole sauce), vegan-friendly curries and stews, beef or mushroom-filled patés (hand pies) and pikliz, a spicy, slaw-like condiment, Ansanm introduces some new ideas. The V.O. Griot, for instance, is a Cubano-inspired sandwich stacked with a pulled version of Haiti’s traditional marinated, fried pork (griot), plus smoked ham, Edam cheese and a zesty pikliz aïoli. Ansanm sets out to meet the community’s needs for lunch while also educating the community more broadly about Haitian flavors and techniques, Viaud says.
Stews and pikliz make good use of local peppers, cabbage, squash and spinach, but not all produce can be sourced from the area: You won’t want to skip the side of fried plantains.
Viaud gets local produce from a couple of farm stands in Milford, which are destinations for visitors as well. Trombly Gardens is one of the chef’s favorite places to bring his 3-year-old: It has a year-round ice cream window scooping seasonal flavors like pumpkin, apple crumble and peppermint stick; plus a corn maze and pumpkins in the fall, and animals to interact with. The farm store is open year-round with seasonal produce, prepared foods and baked goods, plus local seafood and the farm’s own beef, pork and eggs. It also carries local crafts, artisan skin care and CBD-infused products.
Nearby Lull Farm is equally well-stocked with its own beef, chicken and turkeys, produce, prepared foods and even a floral department. When you need a taste of summer, don’t miss the preserves here, like spiced peaches in syrup.
Before heading to your dinner reservation downtown, stop for a drink at Station 101, a beer bar on the western edge of the Milford Oval. New to the scene in 2021, Station 101 fills a restored 1950s gas station with retro decor and a wide selection of New Hampshire and other regional craft brews. Knowledgeable bartenders can walk you through the offerings. Fans of classic styles should look out for something fresh from Manchester brewery Able Ebenezer, a veteran-owned outfit producing balanced brews like “Lady of the Lake” New England Lager and Homecoming Harvest Pumpkin Ale. Hopheads should ask about the latest cans from Modestman, a hype-worthy brewing company in Keene that specializes in plush and hazy ales.
Now it’s time for Milford’s best-known dining destination: Greenleaf. You’ll feel instantly relaxed as you enter Chef Viaud’s flagship, where the dining room is warm and buzzing but never too loud, despite its soaring ceilings and hardwood floors. You might want to start with a cocktail, such as the Maple Kick: a rye whiskey sipper with maple and lemon, topped with ginger beer; or 15 Pieces of Faler(num), made with Haitian rum, ginger, hazelnut falernum, lime and the unexpected sweetness of marmalade. There may be a selection or two from Abbot Hill Creamery on the cheeseboard, along with accoutrements like apple butter or apricot jam. A winter salad of shaved kale and Brussels sprouts with a preserved lemon vinaigrette and watermelon radish will cleanse the palate nicely, or explore other small plates like roasted squash bisque or house-made Parker House rolls with molasses butter. The menu here is constantly evolving with what’s available, but among the entrees will always be the signature herb-crusted cod, which comes atop a bed of seasonal vegetables with pancetta and a basil-almond purée.
While still beautifully presented, the cooking here is much simpler than the dishes Viaud was executing at Deuxave, or even what he was producing when Greeleaf first opened. Competing on “Top Chef” gave Viaud “a better understanding of who I am and the food that I present,” he says.
Getting to know this up-and-coming chef by taking a delicious day trip to his quaint New Hampshire town is certainly a worthwhile expedition.
This story appeared in the Winter 2023 issue.
