Show Notes
In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Chef Evan Hennessey, a Dover native who has become a prominent figure in the culinary scene. Hennessey, whose mother was a French teacher in Dover, left the area after graduating from Dover High School to work in Boston, New York and Chicago before returning to establish his career in his hometown. He discusses his journey from wanting to be a Disney animator to becoming a chef, starting as a prep cook and dishwasher at Newick's restaurant. Hennessey reflects on how his cooking style has evolved over 30 years, learning to simplify dishes rather than over-complicate them. He shares his passion for Dover as a small, growing community with great proximity to both mountains and ocean. The conversation highlights the collaborative nature of Dover's restaurant community, where business owners support each other rather than compete. Hennessey discusses his current restaurants, Stages and The Living Room, his appearances on the Food Network show Chopped, as well as his upcoming venture, Topolino, opening this spring at 9 River St., which will feature casual Mediterranean cuisine with roughly 70 seats, a bar, and a patio on the river. He also mentions his participation in a Friends of the Library fundraiser on Jan. 27 at Chapel + Main, featuring a live-streamed mystery basket cooking challenge.
For more information about the Friends of the Library fundraiser at Chapel + Main with Hennessey, or to purchase tickets, visit https://dovernh.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/cook-for-the-books-friends-of-the-library-fundraiser/
In This Week in Dover History, we learn about the development of winter sports in Dover over the past century. The segment traces how a 1923 Dover Chamber of Commerce meeting led to discussions about forming a hockey team and allowing skiing at Garrison Hill, including construction of a ski jump. These early efforts eventually resulted in a ski area at Garrison Hill with a rope tow that operated until the 1960s, a public skating rink behind the library that was later converted to parking, and the opening of the Dover Ice Arena in the 1970s. By 1999, demand had grown enough to warrant a second sheet of ice, leading to the construction of the Holt rink, which was completed in 2001 alongside a reconstruction of the Robert H. Foster rink, making the arena a year-round community destination.
More from Dover Download
In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Dian Maruca, executive director of the Dover Housing Authority, as part of the podcast's continuing look at local nonprofits and social service agencies. Maruca, who has led the authority since March 2026 after joining as deputy director in 2023, shares how a teenage landscaping job at the Newmarket Housing Authority grew into a career in subsidized housing. She says that hands-on experience shapes her respect for her maintenance and administrative staff.
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In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Margaret Joyce and Jed Allen of the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce about the 42nd annual Apple Harvest Day. What began as a small craft fair on Orchard Street with about a dozen crafters has grown into a signature event often described as Dover's homecoming, with roughly 250 vendors, two food courts, a road race, an apple pie contest and entertainment on two stages. The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the 5K road race starting at 8:30 a.m.
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