New England Chowder with Capital "C"

View of the New Hampshire Sate House from Twelve31 Café.

From fine dining to catering, this new café has one of the best views on Concord’s Main Street.

Blog by Melissa Dolpies, Twelve31

My culinary resume goes back to 2001 when I was the only woman in a kitchen full of Italian immigrants at Trattoria Il Panino in Boston’s North End.  (I don’t count the days of making cakes in the bakery department at a local supermarket as a teenager, or mixing ingredients in my grandmother’s kitchen while Julia Child’s distinctive voice emanated from the living room floor-model TV.)  My days in Boston continued through 2017. During that time, I worked at numerous top hotels running banquets and catering for sometimes 1,000 or more guests at a single event. 

This journey has led to opening is a café on Main Street in Concord, New Hampshire, and a catering company that is celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2023.

Concord has so much to offer, and Main Street is its centerpiece. I heard from a few catering clients over the years, “You need to open a place in Concord.”  I also heard “It is really competitive.” My reply about the “competitive” comment was always the same, “Any thriving downtown will have plenty of options for places to eat and that’s a good thing!” 

Simple, quick and quality.

Filling that need for fast, convenient and delicious food is our goal at the Twelve 31 Café.  The Gourmet Sandwich Menu was created long before we opened the café. Since 2018, those same Gourmet Sandwiches have gone out the door by the dozens and the hundreds for catering orders. The signature Clam Chowder is something I have been making for twenty years. What is truly enjoyable is seeing locals and tourists alike who visit our downtown be able to get a New England favorite right here in Concord without having to go to Boston. 

During your visit to Concord’s downtown, you’re going to have the chance to try so many great places with something for every taste bud. Enjoy your stay!

Melissa Dolpies is the owner of Twelve 31, a catering company with a café located at 100 North Main Street, Concord, NH.  She can be reached at: twelve31.cafe and twelve31.events.

Cobb salad: Grilled Chicken, Avocado, Bacon, Sliced Egg, Cheddar Cheese, Creamy Garlic Dressing.

Cup of famous New England Clam Chowder and half sandwich.

Ham and cheese: Black Forest Ham, Arugula, Apple Butter, Cheddar on Ciabatta.