Latest news with #BruceBrown
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Brown's Lobster Pound marks 75 years in Seabrook: 'Best seafood in the U.S.'
SEABROOK — "Numbers 87, 88, and 89, your orders are ready," echoed over the PA system at Brown's Lobster Pound on May 1, signaling another round of fresh seafood awaiting eager diners at the counter. It's a familiar call — one that has been repeated tens of thousands of times over the past 75 years — carrying on a tradition that began on the first Friday of April 1950. It's the result of a journey begun by Hollis Brown and his good friend Louis Violette and set the foundation for what is now a beloved New Hampshire seafood institution. Hollis is gone now, as is Violette, but Hollis' son Bruce remembers every day since. Nearly 88, he's moving a little slower than he did that April weekend in 1950 when, at 13, he hustled beside his dad at the opening of Brown's Lobster Pound. Bruce Brown's father founded Brown's Lobster Pound in 1950, when Bruce, center, was just 13 years old. He took over as owner in 1972, and now, generations of his family continue his legacy as the restaurant celebrates its 75th anniversary. These days, Bruce's sons Robert and Bruce II, along with his grandson Kaleb, do the heavy lifting, keeping the expanded footprint of Brown's up and running. But whenever the elder statesman's in the house, there's no shortage of people who stop to chat. 'I just want to say thank you,' Merrimack resident Craig LoPiana told Bruce Brown. 'We've been coming here for 45 years over three generations.' As Brown thanked him for his business in return, LoPiana, a 20-year Army veteran, said that even when he was deployed to the Middle East, one of the things he missed most was a meal at Brown's. 'I wanted to come back so I could eat here,' LoPiana said. The sentiment isn't unique. Brown's isn't just a tradition for the Brown family, it's one for thousands of families who've celebrated special occasions enjoying fresh lobsters and seafood there for generations. 'Mother's Day and Father's Day are two of our busiest,' Bruce Brown II said. 'And, of course, summers starting around Memorial Day.' Open weekends during the off-season from Nov. 15 through April 14, and seven days a week for the rest of the year, the restaurant for 75 years has drawn patrons from throughout New Hampshire, as well as from New Hampshire and Massachusetts — especially the Merrimack Valley — and beyond. 'We've been coming here for more than 20 years,' Lowell residents Edviges and Jorge Fraga told Bruce Brown. 'My cousins are here from the Azores. We brought them today.' High praise since the Azores, islands off the coast of Portugal, are famous for seafood. There was even a couple who flew in from Chicago once, Bruce Brown said, because eating at Brown's was what the wife said she wanted for her wedding anniversary. Hampton Beach Casino makeover: Developers bet big on charitable gaming expansion How Brown's Lobster Pound came to be It was 1947, Bruce Brown said, during an economic downturn that followed the end of World War II. His dad had been laid off from his factory job in Newburyport, and Louis Violette from his job at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Needing a way to earn a living, they started hauling lobsters landed by Maine fishermen, selling them to fish markets and restaurants in the Merrimack Valley. Doing well, a year later the two men opened their own lobster pound on Route 1 in Hampton, using the water from the nearby Taylor River for the lobster pool. Bruce Brown's father opened Brown's Lobster Pound in 1950, when Bruce was just 13. Starting out by cleaning tables, Bruce later took over as owner in 1972 upon his father's retirement. Now, the family-run restaurant is celebrating its 75th anniversary. 'But the water from the Taylor River was brackish,' Brown said. 'The water here, from the Black Water River, is better. It's cold, saltier, and good for lobsters.' So, in 1950, Hollis Brown and Violette opened their lobster pound in the flat-roofed, mustard-yellow, one-story building on Route 286 on the banks of the river that still provides the water for the holding tanks where lobsters crawl. Back then, they just sold lobsters and clams,' Bruce Brown said. 'Alive or cooked. Guess how much lobsters were back then? 35 cents a pound!' Things went so well that two years later, the men added a lunch bar to the lobster pound, serving lobster rolls, steamed clams, fried seafood and sandwiches. Replicating a place he had seen in Maine, Hollis Brown added a small dining room on the west side of the pound stretching over the river where patrons could sit, enjoy the view, and eat the lobsters they'd chosen themselves from the tank. In 1957, when Violette wanted to open his own lunch bar in nearby Salisbury, Hollis Brown bought him out. In the decades that followed, Hollis — with his son Bruce's help — extended the huge expanse of the dining room and furnished it. 'My father and I built a lot of the picnic tables in this dining room,' Bruce Brown said. 'I'd say about half. We've never served alcohol here. My mother and father were death on alcohol.' More: 2025 Great Bay Food Truck Festival at Stratham Hill Park. What to know before you go Brown's Lobster Pound keeps it all in the family Brown's Lobster Pound isn't simply a story about a successful restaurant; it's begun the lives of families over its lifetime. For starters, in 1957, it's where Bruce Brown met Cynthia Marston and their romance began. 'My father bought insurance from her father and asked him if he had any teenagers who needed a job for the summer,' Bruce Brown said, smiling. 'He did, and when I saw Cynthia, I thought she was a pretty good-looking chick.' Kaleb Brown hauls in fresh lobsters during the lunchtime rush at Brown's Lobster Pound, the family-run Seabrook institution celebrating 75 years of tradition. Only one problem, Brown said, Cynthia had a boyfriend. Over the summer, however, as he regularly drove Cynthia back to her North Hampton home, her loyalties changed. By October 1958, they were married and would become the parents of 'three fine sons,' Robert, Norman and Bruce II. All grew up working in the family business, two choosing it for their careers, and one, Norman, becoming a well-known local engineer. 'They're good boys,' Bruce Brown says softly of his sons. 'And I have four grandchildren, Kaleb, Ashley, Brittany, and Chloe, and four great-grandchildren, Liam, Isla, Cian and Laila.' They all owe their very existence to Brown's. 'My father met my mother here,' according to Bruce Brown II. 'My brother Norman met his wife Sandy here; my brother Robert met his wife Kim here and I met my wife Cathy here. A lot of people who've worked here over the years have met the people they would marry at Brown's.' The fourth Brown generation has already stepped up. Robert's son Kaleb, began in the kitchen as a kid, first as a dishwasher, but he moved up, taking on the important role of fry cook. Now he works beside his dad and uncle daily. Bruce Brown II's daughter Chloe – who'll graduate from Seabrook Middle School this spring – may also find her place at Brown's in decades to come. As for Brown generation number five, when school's out, Kaleb Brown's kids, Cian, Isla and Liam, can sometimes be found trailing after their dad, getting familiar with the goings-on in the complex world of the food industry. Kaleb said he once thought of pursuing a career in engineering like his uncle, but the family business called to him. 'It just seemed the natural thing to do to work here,' Kaleb said. 'I like it here.' It's not just blood relatives who make up Brown's family. Many in the area have worked inside those yellow walls year after year, like Gary Fowler, who's been with Brown for 65 years. 'Even when I did my military duty, when I'd get leave on weekends, I'd work here,' Fowler said. 'When it was quiet in the restaurant, we'd play cribbage,' Brown added. 'And I'd skunk him,' Fowler said. 'Wasn't very often,' Brown returned. The banter of the two friends revolves around more than cribbage. Staunch Republicans, they have worked on local, state and federal campaigns for Grand Old Party candidates, including, since the 1970s, organizing bi-annual Republican rallies at Brown's every two years, when a presidential prospect has been known to show up. More: Seabrook tightens beach parking rules ahead of summer Keeping tradition alive at Brown's Lobster Pound It's no secret the food service industry is one of the most difficult. With the high costs of equipment, perishable stock, long hours, and numerous employees, even nationwide chains find it challenging to drop enough to the bottom line to survive. But Brown's carved out a niche that's worked for three-quarters of a century, even while the cost of its primary product rose exponentially, as fish supplies diminished and consumer demand soared. Family-run Brown's Lobster Pound in Seabrook celebrates 75 years in business. In 1960, for example, a seafood plate was $2.50 and an order of French fries 15 cents, Bruce Brown said, making dining there a normal financial experience. But those prices are ancient history in the seafood restaurant business. 'A man told me, 'Mr. Brown, your food is very expensive,'' Bruce Brown said. 'I agreed with him. We want to maintain our standards, and these days to do that, everything is expensive. Fresh fish, labor, everything.' Bruce Brown II said to maintain quality, the restaurant buys and prepares fresh fish, and only from suppliers it trusts. When he surveys other fresh seafood restaurants in the region, Bruce Brown II said he finds prices similar to theirs. 'Some things may be a dollar or two higher or lower,' Bruce Brown II said, 'but we're all around the same.' Bruce Brown II believes it's important for New England to keep its historic seafood restaurants, a legacy of its oldest industry. 'It's important to keep these places going,' he said. 'It's New England heritage. These are special places.' Family Destination Guide's March 2025 review agrees. Although the review claims Brown's yellow building isn't going to win any architectural awards, it adds it's captured 'the hearts and appetites of seafood enthusiasts throughout New England and beyond.' Referring to Brown's as steadfastly consistent and unpretentious, a tough, resilient mirror of the New Hampshire Seacoast community, the article claims Brown's doesn't need fancy tablecloths, because hiding inside is 'The Best Seafood in the U.S.' 'In a culinary landscape dominated by ever-changing food trends and restaurants that reinvent themselves with each season, Brown's remains gloriously stubbornly unchanged … they let their impossibly fresh seafood speak volumes.' After 75 years, the dining public appears to agree. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Brown's Lobster Pound marks 75 years in Seabrook
USA Today
08-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
New Orleans Pelicans at Sacramento Kings odds, picks and predictions
Jess Root USA TODAY Sports The New Orleans Pelicans (12-39) and Sacramento Kings (25-26) meet Saturday. Tip-off from Golden 1 Center is at 10 p.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's NBA odds around the Pelicans vs. Kingsodds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets. Season series: Kings lead 1-0 The Pelicans have lost 7 in a row. They are coming off a 144-119 loss at the Denver Nuggets Wednesday, failing to cover as 11-point underdogs. The Kings have lost 2 straight games and are 2-6 in their last 8 contests. They played Thursday, a 108-102 loss as 1-point favorites at the Portland Trail Blazers. Pelicans at Kings odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2 p.m. ET. Expert Super Bowl picks: Unique betting insights only at USA TODAY. Moneyline (ML) : Pelicans +240 (bet $100 to win $240) | Kings -300 (bet $300 to win $100) : Pelicans +240 (bet $100 to win $240) | Kings -300 (bet $300 to win $100) Against the spread (ATS) : Pelicans +7.5 (-110) | Kings -7.5 (-110) : Pelicans +7.5 (-110) | Kings -7.5 (-110) Over/Under (O/U): 238.5 (O: -115 | U: -105) Pelicans at Kings key injuries Pelicans G Bruce Brown (not with team) out (not with team) out F Herbert Jones (shoulder) out (shoulder) out C Kelly Olynyk (not with team) out Kings None For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! Pelicans at Kings picks and predictions Prediction Kings 121, Pelicans 113 The Pelicans are only 4-21 on the road this season and have lost 5 in a row away from home. That record is so bad that you should never consider betting them to win outright unless they are facing a team that loses over 80 percent of its home games. Since the Kings are 13-13 at home, this is not the case. But -300 odds aren't worth the action to bet the Kings. PASS. At 20-30-1 ATS, the Pelicans have outperformed their overall win/loss record, but they are 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 games. Five of their losses in the 7-game skid have been by at least 9 points. The Kings have covered the spread in 7 of their last 10 wins. BET KINGS -7.5 (-110). Their first meeting this season (Dec. 12) had a total of 220 points. The Pelicans have allowed an average of 128.4 points during their losing streak, but the Kings have not scored more than 116 in their last 6 games. BET UNDER 238.5 (-105). For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Jess Root on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook. Access more NBA coverage: HoopsHype | Bulls Wire | Celtics Wire | Nets Wire | Rockets Wire | Sixers Wire | Spurs Wire | Thunder Wire | Warriors Wire | LeBron Wire | Rookie Wire | List Wire More NBA Picks and Predictions! Boston Celtics at New York Knicks odds, picks and predictions Portland Trail Blazers at Minnesota Timberwolves odds, picks and predictions Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies odds, picks and predictions
New York Times
07-02-2025
- Business
- New York Times
NBA buyout market tiers: 35 players to watch now that 2025 trade deadline has passed
Welcome to the after-party, everyone! It's time to rally. That's right, it's buyout time: When the NBA's unwanted veterans and other assorted riff-raff get released from contracts with their current teams to pursue new deals with a more favorable one. It's become a pretty big market, actually, thanks to the surge of activity leading up to Thursday's trade deadline. Those transactions left some teams with mismatched rosters, others with too few players and others with too many. Now it's time for a round of speed dating to fill in the back end of everyone's rosters. This is a particularly eventful time for contenders, who generally have their pick of the best buyout candidates, but nearly everyone gets involved to some level. Advertisement Virtually all these players will sign the same contract: a minimum deal for the rest of the season. In rare cases, minor bidding wars ensue using pieces of leftover midlevel exception money. More often, any competition for players comes down to playing time and the chance to be part of a playoff run. We have one other wrinkle, too: Seven teams are outlawed from signing certain players in the buyout market because they are over the first apron. Those teams — the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers — can't sign any player who was making more than the nontaxpayer midlevel exception before being waived. This year, that means they're unable to add four notable buyout candidates: Ben Simmons, Bruce Brown, Malcolm Brogdon and Bojan Bogdanović. With that said, let's take a look at the buyout market from top to bottom. Note that not all these players will necessarily be bought out and that several of the top seven players, in particular, might not hit the market. The 28-year-old Brown is clearly the best player who potentially would be available and definitely has the deepest collection of cowboy and western gear. Having put together a solid string of games in Toronto before being sent to the Pelicans in the Brandon Ingram trade, he's re-established some of his value after struggling with knee injuries the last two years. It's not entirely clear if the Pelicans would buy him out, given that the Pels might want to keep him beyond this season and his early Bird rights would allow them to do so without needing cap space or exception money. On the other hand, New Orleans is deep into the Tanking Zone at 12-30. Also, note again that a reunion with the Nuggets is not possible due to their being over the first apron. Advertisement Russell is helping a tanking team win slightly too often for everyone's tastes, so one wonders if the Nets might look to give him his wings. On the other hand, they may value having his Bird rights into the offseason. Notably, he'd be a strong candidate to sign a balloon contract as Plan B for the Nets' surfeit of cap space this summer. Brogdon has an expiring deal, and the Wizards are rebuilding; his shooting and secondary shot creation would be particularly appealing to teams light in backcourt. On the other hand, he's constantly injured. Also, it isn't clear if Washington would actually buy him out; the Wizards did a similar thing with Tyus Jones a year ago, keeping him on after not trading him at the deadline. We don't really know if the Raptors are coming or going, and it's not clear the Raptors do either right now. However, if Toronto is serious about chasing ping-pong balls and doesn't want or need to bring back the deep-shooting big man, he could help a contender's frontcourt rotation. Jones isn't a great shooter or an elite shot-creator, but as a game manager who can defend, pass and avoid mistakes, he's proven quite solid over his five-year career. Added to the De'Aaron Fox trade as matching salary, he's an iffy fit in Chicago. It's possible the Bulls could keep him around as a sometimes backup point guard in their 'chase' for the Play-In, and they have his Bird Rights this summer. On the other hand, never underestimate what the Bulls might do for a chance to save some money. Nance has an expiring deal, but his Bird rights could be valuable to Atlanta; the Hawks have dropped hints about keeping him around beyond this season. However, he's also currently out of the mix as the third center behind Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu and might yearn to play more meaningful basketball. The Nets are apparently working on a buyout with Simmons now and can finally dispense with trying to generate trade value for his stinker of a contract and get on with their lives. Simmons isn't worth $40 million, but he's a versatile player who can guard multiple positions, and on a minimum deal, he could help a lot of teams. Advertisement The 26-year-old 2018 lottery pick is a frustrating player, but he can hit 3s, block shots and is still more productive than any of the other frontcourt options below. The Clippers threw him into the P.J. Tucker salary-dump trade, and he was given his wings by Utah. A low-key useful energy guy on a one-year deal, Green might be an interesting target if the Pelicans don't allow Brown to hit the market. A buyout would give the Pels some additional room below the luxury tax to fill roster spots with players who might have more of a future beyond this season. Salary dumped by New Orleans to get the Pelicans under the tax line, Theis has value as a third center because of his IQ and ability to hit an occasional 3. If players such as Nance and Boucher don't wriggle free, he's likely to be the top center on the buyout market. Waived by the Bulls to accommodate incoming salary in the Zach LaVine trade, Craig is reportedly Boston-bound. He's only played nine games this year, but the 34-year-old was pretty consistent as a back-end rotation guy in the previous three campaigns for three different teams. Historically the veteran forward's coaches have liked him more than the numbers, but forwards in this size bracket are relatively scarce. This one is more speculative, but Morris has vanished from the Suns' rotation and might be interested in a different landing spot. He has taken DNPs in five of the last seven Suns games and has slumped to 30.4 percent from 3 on the season, but his overall level of play hasn't been that bad. A lot of teams could use him as a third point guard, if nothing else. Curry is 34 and the Hornets are rebuilding, but the Charlotte native might not mind sticking around. He's badly undersized but offers a knockdown shooter who can thrive next to an elite distributor. He's 35 and hasn't played all season following offseason foot surgery, but Bogdanović had been targeting a return around the All-Star break. The veteran forward is a major defensive liability, but he can still get buckets. Advertisement Tucker is 39, has been chilling on his couch all year and was the league's lowest-scoring player the last time he played regularly. However, a team might still value his defense and toughness in a limited role. That team is surely not lottery-bound Toronto, where he was sent via the Clippers and Utah this week, but his former employers in Miami and Milwaukee might be curious. Jackson is 34 and might be nearing the end of the line after falling out of Philadelphia's rotation and being included in a salary dump with Washington. However, never underestimate the allure of a veteran guard to a team in need of an extra point guard. Wright fell out of the Bucks' guard rotation after his offense cratered this year, shooting an abysmal 26.8 percent. However, he's still a sneaky ball hawk with good size for a combo guard, and that shooting percentage might be a small-sample mirage. If the 32-year-old makes a few more shots, he can still fill a role. Sent to New York in the Jericho Sims trade, it's not clear if he'll stick there or move on. Mills has the Clippers' 14th roster spot, for the moment, but LA might need it to sign a more desirable player from this list … especially since the 15th spot is likely earmarked for promoting Jordan Miller from his two-way contract. Mills can offer some shooting gravity, but his PERs of 7.2 and 6.1 the last two seasons indicate the 36-year-old is at or near the end of the line. Springer is an NBA-caliber defender who unfortunately has never shot consistently enough to carve out a role. While his career has moved in fits and starts on contending teams in Philadelphia and Boston that couldn't spare on-court minutes for him, Springer had some decent outings for the Celtics just before the deadline. Alas, he was waived in a move to trim Boston's luxury-tax bill. He has a good chance of landing on a rebuilding roster, one would think, especially if it's a team that believes in its shooting coach. It seems Hyland might be getting a chance to run the show as a backup when the Clippers sent him to Atlanta, but the Hawks GM not mentioning him in the press release announcing the trade is kind of a red flag that he might not be long for this roster. Hyland has shot-creation skill that the Hawks roster could use but has never been able to mesh that with acceptable defense or limited mistakes. I'd have Moore pretty high on my reclamation project list if I were a rebuilding team. He hardly got a chance in two years in Minnesota, and his 219 minutes in Detroit this year were pretty respectable across the board. Shooting looms as an issue, but Moore is a solid athlete with a strong frame, and he's also two-way eligible. Advertisement Are we still allowed to call Reddish a young guy? He's 25. Anyway, it seems more likely that a rebuilding Charlotte team will take a look under the hood here on the 2019 lottery pick rather than immediately move on from Reddish, especially since they would have early Bird rights this summer if he made an impression. The rugged third-year forward shot better in Atlanta than in his previous two stops, but he wasn't impactful enough to make up for his defensive shortcomings and lack of shot creation. The 2022 first-round pick is likely still a roster candidate someplace because of the scarcity of combo forwards and a two-way option at worst. The third-year forward will likely have to prove himself on a two-way deal after failing to make an impression as a 2022 first-rounder by the Bucks. He's currently on the Clippers' roster, but nobody expects that to be the case for long. I don't expect Davis to be in Memphis' plans, with his roster spot likely taken by one of the players on the list above before long. A bust as a Wizards lottery pick in 2022, Davis is two-way eligible. Also, his minutes in Washington this season were at least moderately encouraging. Jones seems more likely to be keeper for the Wizards through the rest of the season before they evaluate whether to pick up his guarantee for 2025-26. A second-round pick in 2023, Jones' anemic offense prevented him from gaining traction in Sacramento, and he was thrown into a deadline deal for Memphis' Jake LaRavia. After being traded by the Lakers as a sidebar to the Luka Dončić shocker, Hood-Schifino was waived by the Jazz to make room for their next set of trades. He's only 21 and was a first-round pick in 2023, which means another team is likely to take a flier as soon as he's healthy (he's been out with a hamstring injury since December). However, he may be more likely to latch on with a two-way than on a roster contract. Houstan has a $2.2 million team option for next season, but here's the rub: The Magic have a full roster. Thus, if the Magic want to get anybody from the buyout market, they have to waive somebody first. (That also applies if they want to promote two-way energizer Trevelin Queen, by the way.) Houstan seems the most likely candidate, having posted an abysmal 5.4 PER in 35 games and playing the same position as Orlando's last two first-round picks. Advertisement As with Hood-Schifino above, Cissoko is a 2023 draftee who washed out quickly but is so young (just 20) that he is likely to get another shot as a reclamation project. The Wizards let him go after he was traded from San Antonio to Sacramento to Washington. He's a strong, athletic wing, but shooting has been a problem. Most likely, a rebuilding team will try him on a two-way. A stretch four who hasn't shot consistently enough to make it tolerable to live with his lack of physicality and rebounding, Baldwin is likely another 2022 draftee who will try to rebuild his value via a two-way. Richardson has struggled with injuries the last two years and only played eight games for Miami this season; his minimum deal was sent to the Jazz to help the Heat clear some room below the first apron for … more buyout guys! Reports indicate that Utah plans on waiving him. The veteran guard is still on the shelf with a troublesome heel injury and might be a more logical signing in the offseason once he can get right physically. The veteran giant definitely lost some athletic juice this year, with his rebound rate slumping to just 13.7 percent and his usage rate to 9.5. One presumes the Wizards would like to see his roster spot filled by somebody a decade or so younger, so he'll likely be on the market sooner or later. A 2021 first-round pick, Duarte is 27 and probably needs to head to Europe, getting only 74 minutes from the Bulls in his fourth season before being waived to create roster spots for incoming salary in the LaVine trade. Micić got an extensive audition in Charlotte due to the Hornets' injuries, and … yeah, let's not do that again. He has a team option for $8.1 million next year that the Suns will likely decline and will presumably head back to Europe. Zeller never showed up in Atlanta but still got to collect $3.5 million. What a league. (Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Matthew Stockman, Sean Gardner / Getty Images; Juan Ocampo / NBAE via Getty Images)
