FOOD PROFILE Otto's • Keene, NH Named after the restaurant owner's son, the new Keene restaurant offers dishes from around the world.

Otto, the son of restaurant owners, Kaycie and Kyle Meyerrose, probably never imagined he would see his name on a sign that welcomes people to his family's business, Otto's Food and Drink. &emsp;The space at 9 Court St., Keene, New Hampshire, previously occupied by Machina Kitchen & Artbar, is now the home of Otto's, a restaurant that had its grand opening on March 6 of this year, a place where the namesake is an enthusiastic participant. &emsp;"He's wanted to be a part of this every step of the way," says Kyle, adding that if they'd had any other child in the world, they wouldn't have done this. &emsp;Both parents explain that he has grown up in the restaurant business and shares their interest. &emsp;"He's very vocal with the head chef, who takes the 10-year-old's ideas and makes them better," Kaycie says. &emsp;Otto tries many menu options and recommends favorites of his liking, such as the petite tenderloin and lavender duck breast, to customers. &emsp;"Our second night of the soft opening, he was hosting and made the most tips," his mom comments. &emsp;Otto contributes to cleaning and food preparation, anything that helps him earn a little money, Kyle says with a laugh, adding that, "we all pay his allowance here." &emsp;On the menu, you'll find an eclectic variety of options, ranging from dishes like a steak and Romanesco sandwich, Kentucky hot brown and shakshuka (a North African and Israeli dish) to sweet pea arancini (Sicilian), and jagerschnitzel (German). For vegetarians, there are the mushroom Bolognese, black bean burgers and more. &emsp;Among the appetizers are tuna crudo, oysters, celeriac and apple salad, golden beetroot salad and bluefish pate. &emsp;Kaycie names popular menu selections: seared salmon over cold couscous salad, petite tenderloin, and duck ragu. &emsp;"People go bananas over the duck ragu because it's so unique," she shares. &emsp;She says they serve quality hand-cut meats and the freshest seafood available from Adam's Seafood. When possible, they use ingredients from the Farmers' Market of Keene. &emsp;They prepare food in their "from-scratch kitchen," including homemade pasta and duck ground in-house. Nothing is thrown out unless it is spoiled, explains Kaycie. &emsp;"This saves us money and time since we have three very experienced people who are good at this," she notes, adding that they're an efficient team. &emsp;Kaycie was previously general manager and partner at Luca's Mediterranean Café at Keene's Central Square before it changed hands. &emsp;When Machina's owners told her they planned to close, she contacted the landlord right away to inquire about renting the space. &emsp;Now she is realizing her dream of opening a restaurant with support from Otto and his dad, along with a great staff, many of whom previously worked with her. &emsp;Emma Radziewicz, the head chef, worked with Kaycie in the past, as did Tamber Eastman, her sous chef. With a variety of backgrounds and palettes: from the Polish Radziewicz, mid-western Eastman, who's inspired by Korean and other Asian cuisines, Kyle's 100% German background, and Kaycie's European Spanish and Italian roots, she thought they might have difficulty pulling together a menu. &emsp;But they were successful in offering a wide range of options. Making seasonal menu changes invites additional variety. &emsp;Otto's front-end manager, Lauren Simmons, continues in her sixth year of working with Kaycie: "Getting her was a godsend. That girl is amazing at what she does; the kind of person who, when you say jump, says, 'How high?'" the grateful restaurant owner says. &emsp;Kaycie's food service experience began when she helped her mother with catering work while in middle school and continued in high school and college as she rose through the ranks of the restaurant business. &emsp;"I've done a lot of managing gigs, and it reached a point where my husband and I wanted to be our own bosses," she explains. &emsp;One challenge they faced when opening their business last March was the timing coinciding with that of a few other restaurants. &emsp;"Thankfully, we're all doing well," she notes. &emsp;She has a following from her past restaurant history and many regulars. &emsp;"So far, everyone has been positive and supportive," she says of the community's response. &emsp;Kaycie says that opening their own business, like opening any small business, is scary right now. &emsp;The couple is still organizing and getting on the right track, with a short-term goal "to keep tweaking things until we find perfect solutions." &emsp;Looking ahead, a long-term goal they're considering is to open a West Coast location, most likely in the Bay Area or Sacramento, California. LOGO & BOX Otto's Food and Drink 9 Court Street Keene, NH 603-499-8022 ottoseats.com Otto's has expanded its hours since they opened, with hours now from noon to 9 p.m. most days, with the exceptions of Sundays (when it opens at 11 a.m. and serves brunch until 4, then switches to dinner), and Wednesdays (when they are closed, reserving time for their family to spend together).