Since a reader asked specifically about our emcee, Scott Abdul-Salaam, who is a true friend of Family Services, Inc. I thought I'd share his contact information. He has a private foundation, ScottCares Foundation. Their website is www.scottcaresnc.org. I know he'd love for you to check it out. He makes scholarships available for kids wanting to go to college.
Scott is a graphic designer as well. If you saw one of our male staffers out in the lobby walking around in red high heels (Jonathan) advertising the upcoming "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" then you really missed a sight! Last September was the first annual event that highlighted men taking to the street in high heels as their statement to end violence against women. Scott designed all the posters and t-shirts for the event and we're preparing to do it all again Saturday, September 18th. Scott looks great in heels by the way! His company is Next Level Accessories at www.nextlevelaccessories.com.
For those of you who have asked about the band, The Twin City Buskers, I have to say I was really impressed with their music too! Po' Heath Combs is my contact; if you're interested in contacting them, you can reach Heath at combsheath@yahoo.com. What a great group of guys!
If you have any more questions, let me know!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
And the winner is....Family Services, Inc.!
You realize of course that I am a little biased, but this year's Taste of the Town was incredible! The restaurants completely outdid themselves, bringing an assortment of amazingly scrumptuous culinary delights! 21 restaurants competed for the best of the best amongst the patrons as well as our elite panel of judges, Michael Hastings, Food Editor of the Winston-Salem Journal; Al Romano, Instructor in the Culinary Program of GTCC; Chef Don McMillan, Owner of The Stocked Pot; and Chef Derrick McCorkle, Exec. Chef of WSSU/Aramark.
For those of you who did not stick around for the “medal ceremony”, or who weren't there, I’m going to give you the run down of who won what and from whom. You may find your favorite new restaurant on this list. (Don't forget to click on the restaurants in the right column to go to their websites.)
First came the “Mint Julep Contest” winner and that was The Old Fourth Street Filling Station!
For our “Chef’s Awards” were their top three restaurants:
1st place-Ollie’s Bakery
2nd place-Downtown Thai & sushi
3rd place-Jimmy’s Seafood & Oyster Bar
The “People’s Choice” awards went to the following restaurants in four categories:
Best Booth
1st place Jimmy’s Seafood
2nd place Downtown Thai
3rd place Bib’s Downtown
Best Dessert
1st place Ollie’s Bakery
2nd place Cake Ladies
3rd place Blue Ridge Ice Creams
Best Non-Dessert
1st place Carrabba’s
2nd place Village Tavern
3rd place Jimmy’s Seafood
Best All-Around Restaurant
1st place- Carrabba’s
2nd place-Jimmy’s Seafood
3rd place-Ollie’s Bakery
I don't know about you, but I really don't ever remember seeing the Kentucky Derby run in 5 or 6 inches of standing water! I'm just glad none of the horses/jockeys were hurt.
Calvin Borel, who rode Super Saver to the win, changed history as it was his third Kentucky Derby victory in the last four years! Close on Super Saver's heels were Ice Box who placed and Paddy O'Prado in the show position. It was such an exciting race even though it lasted only 2 min. and 2.4 seconds!
It was so much fun having Austin Caviness as Auctioneer again this year; he's terrific! Not only that but he agreed to be auctioned off at Taste this year as part of a cooking package. One lucky bidder will be taking cooking lessons with Austin at the Stocked Pot thanks to Don McMillan! That should be hilarious! We also auctioned off an evening at The Idiot Box, Jenny Stencel's improv comedy club in Greensboro, along with dinner at Natty Greene's...what fun! Our other WXII package was a round of golf for 4 including Cameron Kent at Tanglewood's Championship Course plus lunch afterward at Jimmy's Seafood and Oyster Grill. Interestingly enough, Mary Annicelli took that package home!
We auctioned off a fabulous package with Josh Howard including lunch for 10 at the Piedmont Club plus signed ball and shoes and a NASCAR package that included hanging at Richard Childress'condo among other great things!
I do have to give a shout out to the fabulous band that entertained us all evening. They are the Twin City Buskers and I have to say they were wonderful! They played Blues and some Bluegrass and a little in between. The crowd really seemed to enjoy their sound; I know I did! I happened upon them when I met with Ginger Henricks, the new Executive Director of BOOKMARKS Book Festival. Come to find out, her fiance had a band. Well once I heard a CD, I was hooked! Check them out!
Thank you to everyone that turned out Saturday and in particular to the nearly 100 volunteers it took to put it on! Now it's time to start planning next year's event. If you have any ideas about what we could do differently, please feel free to let me know!
For those of you who did not stick around for the “medal ceremony”, or who weren't there, I’m going to give you the run down of who won what and from whom. You may find your favorite new restaurant on this list. (Don't forget to click on the restaurants in the right column to go to their websites.)
First came the “Mint Julep Contest” winner and that was The Old Fourth Street Filling Station!
For our “Chef’s Awards” were their top three restaurants:
1st place-Ollie’s Bakery
2nd place-Downtown Thai & sushi
3rd place-Jimmy’s Seafood & Oyster Bar
The “People’s Choice” awards went to the following restaurants in four categories:
Best Booth
1st place Jimmy’s Seafood
2nd place Downtown Thai
3rd place Bib’s Downtown
Best Dessert
1st place Ollie’s Bakery
2nd place Cake Ladies
3rd place Blue Ridge Ice Creams
Best Non-Dessert
1st place Carrabba’s
2nd place Village Tavern
3rd place Jimmy’s Seafood
Best All-Around Restaurant
1st place- Carrabba’s
2nd place-Jimmy’s Seafood
3rd place-Ollie’s Bakery
I don't know about you, but I really don't ever remember seeing the Kentucky Derby run in 5 or 6 inches of standing water! I'm just glad none of the horses/jockeys were hurt.
Calvin Borel, who rode Super Saver to the win, changed history as it was his third Kentucky Derby victory in the last four years! Close on Super Saver's heels were Ice Box who placed and Paddy O'Prado in the show position. It was such an exciting race even though it lasted only 2 min. and 2.4 seconds!
It was so much fun having Austin Caviness as Auctioneer again this year; he's terrific! Not only that but he agreed to be auctioned off at Taste this year as part of a cooking package. One lucky bidder will be taking cooking lessons with Austin at the Stocked Pot thanks to Don McMillan! That should be hilarious! We also auctioned off an evening at The Idiot Box, Jenny Stencel's improv comedy club in Greensboro, along with dinner at Natty Greene's...what fun! Our other WXII package was a round of golf for 4 including Cameron Kent at Tanglewood's Championship Course plus lunch afterward at Jimmy's Seafood and Oyster Grill. Interestingly enough, Mary Annicelli took that package home!
We auctioned off a fabulous package with Josh Howard including lunch for 10 at the Piedmont Club plus signed ball and shoes and a NASCAR package that included hanging at Richard Childress'condo among other great things!
I do have to give a shout out to the fabulous band that entertained us all evening. They are the Twin City Buskers and I have to say they were wonderful! They played Blues and some Bluegrass and a little in between. The crowd really seemed to enjoy their sound; I know I did! I happened upon them when I met with Ginger Henricks, the new Executive Director of BOOKMARKS Book Festival. Come to find out, her fiance had a band. Well once I heard a CD, I was hooked! Check them out!
Thank you to everyone that turned out Saturday and in particular to the nearly 100 volunteers it took to put it on! Now it's time to start planning next year's event. If you have any ideas about what we could do differently, please feel free to let me know!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
On your mark, get set......
It's that time again. I can't believe it's almost here! There are so many things going on with the Taste of the Town this year, you're not going to believe it when you get there!
Tickets! They are available still at Lowes Foods in and around Winston-Salem, including Advance, at the Davidson County Line and in Kernersville and Walkertown. They will be selling tickets up through the event if you're on your way and haven't got a ticket, go by Lowes Foods' Customer Service desk and get them at $25. You'll save $5 because they're $30 at the door!
If you were considering buying tickets online, get them today! They will not be available online Friday because we can't get info to Will Call in time.
Family Services closed at 1pm on Fridays so get them today or tomorrow morning here at 1200 S. Broad St. in Winston-Salem. That should cover the ticket situation.
I'll be on WXII tomorrow morning with three of our restaurants that are coming to the Taste, Bib's Downtown, Meridian Restaurant and Jimmy's Seafood and Oyster Bar! We'll be on between 6 and 7 with Jennie Stencel at the Benton Convention Center. Watch for us!
We have a winner for the Mint Julep Contest but you won't find out which restaurant won until Saturday toward the end of the evening. One of the lucky folks who voted won 2 tickets to the Taste as well!
We've been working on auction, both live and silent and we have some fabulous prizes! Check this out:
If you have a young daughter, under 16, then this could be the best birthday present ever! How about your daughter spending a day with three of her friends and Miss North Carolina USA, Nadia Shirin Moffett having the ultimate spa at Simply Sassy? Mani, Pedi, mini-glam makeover! Wish I was 12 again, I would have loved this!
We have a Taste of the NBA package also with Josh Howard, Forward for the Washington Wizards and graduate of Glenn High and Wake Forest University! Have some up close and personal time with Josh and 8 of your best friends (10 total) at the Piedmont Club in a private room! Add in a signed ball and a signed pair of Josh's shoes and you've got quite the NBA package!
There are plenty more great packages like this so make sure you're around about 6:15 at the Taste to bid feverishly!
The 136th Running of the Kentucky Derby!The top five horses as it stands today are Lookin at Lucky (7/2 odds), Sidney’s Candy (6/1), Awesome Act (9/1), Ice Box (10/1), and Devil May Care (12/1).
Noble’s Promise (18/1), Super Saver (14/1), Line of David (20/1), Stately Victor (20/1), American Lion (25/1), Dean’s Kitten (35/1), Make Music for Me (45/1), Paddy O’Prado (30/1), Conveyance (25/1), Jackson Bend (28/1), Mission Impazible (15/1), Discreetly Mine (45/1), Dublin (16/1), Backtalk (50/1), and Homeboykris (45/1)round out the hopefuls.
Considering our food theme at the Taste of the Town, I think Sidney's Candy and Ice Box may have a chance but what do I know?
Tickets! They are available still at Lowes Foods in and around Winston-Salem, including Advance, at the Davidson County Line and in Kernersville and Walkertown. They will be selling tickets up through the event if you're on your way and haven't got a ticket, go by Lowes Foods' Customer Service desk and get them at $25. You'll save $5 because they're $30 at the door!
If you were considering buying tickets online, get them today! They will not be available online Friday because we can't get info to Will Call in time.
Family Services closed at 1pm on Fridays so get them today or tomorrow morning here at 1200 S. Broad St. in Winston-Salem. That should cover the ticket situation.
I'll be on WXII tomorrow morning with three of our restaurants that are coming to the Taste, Bib's Downtown, Meridian Restaurant and Jimmy's Seafood and Oyster Bar! We'll be on between 6 and 7 with Jennie Stencel at the Benton Convention Center. Watch for us!
We have a winner for the Mint Julep Contest but you won't find out which restaurant won until Saturday toward the end of the evening. One of the lucky folks who voted won 2 tickets to the Taste as well!
We've been working on auction, both live and silent and we have some fabulous prizes! Check this out:
If you have a young daughter, under 16, then this could be the best birthday present ever! How about your daughter spending a day with three of her friends and Miss North Carolina USA, Nadia Shirin Moffett having the ultimate spa at Simply Sassy? Mani, Pedi, mini-glam makeover! Wish I was 12 again, I would have loved this!
We have a Taste of the NBA package also with Josh Howard, Forward for the Washington Wizards and graduate of Glenn High and Wake Forest University! Have some up close and personal time with Josh and 8 of your best friends (10 total) at the Piedmont Club in a private room! Add in a signed ball and a signed pair of Josh's shoes and you've got quite the NBA package!
There are plenty more great packages like this so make sure you're around about 6:15 at the Taste to bid feverishly!
The 136th Running of the Kentucky Derby!The top five horses as it stands today are Lookin at Lucky (7/2 odds), Sidney’s Candy (6/1), Awesome Act (9/1), Ice Box (10/1), and Devil May Care (12/1).
Noble’s Promise (18/1), Super Saver (14/1), Line of David (20/1), Stately Victor (20/1), American Lion (25/1), Dean’s Kitten (35/1), Make Music for Me (45/1), Paddy O’Prado (30/1), Conveyance (25/1), Jackson Bend (28/1), Mission Impazible (15/1), Discreetly Mine (45/1), Dublin (16/1), Backtalk (50/1), and Homeboykris (45/1)round out the hopefuls.
Considering our food theme at the Taste of the Town, I think Sidney's Candy and Ice Box may have a chance but what do I know?
Monday, April 26, 2010
Fevered Pitch!
How do you put together a terrific event where everyone wins? Well first you have to start with a 105 year old agency; that would be Family Services, Inc. Then you add succulent food from 21 fabulous Winston-Salem area restaurants, and a lively Blues and Bluegrass band, which would be the Twin City Buskers.
Stir in games and raffle prizes anyone would want to win including a 47" LG brand 1080p LCD HDTV with 240 Hz processing with LG brand Blu-ray Disc Player for first prize, Apple iPad with Wi-Fi 16GB for second prize and The Flip Ultra camcorder for third prize!
Stir in a cash bar, Live auction with terrific packages to bid feverishly on such as a fabulous dinner at Milner's American Southern with Robert Moody, Winston-Salem Symphony Music Director! There are lots more packages like that as well.
The silent auction has a wide assortment of items you could even buy for your Mom or wife for upcoming Mother's Day (May 9th).
But nothing caps off an evening like watching the Kentucky Derby broadcast live on two giant screens! The room explodes during one of the most exciting minutes in the world of sports! No one can resist the temptation to scream!
And everyone wins because all proceeds go to the programs of Family Services, Inc. Whether it is the services provided to domestic violence and sexual assault victims, the counseling services provided to every age, the adoption services or the 499 3,4, and 5 year olds in the Head Start Program. Everyone wins, especially our community!
If you absolutely cannot come, please come by the office and get some raffle tickets for only $10 each! You can buy them at the office at 1200 S. Broad St. up until 1pm on Friday, April 30th and then at the event of course.
More tomorrow!
Stir in games and raffle prizes anyone would want to win including a 47" LG brand 1080p LCD HDTV with 240 Hz processing with LG brand Blu-ray Disc Player for first prize, Apple iPad with Wi-Fi 16GB for second prize and The Flip Ultra camcorder for third prize!
Stir in a cash bar, Live auction with terrific packages to bid feverishly on such as a fabulous dinner at Milner's American Southern with Robert Moody, Winston-Salem Symphony Music Director! There are lots more packages like that as well.
The silent auction has a wide assortment of items you could even buy for your Mom or wife for upcoming Mother's Day (May 9th).
But nothing caps off an evening like watching the Kentucky Derby broadcast live on two giant screens! The room explodes during one of the most exciting minutes in the world of sports! No one can resist the temptation to scream!
And everyone wins because all proceeds go to the programs of Family Services, Inc. Whether it is the services provided to domestic violence and sexual assault victims, the counseling services provided to every age, the adoption services or the 499 3,4, and 5 year olds in the Head Start Program. Everyone wins, especially our community!
If you absolutely cannot come, please come by the office and get some raffle tickets for only $10 each! You can buy them at the office at 1200 S. Broad St. up until 1pm on Friday, April 30th and then at the event of course.
More tomorrow!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Mint Juleps in the Running!
It looks like everything's coming together for the big day! Auction packages are looking good! Just a few hints of packages you might hear Austin Caviness hawking: A Taste of Comedy with tickets to Jennie Stencil's "Idiot Box" in Greensboro along with dinner; The Tanglewood Cup Steeplechase package; Dinner with Winston-Salem Symphony Conductor Robert Moody plus tickets to the symphony to name a few!
Don't forget to go out and get a mint julep at your favorite watering hole...as long as it's a restaurant coming to the Taste of the Town! Here are your options, as of today:
Big Shotz Tavern
Carrabba's Italian Grill
First Street Draught House
Foothills Brewing Co.
Jimmy's Seafood and Oyster Bar
Meridian Restaurant
NOMA
Old Fourth Street Filling Station
Village Tavern
You restaurants had better be on the lookout for Bourbon lovers because at the moment, Old Fourth Street Filling Station is way far out in the lead! They are just looking for a race I believe!
Don't forget to go out and get a mint julep at your favorite watering hole...as long as it's a restaurant coming to the Taste of the Town! Here are your options, as of today:
Big Shotz Tavern
Carrabba's Italian Grill
First Street Draught House
Foothills Brewing Co.
Jimmy's Seafood and Oyster Bar
Meridian Restaurant
NOMA
Old Fourth Street Filling Station
Village Tavern
You restaurants had better be on the lookout for Bourbon lovers because at the moment, Old Fourth Street Filling Station is way far out in the lead! They are just looking for a race I believe!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
More fabulous restaurants!
This has been quite a week in preparation for Taste of the Town! Our committee expanded this week from Mike Turner, me, Delaine Weddle and Lamaya Williams. We added Lloyd Leonard, Laura Weston, Lori Ore, Tony Kirk and Linda Bellotto!
The live auction is coming along really well. We have a dynamite package for someone with a daughter or favorite niece! Can you imagine getting a manicure, pedicure, facial and all the works with Miss North Carolina, Nadia Moffett? I think that would be the perfect birthday!
On the other end of the spectrum, there's a package featuring Josh Howard, Forward for the Washington Wizards and former Deamon Deacon! Wait til you hear all about that one!
I am particularly excited today because I received confirmation on 4 new restaurants!
Souphab down at Downtown Thai & Sushi as well as his new restaurant Soup, Vietnamese Pho has committed both restaurants to come this year! He'll be serving Green Curry, Sushi and Pho (soup)from the two booths! I can't wait!
I also signed up Senor Bravo who opened up just a few months ago where South by Southwest used to be on Marshall Street. Sal Bravo, the owner, is excited and has some dynamite ideas about what he wants to bring. Of the things he was considering were fish tacos, a chicken dish, a pork dish and I don't know what all else! Needless to say, he's excited to be attending this year!
I just had a call from Betty Ashby of Big Shotz saying they will definitely be joining us this year! I'm so excited! I know they'll make a grand statement; I can't wait to hear what they're bringing. More on that later!
Wow, everyone had better wear their loose fitting pants to the Taste this year. I have a feeling we will all be really full when all is done.
More news; Austin Caviness, Meteorologist from the WXII morning show has agreed to be our live auctioneer again this year and we have signed up Scott Abdul-Salaam, a dear friend of the agency. You'll love him!
We have live music this year with the Twin City Buskers! They play R&B as well as some bluegrass and are quite talented. Their members are Po' Heath Combs, Ironman John "Hootie" Hoots, Jr., and Old Tom Rucker. Listening to their CD reminded me of a little "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?", one of my favorites! I'm really looking forward to their music! I'll attempt to post a picture soon.
Try to get out to one of our restaurants for a Mint Julep and vote here on the blog. At the top, click the picture of the Mint Julep and it'll take you to the voting space.
We are so excited that you're joining us this year for the Taste and we know that you will have a fabulous time! More this weekend!
The live auction is coming along really well. We have a dynamite package for someone with a daughter or favorite niece! Can you imagine getting a manicure, pedicure, facial and all the works with Miss North Carolina, Nadia Moffett? I think that would be the perfect birthday!
On the other end of the spectrum, there's a package featuring Josh Howard, Forward for the Washington Wizards and former Deamon Deacon! Wait til you hear all about that one!
I am particularly excited today because I received confirmation on 4 new restaurants!
Souphab down at Downtown Thai & Sushi as well as his new restaurant Soup, Vietnamese Pho has committed both restaurants to come this year! He'll be serving Green Curry, Sushi and Pho (soup)from the two booths! I can't wait!
I also signed up Senor Bravo who opened up just a few months ago where South by Southwest used to be on Marshall Street. Sal Bravo, the owner, is excited and has some dynamite ideas about what he wants to bring. Of the things he was considering were fish tacos, a chicken dish, a pork dish and I don't know what all else! Needless to say, he's excited to be attending this year!
I just had a call from Betty Ashby of Big Shotz saying they will definitely be joining us this year! I'm so excited! I know they'll make a grand statement; I can't wait to hear what they're bringing. More on that later!
Wow, everyone had better wear their loose fitting pants to the Taste this year. I have a feeling we will all be really full when all is done.
More news; Austin Caviness, Meteorologist from the WXII morning show has agreed to be our live auctioneer again this year and we have signed up Scott Abdul-Salaam, a dear friend of the agency. You'll love him!
We have live music this year with the Twin City Buskers! They play R&B as well as some bluegrass and are quite talented. Their members are Po' Heath Combs, Ironman John "Hootie" Hoots, Jr., and Old Tom Rucker. Listening to their CD reminded me of a little "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?", one of my favorites! I'm really looking forward to their music! I'll attempt to post a picture soon.
Try to get out to one of our restaurants for a Mint Julep and vote here on the blog. At the top, click the picture of the Mint Julep and it'll take you to the voting space.
We are so excited that you're joining us this year for the Taste and we know that you will have a fabulous time! More this weekend!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Derby, Mint Julep Contest, and Restaurant Update..
It looks like the field of horses for the Derby is really wide at this point. But currently the odds are favoring Eskendereya 3-1, Lookin at Lucky 9-2, and Sidneys Candy 9-2. More on this later; I'll keep you posted.
Speaking of odds, I had my very first Mint Julep last night. I'm not saying where I had it but it was really good. I never pictured myself as a bourbon drinker. Mint and a little simple syrup makes it taste much better (to me). We have more contenders for Best Mint Julep now; they are:
Carrabba's Italian Grill
First Street Draught House
Foothill's Brewing Co.
Jimmy's Seafood & Oyster Bar
Meridian Restaurant
NOMA
The Old Fourth Street Filling Station
Village Tavern on Hanes Mall Blvd.
Get out and order a Mint Julep, then come to the blog and vote. Click on the picture of the Mint Julep and it'll take you straight to the ballot where you'll vote for your favorite. One vote per email address...don't forget!
The restaurants are still signing up! Jimmy's Seafood & Oyster Bar will once again grace us with their presence. They always do a wonderful job with the seafood at Taste of the Town. Our friend Kenya Thorton (who happens to work here at Family Services and at Jimmy's) will probably be at the booth once again this year. We really look forward to what they have in store! Many thanks to Jimmy's. And go check out their Mint Julep!
Yesterday I was excited to hear Foothills Brewing Co. would also be at Taste of the Town! They have been so devoted and have done such a wonderful job at this event. We can't thank them enough! They're a contender in the Mint Julep contest as well!
I also just added First Street Draught House to the restaurants coming May 1st and to the Mint Julep contest list! First Street has terrific food and is one of the places in town I've been going to forever. Always great quality and terrific service. I can't wait to see them at Taste!
We're feverishly working on the live auction! Austin Caviness has agreed to be our auctioneer again this year. We always love having Austin on stage...what a natural! We have already put together an NBA package and a NASCAR package with many more great things in the works!
Tickets are currently on sale at Lowes Foods locations, at their Customer Service desk for $25. You can also stop by Family Services to get tickets or go to our website, www.fsifamily.org or straight to www.brownpapertickets.com. Tickets are $30 at the door, kids 6-12 are $10 and under 6 are free.
Speaking of odds, I had my very first Mint Julep last night. I'm not saying where I had it but it was really good. I never pictured myself as a bourbon drinker. Mint and a little simple syrup makes it taste much better (to me). We have more contenders for Best Mint Julep now; they are:
Carrabba's Italian Grill
First Street Draught House
Foothill's Brewing Co.
Jimmy's Seafood & Oyster Bar
Meridian Restaurant
NOMA
The Old Fourth Street Filling Station
Village Tavern on Hanes Mall Blvd.
Get out and order a Mint Julep, then come to the blog and vote. Click on the picture of the Mint Julep and it'll take you straight to the ballot where you'll vote for your favorite. One vote per email address...don't forget!
The restaurants are still signing up! Jimmy's Seafood & Oyster Bar will once again grace us with their presence. They always do a wonderful job with the seafood at Taste of the Town. Our friend Kenya Thorton (who happens to work here at Family Services and at Jimmy's) will probably be at the booth once again this year. We really look forward to what they have in store! Many thanks to Jimmy's. And go check out their Mint Julep!
Yesterday I was excited to hear Foothills Brewing Co. would also be at Taste of the Town! They have been so devoted and have done such a wonderful job at this event. We can't thank them enough! They're a contender in the Mint Julep contest as well!
I also just added First Street Draught House to the restaurants coming May 1st and to the Mint Julep contest list! First Street has terrific food and is one of the places in town I've been going to forever. Always great quality and terrific service. I can't wait to see them at Taste!
We're feverishly working on the live auction! Austin Caviness has agreed to be our auctioneer again this year. We always love having Austin on stage...what a natural! We have already put together an NBA package and a NASCAR package with many more great things in the works!
Tickets are currently on sale at Lowes Foods locations, at their Customer Service desk for $25. You can also stop by Family Services to get tickets or go to our website, www.fsifamily.org or straight to www.brownpapertickets.com. Tickets are $30 at the door, kids 6-12 are $10 and under 6 are free.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Nothing says Kentucky Derby like a Mint Julep!
More good news! I just received confirmation that The Old Fourth Street Filling Station will once again be joining us at the Taste of the Town! They’re the ones that have the fabulous giant chocolate fountain and every goodie imaginable to dip into it…marshmallows, strawberries, pretzels, cake, rice crispie treats, you name it! Adam Andrews, Chef and GM, informed me that he has revised their dinner menu and it will be available on Monday, April 5th. He also said the lunch menu has changed this week as well so check it out! They're really ramping up for Easter brunch; they'll open at 10am this Sunday! I was out on their patio last night with everyone in Winston I think, a sure sign of Spring!
Speaking of Spring…and Taste of the Town…. Nothing says Kentucky Derby like a Mint Julep!
Beginning Friday, get out to our restaurants that have full bars and get a Mint Julep. Then you can come back to this blog and vote. We will have a Survey Monkey link here that you can click on and vote for your favorite restaurant’s Mint Julep. Don't forget that the only places competing so far are (in alphabetical order):
Carrabba’s Italian Grill,
Jimmy’s Seafood & Oyster Bar,
Meridian Restaurant,
NOMA,
The Old Fourth Street Filling Station and
Village Tavern at Hanes Mall Blvd.
We will announce the winner of the contest at the Taste of the Town.
Speaking of which, I’m delivering tickets to the Lowes Food stores in the area today and tomorrow so when you are ready to buy your tickets to Taste of the Town, they’ll be there. They are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Kids 6-12 are $10 (those tickets you can get at the door) and kids under 6 are free.
You can also buy tickets online at our website, www.fsifamily.org where there is a link to Brown Paper Ticket. Can't wait to see you at the Taste!
Speaking of Spring…and Taste of the Town…. Nothing says Kentucky Derby like a Mint Julep!
Beginning Friday, get out to our restaurants that have full bars and get a Mint Julep. Then you can come back to this blog and vote. We will have a Survey Monkey link here that you can click on and vote for your favorite restaurant’s Mint Julep. Don't forget that the only places competing so far are (in alphabetical order):
Carrabba’s Italian Grill,
Jimmy’s Seafood & Oyster Bar,
Meridian Restaurant,
NOMA,
The Old Fourth Street Filling Station and
Village Tavern at Hanes Mall Blvd.
We will announce the winner of the contest at the Taste of the Town.
Speaking of which, I’m delivering tickets to the Lowes Food stores in the area today and tomorrow so when you are ready to buy your tickets to Taste of the Town, they’ll be there. They are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Kids 6-12 are $10 (those tickets you can get at the door) and kids under 6 are free.
You can also buy tickets online at our website, www.fsifamily.org where there is a link to Brown Paper Ticket. Can't wait to see you at the Taste!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Meridian and Ollie's sign on
I was so pleased to hear from Trevor Dye at Meridian that they will be back to Taste of the Town this year! There is always something going on at Meridian these days! They have numerous events coming up in April including a wine dinner april 14th with Hanover Park Vineyards, cooking class (Artichokes!) April 21st and Easter Brunch this Sunday. Go to their website, www.meridianws.com to see all that's happening at this hip place!
Right across from Meridian on Marshall Street is a fabulous place to start your morning, have lunch or an afternoon pick-me-up. Ollie's Bakery of course! Yes, Ollie's is finally coming to Taste of the Town! I've been trying for years to lure them in but it's finally going to happen! And let me tell you, if you haven't been lately, you need to try it. They have the most enticing array of elegant pastries that you may have ever seen. It is pure heaven! Their website, www.olliesbakeryws.com has coupons too so check it out before you head out.
Be sure to check out the list on the sidebar of restaurants. If you click on the name, it will take you to their website automatically!
Tickets will be here soon for the Taste and we'll be distributing them to Lowes Foods for sale at their Customer Service desks plus we'll be selling tickets online at www.BrownPaperTicket.com. As soon as the dates of availability are set, I'll let you know when you can buy tickets.
Right across from Meridian on Marshall Street is a fabulous place to start your morning, have lunch or an afternoon pick-me-up. Ollie's Bakery of course! Yes, Ollie's is finally coming to Taste of the Town! I've been trying for years to lure them in but it's finally going to happen! And let me tell you, if you haven't been lately, you need to try it. They have the most enticing array of elegant pastries that you may have ever seen. It is pure heaven! Their website, www.olliesbakeryws.com has coupons too so check it out before you head out.
Be sure to check out the list on the sidebar of restaurants. If you click on the name, it will take you to their website automatically!
Tickets will be here soon for the Taste and we'll be distributing them to Lowes Foods for sale at their Customer Service desks plus we'll be selling tickets online at www.BrownPaperTicket.com. As soon as the dates of availability are set, I'll let you know when you can buy tickets.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Looking for us on Twitter or Facebook?
My buddy Lamaya who is also on the Taste of the Town committee is in charge of all things social media around here at Family Services, Inc. You'll be able to keep up with what's happening at the agency as well as Taste of the Town!
Meanwhile, we're very excited to announce that Triad Community Kitchen will be returning to the Taste of the Town this year! Triad Community Kitchen is a program of the Second Harvest Food Bank. It is a cooking school and caterer; last year they took the top prize from our illustrious professional judges, Al Romano, Instructor in GTCC's Culinary Technology Program; Chef Darren McCorkle, Executive Chef at WSSU; and of course Michael Hastings, Food Editor for the Winston-Salem Journal.
William Webster is Triad's Catering Chef in charge of this year's team as he was last year when they won. We have used Triad Community Kitchen to cater events here at Family Services, including our Christmas party for staff. They do a wonderful job!
More later....
Friday, March 5, 2010
The flavor is building at Taste of the Town!
Can you smell it? Can you taste it? No? Well you haven't been hanging out where I have in that case. We have added a couple more names to the list of Taste of the Town participants since I last wrote.
Our friends at Costco notified us that they will be back this year with some terrific food choices. They provided all of the beautiful yellow roses you saw around the ballroom last year. They have the best flowers!
Yesterday I was lucky enough to have a long chat with Robert Moreau at Bib's Downtown and convince him that Taste of the Town is the place to be on May 1st! I am thrilled to have Bib's represented this year; they are such a different kind of place. It's not your uncle's barbecue place, but they smoke their meats, including beef brisket (my favorite), pulled pork, turkey and sausages in this giant red smoker. Then they serve them up in a sandwich or a plate with the most wonderful sides. The baked beans are the best around; they're sweet and spicey! And of course you get hush puppies, but not your run of the mill hush puppies. They have sage in them and they are delicious! All this and they're downtown Winston-Salem on 5th St. across from the main library, with plenty of parking.
Robert's excited about participating this year. I know they are already planning what they'll bring and how they'll decorate their booth!
For now, in the sidebar, if you click on a restaurant, it will take you directly to their website. Get out and try some new restaurants this weekend! If we don't support the economy, who will?
Our friends at Costco notified us that they will be back this year with some terrific food choices. They provided all of the beautiful yellow roses you saw around the ballroom last year. They have the best flowers!
Yesterday I was lucky enough to have a long chat with Robert Moreau at Bib's Downtown and convince him that Taste of the Town is the place to be on May 1st! I am thrilled to have Bib's represented this year; they are such a different kind of place. It's not your uncle's barbecue place, but they smoke their meats, including beef brisket (my favorite), pulled pork, turkey and sausages in this giant red smoker. Then they serve them up in a sandwich or a plate with the most wonderful sides. The baked beans are the best around; they're sweet and spicey! And of course you get hush puppies, but not your run of the mill hush puppies. They have sage in them and they are delicious! All this and they're downtown Winston-Salem on 5th St. across from the main library, with plenty of parking.
Robert's excited about participating this year. I know they are already planning what they'll bring and how they'll decorate their booth!
For now, in the sidebar, if you click on a restaurant, it will take you directly to their website. Get out and try some new restaurants this weekend! If we don't support the economy, who will?
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
I'm getting hungry!
Last year was so amazing; everyone brought their "A" game with the most incredible food ever! Well we are feeling the fever already with our dynamite award-winning restaurants bringing it again.
Since you last heard from me, we have heard from some of favorites. Last year's winner of the best booth, decked out like a pirate ship and the girls dressed as the pirates, Sociale Gourmet is back! If I know Donna Harris, she's got another grand idea of what she's doing with her booth. The pirate ship she worked on for two years. I expect nothing less than first place again.
Robert at Starbucks at Mt. Tabor Place has put his hat in the ring again as well. We were so glad to have them with us last year for the first time. It's really hard to beat their French Roast.
Returning this year to defend their title as Best Non-dessert and Best Dessert as well as Best All Around is Chef Anthony Bonner at Village Tavern on Hanes Mall Boulevard! They rocked last year, which was evident from all the votes they received. The line was enormous but no one seemed to mind waiting because they were having so much fun!
And if you were afraid you wouldn't have enough dessert, Nancy Donnelly at Cake Ladies has already confirmed she will be here again this year! She was the one who had the giant cakes with the yummy toppings spooned on top. Nancy's taken home several medals over the years also!
And it would not be Taste of the Town...Derby Style without Debbie Lee with Blue Ridge Ice Creams. Debbie and/or Scott will be with us under their umbrella again this year. I still love the Mint Julep and the Derby Pie ice creams. They are amazing!
Speaking of mint juleps, I'm really getting excited about the Mint Julep Contest. So far we have NOMA, Village Tavern and Carrabba's who can participate in the contest. We're getting all of the voting technology in place so when you stop by to have a mint julep, you can vote for your favorite!
Since you last heard from me, we have heard from some of favorites. Last year's winner of the best booth, decked out like a pirate ship and the girls dressed as the pirates, Sociale Gourmet is back! If I know Donna Harris, she's got another grand idea of what she's doing with her booth. The pirate ship she worked on for two years. I expect nothing less than first place again.
Robert at Starbucks at Mt. Tabor Place has put his hat in the ring again as well. We were so glad to have them with us last year for the first time. It's really hard to beat their French Roast.
Returning this year to defend their title as Best Non-dessert and Best Dessert as well as Best All Around is Chef Anthony Bonner at Village Tavern on Hanes Mall Boulevard! They rocked last year, which was evident from all the votes they received. The line was enormous but no one seemed to mind waiting because they were having so much fun!
And if you were afraid you wouldn't have enough dessert, Nancy Donnelly at Cake Ladies has already confirmed she will be here again this year! She was the one who had the giant cakes with the yummy toppings spooned on top. Nancy's taken home several medals over the years also!
And it would not be Taste of the Town...Derby Style without Debbie Lee with Blue Ridge Ice Creams. Debbie and/or Scott will be with us under their umbrella again this year. I still love the Mint Julep and the Derby Pie ice creams. They are amazing!
Speaking of mint juleps, I'm really getting excited about the Mint Julep Contest. So far we have NOMA, Village Tavern and Carrabba's who can participate in the contest. We're getting all of the voting technology in place so when you stop by to have a mint julep, you can vote for your favorite!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
We're off and running!
Everyone here at Family Services is excited about this year's Taste of the Town...Derby Style! It will be Saturday, May 1st, 4-7pm at the Benton Convention Center again! The restaurants have been invited and I'm waiting to hear back from them if they plan on coming. The very first restaurants who've reserved their spots are Carrabba's Italian Grill and NOMA Urban Bar and Grill. They are two of my favorites! Carrabba's hasn't been to Taste in 3 years and we're thrilled to have them back; they always please the crowd. And NOMA, if you don't remember, made the most incredible sliders plus macaroni and cheese (their best seller) last year! They took home several medals as a result too. Things are looking good coming out of the gate!
Speaking of the restaurants, we have a really big announcement for you! In April, we will be holding a NEW Contest ! No pies this time. We will be awarding a prize to the best Mint Julep by one of the participating restaurants! You will be able to go to any of the restaurants and buy a Mint Julep. If you think it is worthy, you can vote online for it. The restaurant that receives the most votes will win! Now that is what I call Derby Style! More on this later!
The committee has decided that we will go back to the live auction format for 2010. The silent auction is a huge amount of work and isn't nearly as entertaining as the live auction. Stay tuned for some of the terrific packages we're working on. I know there is something for everyone.
If you know of someone who would be interested in being a sponsor of Taste of the Town, feel free to have them contact me at swiles@fsifamily.org. Of course all proceeds go to the programs of Family Services, Inc. Next month we will celebrate our 105th birthday and all of the good work our staff has done over those years. If you don't know much about our programs, feel free to visit our website at www.fsifamily.org to learn more.
Speaking of the restaurants, we have a really big announcement for you! In April, we will be holding a NEW Contest ! No pies this time. We will be awarding a prize to the best Mint Julep by one of the participating restaurants! You will be able to go to any of the restaurants and buy a Mint Julep. If you think it is worthy, you can vote online for it. The restaurant that receives the most votes will win! Now that is what I call Derby Style! More on this later!
The committee has decided that we will go back to the live auction format for 2010. The silent auction is a huge amount of work and isn't nearly as entertaining as the live auction. Stay tuned for some of the terrific packages we're working on. I know there is something for everyone.
If you know of someone who would be interested in being a sponsor of Taste of the Town, feel free to have them contact me at swiles@fsifamily.org. Of course all proceeds go to the programs of Family Services, Inc. Next month we will celebrate our 105th birthday and all of the good work our staff has done over those years. If you don't know much about our programs, feel free to visit our website at www.fsifamily.org to learn more.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Day after
Well, it was a fabulous evening at Taste of the Town...Derby Style 2009! If you weren't there, you missed a delicious, entertaining fun-packed evening. Not only was the 135th Running of the Roses a giant upset with Mine That Bird beating the field handily to the tune of 50-1 odds, but the favored horse, Get My Revenge dropped out of the race early in the day!
The restaurants, bless their hearts, worked so hard and overjoyed the entire crowd with the sumptuous creations they brought to the table! Thank you so much to all of them:
The Old Fourth Street Filling Station
W-S Prime
Starbuck's
Heavenly Cheesecakes by Becky
Costco
First Street Draught House
NOMA
Blue Ridge Ice Creams
Sweet Potatoes
Sociale Gourmet
Downtown Thai
Village Tavern
Finnigan's Wake
Zevely House
The Piedmont Club
Caffe Prada
The Cake Ladies
Foothill's Brewing
Jimmy's Seafood and Oyster Bar
and Triad Community Kitchen
a program of the Second Harvest Food Bank
They all brought their "A" Game and our patrons as well as our professional judges had a great time deciding who was their favorite!
Our professional judges were Michael Hastings, Food Editor of the Winston-Salem Journal; Chef Al Romano, Instructor at GTCC; and Chef Derrick McCorkle of Winston-Salem State University.
They chose their favorite three participants in the following order:
Win-Triad Community Kitchen
Place-W-S Prime
Show-NOMA
Interestingly enough, none of the three have been at the Taste of the Town prior to this year! They were all outstanding. The items I tried from each of those were, beginning with NOMA, were their outstanding sliders and three cheese mac and cheese. It was wonderful!
At W-S Prime the Three Little Pigs sandwiches were my son's favorite. That was a no-brainer. On the baguette was a pork cutlet, shaved ham and bacon with Swiss to top it off.
I was at Triad Community Kitchen early on and they insisted I try their Peach Berry Cobbler. It was so different-a combination of peach and strawberry with a hint of something I couldn't name. I was informed it was jalapeno! A terrific combination for sure. And it was topped off with a crust that had a base of cornmeal-also unexpected! I loved it. They had several appetizer items I didn't get to try but obviously they were all homeruns!
Now for the voting by "the people". The People's Choice Awards went as follows:
Best Booth:
Win-Sociale Gourmet (with a Pirate Ship)
Place-The Old Fourth Street Filling Station with their giant chocolate fountain
Show-The Village Tavern who were cooking shrimp on the spot
Best Dessert:
Win-The Village Tavern
Place-Heavenly Cheesecakes by Becky
Show-Caffe Prada
Best Non-Dessert
Win-The Village Tavern
Place-Jimmy's Seafood and Oyster Bar
Show-NOMA
Best All Around:
Win-The Village Tavern
Place-Jimmy's Seafood and Oyster Bar
Show-NOMA
As always, The Village Tavern's Chef Anthony Bonner really knows how to please the customers! And I'd just like to give a shout out to Kenya at Jimmy's Seafood and Oyster Bar. Kenya works at Family Services also in our Safe Relationships Division and yesterday morning ran in the Race for the Cure! I'd say-job well done Kenya! And NOMA, keep on with that mac and cheese and the sliders, that is comfort food at its finest!
Finally, I haven't told you about the Kentucky Style Pie contest results. We had a great time with that this year. We've never done it before and we really learned a lot (especially about patent law-LOL). Judges were Michael Hastings and Jamie Hatter. The judging for the top three placings was done live on air with WXII's own Kimberly Van Scoy, Austin Caviness, Nichole Ducouer and of course Jennie Stencel! The winners of this year's Kentucky Style Pie Contest were:
Win-Jim Gilbert with an original recipe that included chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. It was so gooey and wonderful!
Place-Millie August
Show-Kim Via
Be sure to check out the Food Section of the Winston-Salem Journal on Wednesday in case Michael Hastings prints Jim's winning recipe. It's a keeper!
Thanks so much to all of our volunteers, our sponsors, our restaurants, and to all the Family Services staff who made this the Best Derby Party in Town! And don't think you've heard the last from me. I will have more tomorrow...or maybe Tuesday!
The restaurants, bless their hearts, worked so hard and overjoyed the entire crowd with the sumptuous creations they brought to the table! Thank you so much to all of them:
The Old Fourth Street Filling Station
W-S Prime
Starbuck's
Heavenly Cheesecakes by Becky
Costco
First Street Draught House
NOMA
Blue Ridge Ice Creams
Sweet Potatoes
Sociale Gourmet
Downtown Thai
Village Tavern
Finnigan's Wake
Zevely House
The Piedmont Club
Caffe Prada
The Cake Ladies
Foothill's Brewing
Jimmy's Seafood and Oyster Bar
and Triad Community Kitchen
a program of the Second Harvest Food Bank
They all brought their "A" Game and our patrons as well as our professional judges had a great time deciding who was their favorite!
Our professional judges were Michael Hastings, Food Editor of the Winston-Salem Journal; Chef Al Romano, Instructor at GTCC; and Chef Derrick McCorkle of Winston-Salem State University.
They chose their favorite three participants in the following order:
Win-Triad Community Kitchen
Place-W-S Prime
Show-NOMA
Interestingly enough, none of the three have been at the Taste of the Town prior to this year! They were all outstanding. The items I tried from each of those were, beginning with NOMA, were their outstanding sliders and three cheese mac and cheese. It was wonderful!
At W-S Prime the Three Little Pigs sandwiches were my son's favorite. That was a no-brainer. On the baguette was a pork cutlet, shaved ham and bacon with Swiss to top it off.
I was at Triad Community Kitchen early on and they insisted I try their Peach Berry Cobbler. It was so different-a combination of peach and strawberry with a hint of something I couldn't name. I was informed it was jalapeno! A terrific combination for sure. And it was topped off with a crust that had a base of cornmeal-also unexpected! I loved it. They had several appetizer items I didn't get to try but obviously they were all homeruns!
Now for the voting by "the people". The People's Choice Awards went as follows:
Best Booth:
Win-Sociale Gourmet (with a Pirate Ship)
Place-The Old Fourth Street Filling Station with their giant chocolate fountain
Show-The Village Tavern who were cooking shrimp on the spot
Best Dessert:
Win-The Village Tavern
Place-Heavenly Cheesecakes by Becky
Show-Caffe Prada
Best Non-Dessert
Win-The Village Tavern
Place-Jimmy's Seafood and Oyster Bar
Show-NOMA
Best All Around:
Win-The Village Tavern
Place-Jimmy's Seafood and Oyster Bar
Show-NOMA
As always, The Village Tavern's Chef Anthony Bonner really knows how to please the customers! And I'd just like to give a shout out to Kenya at Jimmy's Seafood and Oyster Bar. Kenya works at Family Services also in our Safe Relationships Division and yesterday morning ran in the Race for the Cure! I'd say-job well done Kenya! And NOMA, keep on with that mac and cheese and the sliders, that is comfort food at its finest!
Finally, I haven't told you about the Kentucky Style Pie contest results. We had a great time with that this year. We've never done it before and we really learned a lot (especially about patent law-LOL). Judges were Michael Hastings and Jamie Hatter. The judging for the top three placings was done live on air with WXII's own Kimberly Van Scoy, Austin Caviness, Nichole Ducouer and of course Jennie Stencel! The winners of this year's Kentucky Style Pie Contest were:
Win-Jim Gilbert with an original recipe that included chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. It was so gooey and wonderful!
Place-Millie August
Show-Kim Via
Be sure to check out the Food Section of the Winston-Salem Journal on Wednesday in case Michael Hastings prints Jim's winning recipe. It's a keeper!
Thanks so much to all of our volunteers, our sponsors, our restaurants, and to all the Family Services staff who made this the Best Derby Party in Town! And don't think you've heard the last from me. I will have more tomorrow...or maybe Tuesday!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Downtown Thai
After 6 years of hard work and perseverance, Souphab Daohgang is moving his Downtown Thai restaurant across the street to 202 W. Fourth St. The new restaurant will be nearly 4,000 square feet and will seat 90 people, double the size of his current location.
When the new location opens in June or July, it will feature Sushi as well as the fabulous Thai cuisine we've all come to love. I didn't manage to get the name of the Sushi chef but Souphab did say he has 15 years of experience in major cities and is of Thai/Japanese heritage.
The new restaurant will feature daily specials, both Thai and Sushi and will be open for lunch and dinner. It will also have a conference room that will hold approximately 15 people and will be appointed with a screen, soundproofing, and computer access.
Souphab says that after Downtown Thai moves across the street, their current location will become a Vietnamese restaurant named Soup's Vietnamese "Pho" Restaurant. "Pho" is Vietnamese for soup. Obviously they will focus on soup (lots of noodles) but will also feature finger foods, wraps, and salads.
Eating at Downtown Thai is always a treat. I'm excited that Souphab is bringing his incredible green curry to Taste of the Town. My first year working with Taste, he brought the green curry and insisted I try it. I thought it would just be really hot. It was so delicious and full of deep flavor. I'd never tasted anything like that before! Check out their website at www.downtownthai.com and we'll see you tomorrow at the Taste of the Town...Derby Style!
When the new location opens in June or July, it will feature Sushi as well as the fabulous Thai cuisine we've all come to love. I didn't manage to get the name of the Sushi chef but Souphab did say he has 15 years of experience in major cities and is of Thai/Japanese heritage.
The new restaurant will feature daily specials, both Thai and Sushi and will be open for lunch and dinner. It will also have a conference room that will hold approximately 15 people and will be appointed with a screen, soundproofing, and computer access.
Souphab says that after Downtown Thai moves across the street, their current location will become a Vietnamese restaurant named Soup's Vietnamese "Pho" Restaurant. "Pho" is Vietnamese for soup. Obviously they will focus on soup (lots of noodles) but will also feature finger foods, wraps, and salads.
Eating at Downtown Thai is always a treat. I'm excited that Souphab is bringing his incredible green curry to Taste of the Town. My first year working with Taste, he brought the green curry and insisted I try it. I thought it would just be really hot. It was so delicious and full of deep flavor. I'd never tasted anything like that before! Check out their website at www.downtownthai.com and we'll see you tomorrow at the Taste of the Town...Derby Style!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Sweet Potatoes (well shut my mouth!!) a restaurant
Six years ago, Vivian Joiner and Stephanie Tyson opened a restaurant in the Arts District of Winston-Salem and changed the look and feel of downtown. With a seriously Southern menu, everyone was clamoring to dine at the small, well appointed restaurant on Trade Street. I was one of those folks and I was thrilled to have real Southern cuisine right there with easy on street parking. Born in Alabama, I couldn't wait to get some fried green tomatoes and any kind of sweet potato. I was certainly not disappointed!
Now, Stephanie the chef, is changing her menu 2 or 3 times a year with seasonal produce and new ideas. They're open for brunch now and do Stephanie's version of Eggs Benedict, but all of them start with a sweet potato biscuit. The Big Benne is a stack of the sweet potato biscuit, sliced rib eye steak, poached eggs, country ham bordelaise, tomatoes and hollandaise. Stephanie footnotes it with (It's okay, it's only once a week!).
At lunch you can even get a Sweet Potatoes Hot Brown. If you're not in the Kentucky know, that's a very popular dish around Kentucky and the Derby. Stephanie's version is sliced turkey with mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese sauce, all atop a sweet potato biscuit.
A lot has happened in the Arts District in the last 6 years. Not only has ISP Sports opened their headquarters across the street but above that are condominiums. Vivian says they see the residents from the neighborhood on a regular basis, some daily and some weekly, but they see them all in this great neighborhood restaurant.
Stephanie called me yesterday to tell me what she's planning to bring for Taste of the Town and I hope I do it justice here: She's preparing succulent roasted pork, country ham with her country ham bordelaise gravy over sweet potato stuffing and she's even bringing dessert. I can't wait to try her mint julep tarts! Sounds like Derby fare to me!
You had better get to the Taste of the Town early (4pm) because I imagine there will be a line at the Sweet Potatoes booth. This is their first year attending and we are thrilled to have them! Check out their website at www.sweetpotatoes-arestaurant.com to see everything on their menu. And of course stop by their restaurant for a delicious Southern meal.
Look for my update on the Kentucky Derby coming Friday as well as the results of our Kentucky Style Pie contest! I'll see you in 3 days!
Now, Stephanie the chef, is changing her menu 2 or 3 times a year with seasonal produce and new ideas. They're open for brunch now and do Stephanie's version of Eggs Benedict, but all of them start with a sweet potato biscuit. The Big Benne is a stack of the sweet potato biscuit, sliced rib eye steak, poached eggs, country ham bordelaise, tomatoes and hollandaise. Stephanie footnotes it with (It's okay, it's only once a week!).
At lunch you can even get a Sweet Potatoes Hot Brown. If you're not in the Kentucky know, that's a very popular dish around Kentucky and the Derby. Stephanie's version is sliced turkey with mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese sauce, all atop a sweet potato biscuit.
A lot has happened in the Arts District in the last 6 years. Not only has ISP Sports opened their headquarters across the street but above that are condominiums. Vivian says they see the residents from the neighborhood on a regular basis, some daily and some weekly, but they see them all in this great neighborhood restaurant.
Stephanie called me yesterday to tell me what she's planning to bring for Taste of the Town and I hope I do it justice here: She's preparing succulent roasted pork, country ham with her country ham bordelaise gravy over sweet potato stuffing and she's even bringing dessert. I can't wait to try her mint julep tarts! Sounds like Derby fare to me!
You had better get to the Taste of the Town early (4pm) because I imagine there will be a line at the Sweet Potatoes booth. This is their first year attending and we are thrilled to have them! Check out their website at www.sweetpotatoes-arestaurant.com to see everything on their menu. And of course stop by their restaurant for a delicious Southern meal.
Look for my update on the Kentucky Derby coming Friday as well as the results of our Kentucky Style Pie contest! I'll see you in 3 days!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Village Tavern
Only four days until the greatest food event in the Triad! Everything is falling into place and our Kentucky Style Pie Contest will be underway Thursday the 30th! Everyone will be dropping off their sumptuous chocolate-nut pies at Family Services for judging.
Be sure to watch WXII Friday morning-early to see the morning news crew judge the top three pies. They will determine the Win, Place and Show of the contest. I know they love their jobs! And don't forget, you'll have a chance to take home one of those top three pies at our silent auction so bring your checkbook, credit card or of course cash!
You're probably tired of hearing about how bad the economy is but I never get tired of hearing how businesses are giving us good deals as a result. Chef Anthony Bonner at the Village Tavern on Hanes Mall Blvd. tells me they are all about good deals this spring.
Deals like the "Tavern Twosome" that costs $25 for two includes 2 entrees and 2 salads. For $20, the "Pizza Deal" for two includes 2- 8 inch pizzas or 2 flatbreads plus 2 salads. And for a special occassion, the "Five for Five" serves two for $50 and includes one appetizer to share, two salads or soups, two entrees, two glasses of wine and one fabulous desssert to share. Now those are great deals. What makes them really good deals is the consistent outstanding quality of the Village Tavern's food.
Personally I enjoy Village Tavern's patio. They have live music on the patio during the summer at their Wednesday night Wine and Dine with half price bottles of wine.
With so many wonderful things to choose from on the menu at Village Tavern, I asked Chef Anthony Bonner what his favorite dish was. Without hesitating he said it was the crabcakes, plump with jumbo lump crab meat! Chef Anthony has been at the Village Tavern for three years next month and sounds very happy with his position. He's really looking forward to Taste of the Town on Saturday afternoon. I can't wait to see what he brings for us to sample!
If you want to check out the menu for the Village Tavern, check out their website by clicking on their name here on our blog (in the right column) or go to www.villagetavern.com.
Be sure to watch WXII Friday morning-early to see the morning news crew judge the top three pies. They will determine the Win, Place and Show of the contest. I know they love their jobs! And don't forget, you'll have a chance to take home one of those top three pies at our silent auction so bring your checkbook, credit card or of course cash!
You're probably tired of hearing about how bad the economy is but I never get tired of hearing how businesses are giving us good deals as a result. Chef Anthony Bonner at the Village Tavern on Hanes Mall Blvd. tells me they are all about good deals this spring.
Deals like the "Tavern Twosome" that costs $25 for two includes 2 entrees and 2 salads. For $20, the "Pizza Deal" for two includes 2- 8 inch pizzas or 2 flatbreads plus 2 salads. And for a special occassion, the "Five for Five" serves two for $50 and includes one appetizer to share, two salads or soups, two entrees, two glasses of wine and one fabulous desssert to share. Now those are great deals. What makes them really good deals is the consistent outstanding quality of the Village Tavern's food.
Personally I enjoy Village Tavern's patio. They have live music on the patio during the summer at their Wednesday night Wine and Dine with half price bottles of wine.
With so many wonderful things to choose from on the menu at Village Tavern, I asked Chef Anthony Bonner what his favorite dish was. Without hesitating he said it was the crabcakes, plump with jumbo lump crab meat! Chef Anthony has been at the Village Tavern for three years next month and sounds very happy with his position. He's really looking forward to Taste of the Town on Saturday afternoon. I can't wait to see what he brings for us to sample!
If you want to check out the menu for the Village Tavern, check out their website by clicking on their name here on our blog (in the right column) or go to www.villagetavern.com.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Caffe Prada
5 days and counting, that's all the time we have before Taste of the Town arrives Saturday, May 2nd at 4pm! We're training the volunteers, making the last minute preparations for the restaurants, and organizing the silent auction while selling lots of tickets. If you would like to volunteer, there is still time. We do need help the day of the event. Contact Delaine Weddle at 722-8173 or dweddle@fsifamily.org. We'd love to have you!
You'll be hearing from me daily this last week and probably for a week or two after the Taste, giving you the wrap up, all of the restaurant awards, and let you know how Family Services did as the beneficiary of this fundraiser. Be sure to tell your friends about our blog. You can check it out anytime in the future to read all about the restaurants, so put it in your "favorites".
If you haven't been down to Caffe Prada on the corner of Broad St. and West Fourth, you should try it out. I recently chatted with Alex Prada, who along with Ken Hart, owns Caffe Prada, a friendly neighborhood hangout. Since they are in the first floor of a condo building, made up of 54 condos, they see their neighbors a great deal.
Caffe Prada is the first green coffee/wine bar in the Triad; they are active members of PEA, the Piedmont Environmental Alliance. They serve organic fair trade coffee, Italian Espresso and make wonderful gelatos and sorbets with all natural ingredients, including local milk from Julian, NC. They use natural ingredients from Italy and local fruit from the farmer's market. The favorite flavors are chocolate, pistachio, plus strawberry and lemon sorbets. You can also grab wonderful breakfast pastries, Greek yogurt, and sandwiches.
Wines are under $20 a bottle for the most part and they have a terrific selection. Alex, being from Argentino, carries some tasty Argentinian wines including their Carrascal at $15.99. It's a Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon blend by Bodega v. Cavas Weinert from Mendoza, Argentina. This Friday, May 1st, is the monthly wine tasting so stop by, grab a class of wine and take a seat on their lovely patio. And don't forget to introduce yourself to their wine consultant Lucinda. Caffe Prada also offers Bellinis, a cocktail made of Proseco, an Italian sparkling wine, and white peach nectar-Yum! What a great summer cocktail.
Saturday, May 2nd of course we'll be hosting the Taste of the Town at the Benton Convention Center beginning at 4pm. But if you get up early and participate in the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure, you'll see Alex down there in the Survivor's tent serving his Pink Ribbon Sorbet that he has donated for the occasion. I tried it and it is wonderful! I can't wait to see what he makes for Taste of the Town!
You'll be hearing from me daily this last week and probably for a week or two after the Taste, giving you the wrap up, all of the restaurant awards, and let you know how Family Services did as the beneficiary of this fundraiser. Be sure to tell your friends about our blog. You can check it out anytime in the future to read all about the restaurants, so put it in your "favorites".
If you haven't been down to Caffe Prada on the corner of Broad St. and West Fourth, you should try it out. I recently chatted with Alex Prada, who along with Ken Hart, owns Caffe Prada, a friendly neighborhood hangout. Since they are in the first floor of a condo building, made up of 54 condos, they see their neighbors a great deal.
Caffe Prada is the first green coffee/wine bar in the Triad; they are active members of PEA, the Piedmont Environmental Alliance. They serve organic fair trade coffee, Italian Espresso and make wonderful gelatos and sorbets with all natural ingredients, including local milk from Julian, NC. They use natural ingredients from Italy and local fruit from the farmer's market. The favorite flavors are chocolate, pistachio, plus strawberry and lemon sorbets. You can also grab wonderful breakfast pastries, Greek yogurt, and sandwiches.
Wines are under $20 a bottle for the most part and they have a terrific selection. Alex, being from Argentino, carries some tasty Argentinian wines including their Carrascal at $15.99. It's a Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon blend by Bodega v. Cavas Weinert from Mendoza, Argentina. This Friday, May 1st, is the monthly wine tasting so stop by, grab a class of wine and take a seat on their lovely patio. And don't forget to introduce yourself to their wine consultant Lucinda. Caffe Prada also offers Bellinis, a cocktail made of Proseco, an Italian sparkling wine, and white peach nectar-Yum! What a great summer cocktail.
Saturday, May 2nd of course we'll be hosting the Taste of the Town at the Benton Convention Center beginning at 4pm. But if you get up early and participate in the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure, you'll see Alex down there in the Survivor's tent serving his Pink Ribbon Sorbet that he has donated for the occasion. I tried it and it is wonderful! I can't wait to see what he makes for Taste of the Town!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Sponsors of Taste of the Town
Family Services, Inc. would like to thank each and every one of our sponsors for helping to make Taste of the Town a reality.
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