This year (2015) marks the 106th Lebanon Strawberry Festival in Lebanon, Oregon, which was started in 1909 to celebrate the Mid-Willamette Valley strawberry. The festivities begin today, Thursday, June 4th and continue through the weekend, at Cheadle Lake Regional Park. Continue reading
Month: June 2015 (Page 6 of 6)
Greasy Nick’s, New Rochelle NY
REVIEW
For a summer patio picnic, Greasy Nick’s is just the ticket. A fiercely downscale New Rochelle spot, across the street from a gas station, there’s nothing refined about the food or setting. This urban shoreline treat is vaguely reminiscent of a New England clam shack, but with a city grit that is far removed from anything you’ll find along the coast of Maine. Continue reading
HAPPY NATIONAL COGNAC DAY!
America’s Top Dozen Donuts
This past winter we popped into Frangelli’s Bakery in Philadelphia to try their donnoli — that’s a donut filled with cannoli cream. Alas, they were out, and we returned home with a fine selection of “regular” donuts, which included a dossant (like the trademarked Cronut). Little did we know at the time that their jelly donuts are a force to be reckoned with. Frangelli’s jellies were just named one of America’s top 12 donuts by The Huffington Post (full disclosure: the story’s writers are from Philly). Continue reading
Magnifico’s Ice Cream, East Brunswick NJ
REVIEW
Many folks who grew up in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut have fond memories of heading to the local Carvel stand for Brown Bonnets and Cherry Bonnets, Flying Saucers and twin peaks cones. Carvel is still around but most of the iconic stand-alone stores are not, at least not as Carvel stores. Pre-made ice cream cakes and supermarket novelties seem to be Carvel’s main focus today. Continue reading
HAPPY NATIONAL EGG DAY!
You, Too, Can Tip $150 On a $20 Check
Paul Hewson stopped in to Canter’s deli in Los Angeles with some friends very late Saturday night. He asked the waitress to decide for him what to eat. His 80-year-old waitress, a five-decade veteran, brought him some matzo ball soup and a Reuben. He finished his food which, if you know Jewish delis, is really saying something. His check came to $20. He left his waitress, who wasn’t aware that Paul Hewson’s stage name is Bono until after he had eaten and her co-workers clued her in, a $150 tip. Guess she chose his dinner well!
The white bass (or sand bass) is the state fish of Oklahoma, and spring is the time for local anglers to catch ‘em. Madill, Oklahoma celebrates with the annual National Sand Bass Festival, held this year (2015) from June 1st through the 6th. This 41st festival, which was first held in 1963 (the festival was not held from 1976 through 1987), will mostly take place downtown on the square. There will be arts and crafts booths, a car show, a midway, a fun run, horseshoes, fishing of course (presumably not in the town square), terrapin races, food booths, and free live music. Continue reading
Forno Campo de’ Fiori, Rome Italy
HAPPY NATIONAL ROCKY ROAD ICE CREAM DAY!
Have You Tried the Philly Taco Yet?
We first became acquainted with the trend in Washington D.C. with the U Street Taco: get yourself a chili-topped half-smoke at Ben’s Chili Bowl, then walk down the block to a pizza joint which sells giant slices. Wrap the dog in the slice and eat! Now comes the Philly Taco (we think South Street Taco is catchier): wrap a cheesesteak from Jim’s on South Street with a big slice of pizza from Lorenzo’s, also on South Street. Ken Silver of Jim’s figures you’ve got about 2,000 calories of Philly eatin’ right there. Continue reading
HAPPY NATIONAL HAZELNUT CAKE DAY!
Gluttony Girls
You don’t have to be a fan of competitive eating to have heard of Kobayashi (the first superstar of the genre) and Joey Chestnut (with the catchy made-for-media name). The casual observer might extrapolate from those two guys, and common stereotypes of women and men, to the conclusion that competitive eating is a man’s game. Wrong! Some of the most accomplished competitive eaters are women. Continue reading
