Tidbits: Fall 2018
Red Hot Roasters Expands Downtown
Red Hot Roasters has been named the official coffee sponsor of the Kentucky International Convention Center and is available at Oak & Brew, the convention center’s store. Oak & Brew will also carry made-in-house baked goods in the morning, then transition to a full bar at night. RedHotRoasters.com; KYConvention.com
Sweetgrass Granola Grows
Sweetgrass Granola is expanding their operation through a collaboration with The Pasta Garage in Lexington, allowing owners Jacob and Carolyn Gahn to make their Kentucky-sourced sorghum and honey granolas on a larger scale—still by hand. SweetgrassGranola.com
New Eatery and Bourbon Bar Opens Along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
The Stave Restaurant & Bourbon Bar near Frankfort is the latest addition to the Bourbon Trail, with a modern Southern menu, bourbon bar and close proximity to a multitude of distilleries, including Glenns Creek Distilling, Woodford Reserve and Castle & Key. Facebook: @TheStaveKentucky
Toast the Trees
For the fifth year Angel’s Envy, in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, celebrates Bourbon Heritage Month by planting an oak tree for every drink or bottle photo posted to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the #ToastTheTrees hashtag throughout the month of September. This year, Angel’s Envy has doubled its goal from 10,000 hashtags for 10,000 new white oak trees planted in 2017 to 20,000 hashtags for 20,000 new white oak trees planted in 2018. Angel’s Envy sets no cap on how many trees it will plant and hopes that it will meet, and exceed, its 20,000-tree planting goal this September. AngelsEnvy.com
Huber’s Celebrates 175 Years with Cookbook
In celebration of four generations, Huber’s Orchard, Winery and Vineyards, the largest farm in Southern Indiana, has released the Carl T. & Marcella Huber’s Family Cookbook, filled with history and four generations of recipes. Grab one on your next trip to the winery or farm store, while supplies last. HuberWinery.com
Chaney’s Dairy Barn Ice Cream
Beginning this fall, Chaney’s Dairy Barn ice cream in Bowling Green will source all its milk and cream from the farm’s 60 producing Jersey cows. This will make them the only ice cream maker in Kentucky to locally source 100% of its milk and cream, according owners Carl and Debra Chaney. The family-owned business will produce up to 25,000 gallons of ice cream, which is served at the farm and at sites including the Kentucky State Fair, Mammoth Cave National Park and the National Corvette Museum. ChaneysDairyBarn.com
A Boost for Local Food in Schools
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) Farm to School Program was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand its efforts to help Kentucky schools serve local foods to their students. KDA will use the $99,913 grant to provide two major regional training events for farmers and school-food-service authorities and issue 10 mini-grants for additional training, equipment and other needs to enable farmers to develop or enhance their farm-to-school marketing efforts.
Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government was awarded a $100,000 grant to increase access to local foods for Jefferson County Public Schools students and their families through its Farm to Table Program and The Food Literacy Project at Oxmoor Farm. KyAgr.com
Louisville Farm to Table Joins Metro Louisville
In August, Louisville Metro brought its Louisville Farm to Table partnership in-house, making it a permanent program under the Economic Development umbrella. The new program coordinator is Shannon Connelly, who previously served as a value chain associate for the program.
New Member of the Bourbon Trail
Bardstown Bourbon Company in Nelson County is the latest Kentucky Distillers’ Association member to join the Kentucky Bourbon Trail experience, becoming the 14th destination on the world-famous journey that showcases the state’s signature spirit. BardstownBourbon.com
Farm to Fork Catering to Open Café
Be on the lookout for the opening date of Farm to Fork Catering’s new café in the Portland neighborhood location. The café will offer locally sourced breakfast and lunch options, prepared from scratch available for dine-in, carryout, delivery and catering. The café will serve seasonally inspired baked goods, soups, salads, and sandwiches with options for omnivores, vegetarians, vegans and gluten-sensitive patrons. Initial hours will be Tuesday-Friday 8am-3pm. Follow them on social media for pop-up events, special dinners, and community gatherings. 2425 Portland Ave., Louisville. FarmToForkFood.com
The Wendell Berry Farming Program Lives On
Sterling College in Vermont has partnered with The Berry Center to offer academic courses based on the lifework and writing of Wendell Berry. The college has been awarded a three-year grant totaling $156,000 to support the development of a series of field intensives that, as an extension of Sterling’s Field Studies program, will be the inaugural academic courses in The Wendell Berry Farming Program of Sterling College. The first two-week intensive was in August, called “Homecoming I: Good Work Is Membership.” Ultimately, the program will lead to a two-year program for juniors and seniors earning a bachelor of arts degree in sustainable agriculture from Sterling College. SterlingCollege.edu/wendell-berry-farming-program
Businesses Team Up to Provide Local Food to Those in Need
Passport Health Plan is sponsoring a 20-week program with Community Ventures and Bluegrass Harvest to provide community-supported agriculture farm shares for 68 families in the East End of Lexington. This program is designed to provide access to fresh fruits and vegetables while promoting healthier diet decisions by providing farm shares to community members and their families in Lexington. The effort will inform participants to the availability and benefits of CSA farm shares, provide a monetary incentive, facilitate purchases of shares and deliver locally grown produce each week with educational information within their neighborhoods. CVKY.org. BluegrassHarvest.org. PassportHealthPlan.com
Celebrations Moves to New Location in Prospect
Celebrations has moved to a new location, 5919 Timber Ridge Dr. in Prospect. The 30-year-old business provides custom invitations, frames, paper, journals, desk accessories, photo albums, gifts and more. Trish Lounsbury and her husband, Stan, have owned the business since the start. Celebrations-Ky.com
Local Chefs Shine Bright at James Beard Dinner in October
Louisville has been chosen as one of 10 cities to participate in the James Beard Foundation Taste of America tour, showcasing local talent in a dinner to benefit a scholarship fund to support culinary education. Annie Pettry of Decca is the Local All-Star and chefs Jason Jones and Patrick Roney of Ashbourne Farms are the hosts of the dinner, to be served to a capacity crowd October 19 at Ashbourne Farms’ new event venue. The dinner also includes Kathy Cary, Lilly’s Bistro; Mike Wajda, Proof on Main; Ouita Michel, Woodford Reserve Distillery; Anoosh Shariat, Anoosh Bistro; Paco Garcia, Con Huevos; Ming Pu, 502 Bar and Bistro; Damaris Phillips, Food Network’s “The Bobby and Damaris Show”; James Adams, Brown Hotel; and Nokee Bucayu, Ashbourne Farms. JamesBeard.org/events/taste-america-louisville-dinner-2018
Bridging the Gap Between Kitchen and Table
Combine your appetite for learning and eating with the region’s most talented chefs at MESA Collaborative Kitchen in New Albany, Indiana. A state-of-the-art kitchen-classroom, MESA offers cooking classes and demonstrations of every style and flavor.
Seating is limited to 24 people who sit across from the participating chef, encouraging an easy rapport between guests and chef as cooking techniques are explained and the meal is prepared. It’s like sitting in the kitchen with old friends.
“We want our customers to have fun with the chefs, feeling free to ask questions and converse with each other while the meal is being prepared,” said Bobby Bass, who owns MESA with his wife, Ysha.
Have a dietary preference? No problem. Regardless of the menu, vegetarian options are available upon request.
Featured chefs have included Dallas McGarity of The Fat Lamb and Portage House; Bobby Benjamin of Butchertown Grocery; Paco Garcia of Con Huevos; Griffin Paulin of Mirin and the Food Network’s “Chopped” show; Scott Dickenson of Gospel Bird ; and Erika Chavez-Graziano of Cellar Door Chocolate, to name a few.
MESA also offers private event catering for every occasion, including weddings, birthdays, holiday parties and small gatherings. The best-suited chef is paired for each event, customizing the menu and beverage choices to fit the occasion.
In addition, you can take a part of MESA home with to-go dinners, a variety of cooking-related books, a pantry of top-quality seasonings and products and a full line of cookware for every kitchen need. The boutique is open Wednesday–Friday 11am–5pm, Saturday noon–6pm. Closed Sundays, Tuesdays and holidays.
Visit MESA online for a schedule of upcoming cooking classes, cocktail competitions and wine-pairing sessions for dinner and lunch.
MESA, A Collaborative Kitchen
216 Pearl St.
New Albany, Indiana 47150
812-725-7691
MesaChefs.com
