Rhode Island Food Blog

Although it is the littlest state, Rhode Island has a huge cuisine – quite literally in the form of its grand eating halls, as well as in the astonishing diversity of different things to eat and drink, many of them unique to the Ocean State. New York System Wieners, as pictured at Sam’s previous location (thanks, Wanderingjew), above, are just one well-known example. For more, browse the Rhode Island listings here at Roadfood.com or visit a new blog called Small Bites that came about when the Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts Museum teamed up with the Public Humanities Program at Brown University to create an exhibit called Food on the Move. The exhibit will open April 15, and it sounds like a Roadfood must!

Sonny Bryan’s Plans to Franchise and Go National

Sonny Bryan’s, the longtime Dallas barbecue mecca, plans to begin franchising outlets across the country this year, with the help of Beautiful Brands International.  According to a story in the Kansas City Business Journal, there might be half a dozen Sonny Bryan’s restaurants in the KC area alone, and 35 outlets open around the U.S. by the end of next year.  There are currently nine Sonny Bryan’s in the Dallas region, and they are all company owned.  See the Roadfood.com review of Sonny Bryan’s here.

NoLIta Resistance to Planned Shake Shack

A group of NoLIta residents is fighting plans for the fourth Shake Shake to open at the corner of Mulberry and Prince streets, across from St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral.  Most of the objection seems to center on the potential for crowds, trash, noise, and strolling alcoholic beverages.  Plans for the new Shake Shack include an open-air rooftop deck.  Rebecca Marx writes about the struggle in The Village Voice’s food blog.  Pictured above is the original Shake Shack in Madison Square Park.  Check out Roadfood.com’s review of that Shake Shack here.  FYI: NoLIta is a neighborhood in New York City, meaning North of Little Italy.

International Pancake Day

Who wouldn’t want to see women running down the street flipping pancakes?  The tradition began in 1445 in Olney, England when a woman who was making pancakes to use up cooking fat before Lent rushed to church, pancake pan in hand, apron on, for Shrove Tuesday services.  505 years later the town of Liberal, KS got into the act, and a competition developed between the two towns.

The 2010 events began this past Saturday with pancake eating and flipping contests, a cooking contest, and a high tea.  Yesterday they held a scholarship pageant and an artist showcase.  There’s a talent show today.  But the big stuff kicks off tomorrow morning with a pancake breakfast and reception.  Youth races begin at 10 a.m. and the big Liberal-Olney race starts at 11:55 a.m.  Note that all entrants must wear “usual housewives attire”!  The skillet and pancake will be provided by the race committee.  The course runs 415 yards and contestants must flip their pancakes both at the start and the end of the race.  Only Liberal (not necessarily liberal) women may participate.  The race will be followed by a shriving service and a parade.

For more info on International Pancake Day, see their website.

French Dip Obituary

A note from Elise Thompson included a link to this story in LAist that reports the death of Bill Binder, who ran Philippe the Original in Los Angeles from 1944 to 1985. He married the woman whose father had bought the place from founder Philippe Mathieu and moved it to its current location in 1951 when highway construction threatened to close it altogether. The home of the French dip sandwich is now run by his sons, Jon and Richard. (Photo credit: Wanderingjew)

Devour Downtown Indy

Today begins Indianapolis’ Devour Downtown event, where over 40 downtown Indianapolis restaurants are offering special menus at the special price of $30/person (and, in some cases, $30 for two).  You can see the list of participating restaurants, along with the menus being offered, on the Devour Downtown website, and in many cases you can even reserve a table from that site, too.  Two Roadfood restaurants are among those offering the special menu: St. Elmo Steak House (Roadfood.com review) and The Rathskeller (Roadfood.com review).  The $30 menus will be available through February 6.

Winter Market in Ithaca

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mhaithaca/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Last year the Ithaca Farmers Market (Roadfood.com review) inaugurated their first winter market on January Saturdays.  It was such a success that this year they’re expanding the winter market to January AND February.  Hours are the same as last year: Saturdays, 11 am until 2 pm.  The location will again be the Womens Community Building at the intersection of Cayuga and Seneca.  Just as at the Steamboat Landing Market, there is live music and room to sit and enjoy freshly prepared food.  And all the food sold is grown or produced within 30 miles of Ithaca.  What local produce can possibly be sold in the frigid Ithaca winters?  How about carrots, leeks, potatoes, garlic, onions, rutabagas, celeriac, parsnips, kohlrabi, winter squash, kale, cabbage, Bok Choy, Brussels sprouts, salad sprouts…

Eat Oysters, Love Longer

The Louisiana oyster industry makes its annual trek to Washington, D.C. this week to meet with legislators, and to feed them plenty of Louisiana oysters.  They’re bringing chefs from Galatoire’s (Roadfood.com review), the Acme Oyster House, and Bacco’s to help make their case, and to prepare Louisiana oysters raw and cooked.  While this is an annual event, this year the visit is of particular importance because of proposed federal regulations on the harvesting and sale of raw oysters that could hit the Louisiana industry hard: the FDA has proposed a requirement that Gulf oysters be specially treated and processed during the warmer months.

Don Ames of New Orleans’ WWL radio recently spoke with Mike Voisin of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force about the trip and the issues facing the oyster industry.  You can listen to the conversation here.

Young’s Jersey Dairy: 141st Anniversary Celebration

Today through Monday (1/15/10 through 1/18/10), Young’s Jersey Dairy of Yellow Springs, OH will be holding their annual anniversary celebration.  The farm (not the restaurant) was founded 141 years ago, and as part of the celebration Young’s is offering a number of their menu items for the bargain price of $1.41.  Some of the $1.41 items include cheeseburgers, deep-fried cheddar curds, and single-dip waffle cones.  And they will also be serving a $3 Celebration Special, pictured above, with three dips and three toppings – and you keep the glass.  Add in a game of miniature golf, too, for $1.41!  Better make it to this year’s celebration if you want to take advantage of these bargains – next year the prices will be going up to $1.42.

In the Roadfood.com review of Young’s, Michael Stern says, “If we lived anywhere near Young's, we'd have our freezer stocked with this good ice cream.”

Galatoire’s Sold

Longtime New Orleans culinary icon Galatoire’s (Roadfood.com review), which had been owned by the same family for 104 years, was sold on December 8 to a pair of local businessmen.  Descendents of Galatoire’s founder, Jean Galatoire, will retain a 25% ownership of the restaurant.  Todd Trosclair, owner of a local contracting firm, purchased the business on December 8 and then, on December 9, sold a majority interest to another local businessman, Jean Georges.  Jean Georges is also currently running for mayor of New Orleans.

All parties involved, of course, emphasize that nothing will change at the restaurant.  Time will tell.

Here’s a Times-Picayune story from 1/29/09 (almost a year ago) that discusses the possibility of a sale:  http://blog.nola.com/brettanderson/2009/01/galatoires_may_be_sold.html

This is the 12/9/09 story in the Times-Picayune that reports on the sale to Mr. Trosclair:  http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2009/12/local_businessman_todd_troscla.html

Here’s a 12/9/09 press release from Galatoire’s about the sale:  http://media.nola.com/business_impact/other/Galatoire%27s%20press%20release.pdf

The 12/10/09 story in the Times-Picayune about the Jean Georges purchase:  http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2009/12/john_georges_buys_into_galatoi.html

Jean Georges’ 12/9/09 press release about his involvement:  http://media.nola.com/business_impact/other/John%20Georges%20press%20release.pdf

A 1/13/10 story in the Times-Picayune about Jean Georges, the purchase of Galatoire’s, and his run for mayor:  http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/01/post_261.html