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NEWS&VIEWS by Jacqueline Bennett

Posts from the “Food” Category

Destination: Flanders Fish Market & Restaurant Mother’s Day Brunch, East Lyme Connecticut

Posted on May 10, 2014

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb Sunday brunches have long been popular at Flanders Fish Market & Restaurant in East Lyme, Connecticut. Tomorrow should be no exception when they put on a special Mother’s Day Brunch. Before renovation and expansion several years ago at this 30 year local mainstay, folks patiently waited in lengthy lines for a table in what was a small, cozy dining room inside an early 20th Century style house. It had ambiance galore. Out front were rustic picnic benches and a take-out window where a steady stream of customers showed up to order favorites such as clam fritters. Though some of the quaint atmosphere at Flanders was sacrificed for expansion, clearly it made good business sense. This is a…

Windsor Food & Fuel Bank Walks Against Hunger – Eric Lazarus Appointed Executive Director

Posted on May 5, 2014

Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb They may live next door, be seated nearby at a town meeting, attend a free summer concert in the park or be timidly pushing a cart in a grocery store. They are your neighbors, unsure of where their next meal will come from and their numbers are growing. Hunger is on the rise in the United States as the middle class shrinks say food bank directors. More and more Americans keep trying to tread water after a  job loss, due to wage stagnation, inflation, low wages or are retirees living on fixed and very limited funds. In Connecticut’s Hartford and Tolland counties alone, the regional food bank, Foodshare, estimates more than 100,000 people are living in food…

Destination: Wood-n-Tap Bar & Grill in Farmington, Connecticut

Posted on April 11, 2014

Write – Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb Wood-n-Tap Bar & Grill in Farmington, Connecticut is one of a group of restaurants by the same name in the Greater Hartford area and lower part of the state. Open daily at 11:30 a.m., the Farmington site is located in what once was The Keg on the corner of an intersection along Farmington Avenue. The main dining area has a casual ambiance with dark decor booths and tables accented by overhanging lamps. The rear section tables are next to long patio windows and connected to a patio that overlooks a pond. In the tavern is an eye-catching stone fireplace, a bar, television – usually tuned to sports, booths and a long center table with high…

From “Nutty” to Nouveau – What’s The Big Deal About Organic Produce?

Posted on April 9, 2014

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com Organic farming has gone from “nutty” to noveau. For the rising numbers of American consumers concerned about the use of growth hormones and application of synthetic organic pesticides in conventional produce, and preservation of American farms, now is the time of year to shop for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) organic farm to join. “It’s not a movement – yet,” said one customer at the George Hall Farm in Connecticut’s Farmington Valley last summer. But she predicted organic produce is the way of the future. Like his fellow organic farmers, Darren Cugno, owner of Cugno’s Farm in Colchester, Connecticut is convinced that organic produce is not only better but that conventional fruits and vegetables can be downright…

Hot Cross Buns, An Enduring Easter Tradition of Friendship, Goodwill & Good Fortune

Posted on March 20, 2014

By:Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb A few weeks before Easter, hot cross buns appear in grocery store bakeries in abundance – but it turns out they are much more than just a tasty harbinger-of-spring. A popular food tradition in predominantly Christian, English-speaking countries, English folklore associates hot cross buns with friendship, good will and good fortune. Perhaps it is the icing cross found on top of these small, spicy, bread-like cakes filled with dried fruits that originates the legend they are blessed with the power to ward off evil spirits and bring good. For example folklore says, sharing a hot-cross bun with a friend on Good Friday ensures a lasting friendship, giving a piece of a hot cross bun to the ill will speed their recovery,…

Washington Redskins & Former Windsor High Player Tackles Hunger in Greater Hartford

Posted on November 14, 2013

By Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb CONNECTICUT-Washington Redskins defensive end and former Windsor High School football player Chris Baker is tackling hunger in the Greater Hartford area. Baker was on hand earlier this week to present a donation to Bloomfield based-Foodshare from The Chris Baker Foundation. Baker’s foundation strives to foster education and literacy. According to a press release from Foodshare, Baker’s donation is expected to be the beginning of a continuing relationship with the food bank that serves the Greater Hartford region. It was noted that hunger can impede a child’s ability to perform well in school. “I feel really good about Foodshare and the work it’s doing. I want to support that work,” Baker was quoted as saying. Baker who went on to Penn…

Destination: Sisters Making a Success of Center Perk in Manchester, CT

Posted on October 18, 2013

Story & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Downtown Manchester, Connecticut has gotten perkier in recent months. On June 6th, sisters Kim Barnett and Christine Bedrossian opened Center Perk,  a breakfast and lunch restaurant on 639 Main Street just across from Center Memorial Park. They are running it with help from two more sisters Donna and Kim, as well as, a cadre of other family members.   “There are eight siblings, six girls and two boys. We’re from Manchester, so when we decided to do this we decided we wanted to do it here,” said Kim during an October 13 interview.           Kim had tried a similar venture in Glastonbury but it did not pan out. Having her sister as a…

Destination: Johnny Appleseed’s Autumn Farmstand Ellington Ct

Posted on September 26, 2013

Write -Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb Johnny Appleseed’s Farm on Route 83 in Ellington is among the popular autumn farmstands abundant throughout the Connecticut countryside this time of year. Perched on a hillside just off the road, an “open” flag greets customers to this small outdoor market situated not far from the farm’s apple orchards which pre-schoolers can tour on pre-arranged field trips; and U-PICK-APPLE-DATES are available.  Opened daily at 9 a.m. until Thanksgiving, the Ellington stand makes a lovely Saturday or Sunday drive. In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, they have hardy mums and plenty of pumpkins and cornstalks. They sell their own jams and jellies, as well as, Connecticut made maple syrup and honey. They also offer Connecticut made…

153rd Woodstock Fair is Coming Labor Day Weekend 2013 – August 30, 31, September 1 & 2

Posted on August 27, 2013

Don’t miss out on one of Connecticut’s oldest and most popular fairs – always Labor Day Weekend – the 153rd Woodstock Fair will be held August 30, 31, September 1 & 2 on the Woodstock Fairgrounds, 281 Route 169 in South Woodstock. At the gate general admission is $12.00, senior citizens age 65+ $8.00 and children age 10 and under are free. Advance tickets are available through August 29 at the Woodstock Fair Office – individual admission $10.00, senior $8.00, 4-Pack $36.00 and midway ride tickets 11 for $22.00. According to the fair brochure (see below), look for Main Stage entertainment daily including performances throughout the afternoons by various groups. The local Southern Rock band Cold Train will perform Friday at 4:30 & 6:30…

Popularity of Firefighters’ Peach Festival Continues in New Location

Posted on August 24, 2013

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb In its 64th year, the popularity of the Manchester, Connecticut 8th Utilities District Fire Department Peach Festival continued Friday night, August 23, as festival-goers turned out to enjoy their annual peach shortcake treat in a new location. Traditionally held across from the old firehouse on the corner of Main and Hilliard streets, this year the event was moved up the hill to the new firehouse which serves as the district’s headquarters.  It can be risky business to tamper with tradition and a successful tradition at that, but the move was said to be prompted by a desire to encourage the community to view the headquarters as the volunteer firefighter district prepares to celebrate its 125th anniversary in…