Thursday Tidbits: Through the Grapevine

Photo: Flickr/ChuckThePhotographer

LOCAL BITES:

Wining & Dining
Enjoy an evening of fine wine and tasty food for a great cause at the 11th Annual Boston Festival of Food and Wine on Oct. 20th, 6-11pm. The evening will feature wine tasting, samplings of exceptional food courtesy of some of Boston’s best restaurants, and a silent auction benefitting the International Rett Syndrome Foundation. Reserve your spot or make a donation here.

Bubbie’s Kitchen
Prism and WGBH invite you to join the festivities as 13 of Boston’s top chefs innovate, update and recreate traditional Jewish recipes at the 3rd annual “Beyond Bubbie’s Kitchen” celebration this Sunday, Oct. 23rd. The event will include tastings and a conversation with special guest Avron Honig, author of Feed Me Bubbie, and his own 84-year-old “Bubbie.” This event sells out fast!

Food Fight
Celebrate National Food Day this Monday!! There are a host of local events to participate in. For one, Let’s Talk About Food will present a screening of Chris Taylor’s documentary, Food Fight, at 3pm at the Museum of Science. The event will include commentary not only from Taylor, but also MDAR Commissioner Scott Soares and David Waters, Executive Director of Community Servings. This event is free! Check PRK’s write-up for more happenings.

Day of the Dead, Night of the Living
The Beehive is inviting all of you to catch the Halloween spirit with their Día de los Muertos extravaganza on Oct. 27th, 9pm-1am. Savor several traditional Mexican dishes and drinks while dancing to live music. Check out the Beehive’s site for all the info.

Go Bananas
The Franklin Park Zoo and Sweet Cupcakes are teaming up to celebrate the first birthday of Kambiri, the Zoo’s baby gorilla, with delicious limited-edition treats: dark chocolate cupcakes with banana buttercream frosting. Stop by any Sweet Cupcakes store, anytime from Nov. 5 – Nov. 11, to indulge on these unique treats. To make the deal even sweeter, $1 from every “Bananas for the Zoo” cupcake will be donated to Zoo New England.

One Fish, Two Fish…
Come out and enjoy the best seafood New England has to offer as Island Creek Oyster Bar teams with the Culinary Guild of New England to host “Feast of Seven Fishes,” Nov. 7th, 7-9:30pm. This traditional Southern Italian meal will feature a smoked fish station, raw bar, hors d’oeveurs, and a live demo by ICOB Chef Jeremy Sewall. RSVP here.

NATIONAL TREATS

Worst & Best
Last week, HuffPost Food released a list of the Terrible 10 worst aspects of American food. This week, they’re hitting a more positive note with the Terrific 10 best aspects. In honor of National Food Day coming up, be sure to take a look.

On the Lighter Side
Starbucks, the colossal coffee conglomerate known for its extra-dark roasts, has announced they’ll be introducing a new coffee line for those who enjoy a little less ‘boldness’ in their drinks.

GLOBAL TASTINGS:
Gut Reactions
While a cup yogurt may be a tasty and healthy snack, it could have a much larger influence than just nourishment. The Wall Street Journal reports that the probiotics found in a variety of yogurts and other dairy products may also affect on our minds and decision-making abilities. Who knew?