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Tag: Food
Chowhound: Canned Foods That Were Popular 50 Years Ago But No One Eats Anymore
It’s Not Over Yet: There’s Still August at the Journeyman
Just because August is almost here, doesn’t mean the summer fun needs to slow down. Award-winning Journeyman Distillery is turning up the heat with some can’t-miss events this month, like Island Night at the Featherbone Factory in Three Oaks, MI, and Dirty Boots Night at The American Factory in Valparaiso, IN. Whether you’re drawn to fire dancers and tropical cocktails or steel guitars and line dancing lessons, there’s something worth putting on the calendar.
First Fridays Glow Putt Nights
DATE: Friday, August 1
WHERE: Welter’s Folly, 109 Generations Dr, Three Oaks, MI 49128
TIME: 8:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. ET
ADMISSION: $9 Adult Day Pass, Kids 12 & under golf free | More DetailsDETAILS: Welter’s Folly lights up after dark for Glow Putt Nights ONE LAST TIME this season. From dusk to close, the green becomes a glowing playground for late-night putting with a laid-back vibe. Whether you are aiming for precision or just enjoying the summer air with a stiff drink, it’s a glowing way to spend a summer evening.
Island Night at the Featherbone Factory
DATE: Friday, August 16
WHERE: The Featherbone Factory, 109 Generations Dr, Three Oaks, MI 49128
TIME: 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET
TICKETS: $80 General Admission | All Ages Welcome | Link to Purchase Tix
DETAILS: Island Night is bringing a taste of the island life to Three Oaks. As the sun sets, the Featherbone Factory will glow with tiki torches and tropical flair. Expect a Polynesian-inspired buffet featuring island dishes, including soy-ginger pork shoulder, soba noodle salad, and coconut rice, as well as handcrafted tiki cocktails. The evening will also feature vibrant performances, including live hula dancing and a fire show. It’s a dreamy event that captures the laid-back magic of summer nights in Harbor Country with a fun island twist. Tropical attire encouraged!
Dirty Boots Night at the American Factory
DATE: Friday, August 23
WHERE: The American Factory, 258 S Campbell St, Valparaiso, IN 46385
TIME: Doors at 6:30 p.m. CT | Event: 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $25 General Admission | 21+ Only | Link to Purchase Tix
DETAILS: Dust off your boots because Dirty Boots Night is back! This high-energy evening kicks off with line dancing lessons from Fred Astaire Dance Studios, followed by live music from Steel Country and plenty of room to two-step. Your ticket includes a welcome cocktail, and the cash bar will be open all night. For a full dinner experience, grab a table at Union Hall before the music starts.
Summer Music Live
DATE: Every Wednesday and Friday
WHERE: The American Factory, 258 S Campbell St, Valparaiso, IN 46385
TIME: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. CT
ADMISSION: Free Event
DETAILS: Back for its second year, Journeyman is continuing to host their free summer music series every Wednesday and Friday night on the courtyard stage at the American Factory in Valpo, IN. Bring the family for the last month of this series for the season, enjoy lawn games, and soak in the live music under the summer sky. Want to make a night of it? Reserve a table for dinner at Union Hall. Check out the lineup HERE.
ANNOUNCING WINE SPECTATOR’S WINNERS OF 2025 RESTAURANT AWARDS
Annual Awards Program Recognizes the World’s Best Wine Lists—
Special ‘Restaurant Awards’ Issue Highlights Revitalization of Steak Houses, Aged Wines for Today’s Generation
Wine Spectator, the world’s leading authority on wine, has unveiled the winners of the 2025 Restaurant Awards, which honor the world’s best restaurants for wine. This year’s awards program recognizes 3,811 dining destinations from all 50 states in the U.S. and more than 80 countries internationally.
“A wine list is a restaurant’s identity in print, and this year’s Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners reflect both deep knowledge and a passion for discovery,” said Marvin R. Shanken, Editor and Publisher, Wine Spectator. “I proudly present the 3,811 restaurants worldwide that earned a Restaurant Award this year—we raise a glass to all our winners.”
Launched in 1981, the Restaurant Awards represent the world’s only program focused exclusively on restaurant wine service. They are assigned on three levels: the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence and the Grand Award, with 2,010; 1,704; and 97 winners this year in each respective category.
This year, Wine Spectator has granted three new Grand Awards: Selby’s in Atherton, CA, Soby’s in Greenville, SC and Le Bon Georges in Paris, France. The Restaurant Awards issue includes exclusive profiles on each winner and the talent behind each of the wine collections that earned them this honor.
Also featured in Wine Spectator’s special Restaurant Awards issue: “What’s Old is New Again,” as restaurants place an emphasis on revisiting and uplifting tried and true classics.
The Restaurant Awards issue, which features a tribute to late Grand Award-winning American chef and restaurateur Charlie Trotter, becomes available to readers July 15th.
Follow Wine Spectator on Instagram (@wine_spectator) and use the hashtag #WSRestaurantAwards for posts about this year’s awards.
WineSpectator.com/Restaurants also features coverage of winners, interviews with leading wine directors, wine picks and pairing tips from sommeliers at award-winning programs. In the Restaurant Search, all winners can be searched by name, location, award level, cuisine, wine specialties and pricing. Winners are also profiled in the free Restaurant Awards app, available for iPhone and iPad users.
About Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator is the world’s leading authority on wine. Anchored by Wine Spectator magazine, a print publication that reaches around 3 million readers worldwide, the brand also encompasses the Web’s most comprehensive wine site (WineSpectator.com), mobile platforms and a series of signature events. Wine Spectator examines the world of wine from the vineyard to the table, exploring wine’s role in contemporary culture and delivering expert reviews. Parent company M. Shanken Communications, Inc., also publishes Cigar Aficionado, Whisky Advocate, Market Watch, Shanken News Daily and Shanken’s Impact Newsletter.
For winners in the Phoenix area.
For winners in the Chicagoland area.
For winners in Michigan.
For winners in Indiana.
Blue Peak Villa Debuts with Qing Dynasty Lineage and Rare Chinese Regional Dishes
An extraordinary new chapter in Chinese cuisine arrives on the Lower East Side. Blue Peak Villa, located at 200 Allen Street, opens this May, introducing New Yorkers to rare and regionally inspired Chinese dishes deeply rooted in a culinary lineage that dates back to the Qing Dynasty.
Led by Executive Chef Jian Wu, whose family cooked for Empress Dowager Cixi, Blue Peak Villa offers a dining experience where the forgotten flavors of China’s past are revived with modern elegance. The restaurant occupies the lower level of a two-floor concept, while the street-level space, Zhong Guo Xiao Long Bao, delivers everyday Chinese comfort foods crafted with the same masterful techniques.
At Blue Peak Villa, diners encounter a menu unlike anything else in New York — a curated journey through China’s mountainous landscapes and river valleys.
Signature dishes include:
- Golden Egg in Cast Iron Pot: A theatrical dish with roots over a century old, updated with premium ingredients and finished with a dramatic flame tableside.
- Caramelized Pork Ribs with Black Vinegar: Featuring an unexpected rice-based “cheese pull,” nodding to traditional textures while surprising the palate.
- Blue Peak Signature Fish: Delicate fillets stir-fried with egg directly at the table, creating a bone-free, melt-in-your-mouth experience.
- Kweichow Sour Soup with Beef: A bold, palate-awakening dish featuring tender beef and a rare variety of intensely sour tomatoes native to the Guiyang region.
- Yunnan Style Chicken: Aromatic, spicy, and served with silky mashed potatoes for an earthy, rich flavor.
- Corn Ice Cream: A playful dessert layering sweet corn, fine bread shreds, and creamy ice cream.
Inspired by the natural beauty of China’s mountains and rivers, Blue Peak Villa’s atmosphere is intimate and elegant, blending natural materials with a contemporary aesthetic. The dining mood is best captured in three words: warm, adventurous, refined.
Chef Wu’s journey spans decades of study across China’s regions, distilling local techniques and traditions into a menu that balances authenticity with invention. His craftsmanship, passed down through generations, brings an unmatched depth to every dish.
Just upstairs, Zhong Guo Xiao Long Bao invites diners to enjoy freshly wrapped soup dumplings, spicy wontons, and signature noodle dishes — all priced around $10, making masterfully crafted Chinese cuisine accessible to all.
Blue Peak Villa is now accepting walk-ins and Resy reservations. Follow along at @bluepeakvilla.nyc for opening updates.
Phoenix New Times: The 5 most exciting new restaurants and bars that opened in June
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Patio Party at PostBoy in New Buffalo: Chicago’s Middle Brow is Coming to Southwest Michigan
Chicago’s Middle Brow, nationally known for their pizza, beer, sourdough and local native wines, is opening a winery early in 2026. But for those who don’t want to wait, the Logan Square-based fermenters are popping up at PostBoy for an epic patio pour party on Sunday, July 13th, starting at 12 p.m. ET. Join them for an afternoon of sipping, snacking and sun with servings of their bakery’s signature sourdough loaves paired with PostBoy’s Chef James Galbraith’s spreads, along with generous pours of their natural wine.
And, as an added extra, a selection of Middle Brow’s wine will also be available for retail purchase to take home, along with some PostBoy merch perfect for a beachgoing summer uniform.
About Middle Brow
Middle Brow makes their beer. wine. pizza dough. and bread. entirely from sources in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin. According to their website, “given that our beverage program is over 95% made, by us, from produce and other earth’m within 150 miles of home, our menu is likely more ‘local’ than any other restaurant in the country.”
About PostBoy
DATE: Sunday, July 13th
TIME: Beginning at noon ET
DETAILS: PostBoy is bringing Chicago’s beloved Middle Brow to New Buffalo for a patio pour party! Snack on signature sourdough loaves paired with PostBoy spreads, pours of their expressive natural wines by the glass, and a selection of bottles available for retail purchase to take home.
RESERVATIONS: Walk-ins welcome on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are optional and available on Tock, although outdoor seating is not promised.
Reimagining Vanilla: A New Twist on an old Favorite in Time for National Ice Cream Month 2025
“Vanilla” is often used to describe something considered basic or plain, but we’re here to announce that vanilla is never boring on our watch! For National Ice Cream Month this July, destinations are giving the classic vanilla a glow-up – think spices, swirls and surprising mix-ins that are anything but basic. Restaurants and ice cream shops are churning out creative takes on this beloved base flavor, making each vanilla variation worth melting for.
Cow Tracks Moo Pie from Chaney’s Dairy Barn
Vanilla goes full-on Southern indulgence here, because Cow Tracks Moo Pie is anything but understated. Chaney’s homemade Cow Tracks ice cream is the real star of the show, with a creamy vanilla base that’s then loaded with chunks of Snickers candy bars and a caramel swirl. As if that isn’t total perfection – brace yourself – it’s then scooped on top of a warm and gooey skillet chocolate chip cookie. What could make this concoction even sweeter? Being able to see the adorable Jersey cows that are on site, providing their fresh milk for the farm’s tasty ice cream. They’re just a moo away from the scoop shop, and visitors can meet the herd on a farm tour while seeing the cow-to-cone magic in action. Vanilla is never plain here … it’s pasture-raised perfection.
Bear Cone from Dollywood Parks and Resorts
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
This National Ice Cream Month, take your vanilla to new heights … Smoky Mountain heights, to be exact, with the Bear Cone, a whimsical treat found at Dollywood theme park and its resorts, Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa and Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort. This adorable cone, inspired by the black bears of the Smoky Mountains, pairs perfectly with Dollywood’s soft-churn vanilla ice cream. With several topping options available, the Bear Cone turns classic vanilla into a mountain-sized treat worth roaring about.
Cake in a Cup from Queen City Creamery
Cumberland, on The Mountain Side of Maryland
Queen City Creamery is serving up a birthday party treat you don’t have to share thanks to Cake in a Cup. Layers of house-made vanilla frozen custard, rich fudge, cookie crunchies, chocolate frozen custard and a sizable swirl of icing come together in one perfectly proportioned treat. It’s a creamy, crunchy celebration of vanilla that’s all about treating yourself … no candles required.
Biscoff Cookie Butter Sundae from Central Sno
Raceland, in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou
Known more for Louisiana’s famed snowballs than sundaes, Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou is serving up a tasty surprise at Central Sno. This treat starts with creamy vanilla ice cream that’s layered with crumbled Biscoff cookies and rich cookie butter, then topped with whipped cream. In a region where shaved ice usually reigns supreme, this twist on vanilla is a dish worth celebrating.
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Milkshake from The Yard
Gulf Shores, one of Alabama’s Beaches
At the original Yard Milkshake Bar in Gulf Shores (the same sweet shop that scored a “Shark Tank” deal and launched a nationwide craze for wild milkshakes) this limited-time special starts with a scoop of vanilla blended with pineapple puree in a vanilla-iced jar rolled in crushed graham crackers. It’s piled high with whipped cream, more graham cracker crumbs, a pineapple puree drizzle, a scoop of Pineapple Upside Down Cake Cookie Dough and, of course, finished with a cherry on top. Born from a beachy brainstorm, The Yard is proving vanilla can go from basic to buzzworthy with the right mix of flavors and fruit.
Matilda Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream from The Carriage House
Darrow, in Louisiana’s Sweet Spot
Homemade vanilla bean ice cream takes the literal cake here at The Carriage House with a chocolate Matilda Cake inspired by the famous cake from the Matilda movie. Served with a luscious raspberry sauce, this dessert pairs a Southern classic with a touch of Hollywood magic, casting vanilla ice cream in the perfect supporting role.
Affogato from Smiley’s Kustard
Bayse, in Virginia’s Shenandoah County
Vanilla gets a bold wake-up call at Smiley’s with a house-made vanilla soft-serve custard affogato, served with a pour of velvety nitro cold brew. This cool, caffeinated combo is simple, sophisticated and sippable, proving that even the most classic flavors can be buzzworthy.
