The MAX Restaurant Group is hosting a commemorative dinner at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield on Aug. 24 at 6 p.m.
The evening celebrates 125 years of basketball; it also marks the debut of “Birthplace Pale Ale,” a new beer from Harpoon Brewery of Boston and Windsor, VT that’s being released to mark basketball’s anniversary year.
Max’s Tavern Chef Mike Touranjoe, along with chefs from Max Catering & Events, will be preparing a menu designed to harmonize with a number of Harpoon Brewery beers.
Tickets for the dinner can be purchased at eventbrite.com; the total price including dinner, tax, and house fee is $63.75; an eventbrite service charge of $4.18 will also be added at time of purchase.
More details about this event can be had by calling (413) 746-3003.
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On Saturday, Look Memorial Park in Northampton will be the site of the Look Park Food Truck Festival.
The first of what is anticipated to be an annual tradition, the Festival will be held from noon until 6 p.m., with a variety of food trucks and carts participating.
Vendors signed up to be on site include the Bistro Bus, Bruiser’s BBQ, Burrito Revolution, Flayvors of Cook Farm, Hot Oven Cookies, Sun Kim Bop, and more.
Live music will also be part of the fun.
Additional information can be found at Look Park’s web site, lookpark.org
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Great Falls Harvest in Turners Falls will be presenting a Value-Added Showcase: Beverage and Food Pairings. Planned for Monday, August 28, the evening will feature mingling and sampling as the restaurant offers local dishes paired with local beverages. Great Falls Chef Chris Menegoni and some of the local farmers who produced the ingredients will be on hand to discuss what’s being served.
A new beer from Stoneman Brewery in Colrain will be featured; the beer is brewed with locally grown hops.
This informal tasting event will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. For information on the menu and ticket purchases call Great Falls Harvest at (413) 863-0023.
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Open since late July, the Commonwealth Kitchen & Craft Bar in Enfield, Conn. is billed as a “sister restaurant” to the Tap House Grille in West Springfield.
Styling itself as casual dining with an emphasis on scratch preparation, Commonwealth Kitchen & Kraft Bar, which is located just over the Massachusetts state line at 89 Enfield Street (Route 5), offers burgers, sandwiches, and chop house cuisine.
Starter choices at dinner include Cape Cod crab cakes and sweet corn fritters; among the entrees on the inaugural dinner men are scallops with bacon, garlic, and tomato; pork chop with whole grain-blueberry mustard; and a New York strip steak served with blue cheese au gratin potatoes.
Lunch selections such as a honey peach chicken sandwich and a lobster grilled cheese are also part of the new restaurant’s repertoire.
More information, including the full lunch and dinner menus, can be found at commonwealthkitchenct.com; the restaurant answers at (860) 741-7711.
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In an attempt to combat several years of lackluster sales results, Subway, the Milford, Conn.-based sandwich chain, has unveiled a “Fresh Forward” renovation program designed to revitalize and update the brand.
The program provides Subway locations more than a fresh new look; it also incorporates new technology, including digital-display menu boards and optional self-service touchscreen ordering terminals. Remodeled Subway locations will also have Wi-Fi and USB charging ports for customer handheld devices.
With more than 30,000 locations across the U.S., the rollout of the new “Fresh Forward” Subway will take several years. A few of the new look restaurants have already been opened, but widespread renovation of existing units isn’t expected to begin until early next year.
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Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community College’s hospitality and culinary arts program and has over 40 years of restaurant and educational experience. Please send items of interest to Off the Menu at the Republican, P.O. Box 1329, Springfield, MA 01101; Robert can also be reached at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com