Flavors of Kentucky

Greg Spaulding, manager of Puccini’s Smiling Teeth, and his U.S. teammates scored high marks at the 2012 World Championship of Pizza held in Salsomaggiore, Italy in April.
The U.S. Pizza Team was made up of expert pizza chefs and dough-spinning acrobatic performers from pizza restaurants across the United States. Team member Spaulding won the Best in the U.S. award in the classic pizza category. His colleague Tom Carfrae, owner of Tomaso’s Pizza in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, earned Best in the U.S. in the pan category, while Mike Amheiser, owner of Pizza Dock in Fredericktown, Ohio, took home the Best in the U.S. prize for his gluten-free pie. Go to Pizzatv.com or Worldpizzachampionship.com. The U.S. team was sponsored by PMQ Pizza Magazine. This week, Spaulding is competing in the Global Pizza Challenge in Sydney, Australia. Puccini’s locations are Chevy Chase Place, (859) 269-0404;Beaumont Centre, (859) 219-0101,and 3801 Dylan Place, (859) 223-1588.
Special events
■ Town Branch Market, 233 East Main Street, at the corner of Esplanade, is celebrating its first anniversary on Friday and Saturday. There will be breakfast and lunch specials, and samples of new items, including biscuits and gravy, jumbo cinnamon rolls, and fresh baked personal pizzas. Call (859) 280-2122.
■ Natasha’s Bistro & Bar, 112 Esplanade, is serving farmers market brunch on Sundays. Natasha’s Sunday chef will be shopping at farmers market to buy ingredients for the menu which is served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Items include quiche, fruit plate, biscuits and sorghum, and scrambled eggs. Call (859) 259-2754 or go to Beetnik.com.
■ Jean Farris Winery, 6825 Old Richmond Road, is serving dinner, wine, and a movie in the vines this summer. On Friday, guests can watch The Help on the outdoor movie screen overlooking the estate vineyard. When making reservations for the outdoor movie event you must request a movie table. Call (859) 263-9463 or go to Jeanfarris.com.
■ June’s Greek Dinner Night at Panagia Pantovasilissa Greek Orthodox Church will be from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 16. The church, at 920Tates Creek Road, will have outside dining areas available, weather permitting. The featured vineyard is Chrisman Mill and the menu includes chicken in orange glaze, pork loin, and tilapia with spinach. Go to Greekdinner.com.
■ The patio is open at Addie’s at The Woodford Inn, 104 Park Street, Versailles, where you can enjoy live music. A fish fry will be held Friday, and the dinner special on Saturday is surf & turf. Call (859) 873-5600 or go to Addiesky.com.
■ Winchell’s, 348 Southland Drive, will hold its annual lobster boil from 4 to 9:30 p.m. June 13. Whole Maine lobsters will be served with corn on the cob and new potatoes, along with New England clam chowder, and fresh fruit cobbler. Call (859) 278-9424.

Tea menu for June
■ The June menu at Greentree Tearoom will help beat the summer heat. Included are chilled cucumber-avocado soup, tropical chicken salad, tomato aspic, and orange panacotta. Greentree is at 521 West Short Street. Call (859) 455-9660 or go to Greentreetearoom.com.

Farmers market report
■ The Bluegrass Farmers’ Market will celebrate the grand opening of the 2012 market season on Saturday and giving away Wildcat Blue market totes to the first 500 customers. Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at 3450 Richmond Road, in the parking lot of Pedal the Planet and Fast Signs. Go to Localharvest.org/blog/29529.
■ The farmers bazaar at Azur Restaurant, 3070 Lakecrest Circle, is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays on the patio. The market features local farmers and artisans. Azur serves brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Call (859) 296-1007 or go to Azurrestaurant.com.
■ Winchester/Clark County Farmers Market  is open 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and 3 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 217 South Main Street.
■ Woodford County Farmers’ Market will have beef, eggs, honey, pork and fruit. It’s open 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays in downtown Versailles.
■ Lexington Farmers Market locations are Cheapside Park, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; Southland Drive, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday; Maxwell Street and South Broadway, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and the parking lot of the University of Kentucky’s Commonwealth Stadium, next to University Drive, 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays. Go to Lexingtonfarmersmarket.com.

Downtown Lexington is the place to be Friday nights for the next few weeks. A new concert series, Friday Fest in the Pavilion, will run each Friday through Oct. 28.
Sponsored by the Cheapside Entertainment District Association, Friday Fest, which is a little similar to Thursday Night Live, will kick off at 6 p.m. in the park’s Fifth Third Pavilion.
This Friday, Jeremy Ashby, executive chef at Azur Restaurant, will char-grill oysters, and other food vendors include The Courtyard Deli, which will serve Krissy’s famous chili, and Goodfellas Pizza.
Entertainment, from 7 to 11 p.m. will feature Kenny Owens and Fun With Jello on Friday, and Sunday’s Best on Sept. 30.

Specials

■ Orchid Flower, 3090 Old Todds Road, is offering two specials this weekend: tofu satay and Nasi campur bento box (rendang, spicy beef cooked with coconut milk; perkedel jagung, a fried corn cake with shrimp; Labu siam, stir-fried chayote squash and steamed jasmine rice). Call (859) 543-1126 or visit Orchidflowerrestaurant.com.
■ The Ketch Seafood Grill, 2012 Regency Road, is preparing a fresh Maine lobster clambake throughout September. Included are a 1¼-pound lobster with drawn butter, steamed clams, corn on the cob, and red potatoes. The cost is $25. Call (859) 277-5919 to reserve a lobster.

Events

■ John Varanese, chef/owner of Varanese in Louisville, will be guest chef at Azur Restaurant on Tuesday. Azur executive chef Jeremy Ashby will join Varanese at his restaurant at 2106 Frankfort Avenue, on Thursday.
The dinners will feature the bourbon-smoked trout that won Ashby top honors at the Kentucky Seafood Cook-Off, and was prepared by Ashby and Varanese at the Great American Seafood Cook-Off in August in New Orleans. Dinners begin at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $45. Call (859) 296-1007.
■ St. Andrew Orthodox Church’s Heritage Festival will celebrate its 20th year this weekend. The festival will begin at noon Saturday and Sunday at the church, 1136 Higbee Mill Road. Entertainment includes ethnic dancers and authentic foods such as falafels, gyros, pierogies, tabouleh, baklava, and zatar bread. Call (859) 223-5091.

■ The Engine House Deli, 9 West Lexington Avenue in Winchester, is having open mic night on Tuesday. Hannah Mae Rector will participate. The restaurant, which is normally closed evenings, will open at 6 p.m. Call (859) 737-0560.

Announcements

■ Underdog’s Sports Bar and Grill, 805 North Broadway, now is serving barbecue. Owner Danny Beile is hickory-smoking pork, brisket, chicken, ribs and wings. Beile also will smoke turkeys for the home cook. The restaurant serves a country-style menu at lunch that includes meatloaf and turkey and dressing. Call (859) 281-1116.
■ The new patio at Nick Ryan’s Saloon opens Wednesday, and the menu features burgers, jerk chicken and cayenne-buttered shrimp. The new bar will offer drink specials including $5 blueberry mojitos. Nick Ryan’s is at 157 Jefferson Street. Call (859) 233-7900.
■ The overall winner of the second annual PizzaOvens.com’s Bluegrass Pizza Bake-off is Puccini’s Smiling Teeth. The pizza makers won a trip to Italy to compete in the World Pizza Olympics. Second-place winner in the traditional category was Sal’s Pizza in Louisville. Winners of the gourmet category are DiOrios Pizza & Pub in Louisville, and Snappy Tomato of Covington.
■ Addie’s at the Woodford Inn, 140 Park Street in Versailles, has a new management team. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. A brunch buffet is served 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be at 4:30 p.m. Friday with bar and dinner specials all evening. The grand opening celebration will be Oct. 1 with music on the patio with Catch 22. Menu items include shrimp and grits, fried or baked chicken, hot Brown, and prime rib. Call (859) 873-5600.
■ Six Friends Café, 191 Kentucky Avenue, now offers delivery service. The menu is at Urbanspoon.com. Call (859) 309-0123.

Farmers market report

■ The Bluegrass Farmers’ Market will have heirloom beans, watermelons, tomatoes, pumpkins and mums. The market is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 3 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at 3450 Richmond Road, in the parking lot of Pedal the Planet and Fast Signs. The Mill Pond Shopping Center location is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Visit Localharvest.org/blog/29529.
■ Saturday is customer appreciation day at the Lexington Farmers Market. From 9 a.m. to noon, there will be drawings for free products and gift certificates from vendors, pony rides and activities for children and samples of seasonal foods prepared by Sullivan University.
Vendors will have a variety of apples and pears, greens, squash, pumpkins, cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, pawpaws, eggs, meats, sheep and cow’s milk cheeses, herbs, flowers and fresh pasta.
■ The East End Community Farmers Market, 560 East Third Street in the Pavilion at Midland Avenue, is open 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Farmers will have corn, green beans, melons, tomatoes, butternut squash and peppers.