Archive for August, 2009

Howdy ‘Cake-Eaters,

Rumor has it that while I was gone on vacation, a mischievous employee broke into our listserv to send out some flattering malarkey about one “Benjy Adler.” I, Benjy Pancake, do not know said individual. What is poignantly clear, however, is that Head Chef Tim Collins & our two impressive GM’s—Heather Chadwick in Burlington, Jeremy Silansky in Montpelier—are worthy of complement for how thoroughly they’ve kept the monkey of my back while I tromped through the mountains of Northern California. As for the author of that “Benjy Adler” caracature, she was appropriately scolded for being “too nice.” Please rest assured that the password has been changed & your email addresses are safe with us.

Now, on to more pressing news…

With the height of our local foods coming to fruit each September, several Localvore organizations put forth their annual “Eat Local Challenge.“ In the Mad River Valley, the challenge is as follows:

• When: September 13 to 19, 2008
• What: Eat locally grown and produced foods for a meal, a day, or for the entire week – you decide what is a challenge for you.
• Exceptions: Marco Polo Rules apply (salt and spices that sailors could carry in their pockets for 6 months while at sea)
• Wild Cards: Choose from 0 to 5 wilds cards for foods that you will eat during the challenge that are not local.

Want to participate, register with the Mad River Localvores at www.vermontlocalvore.org/challenge/.

Here at the SP, we’ve got two challenges for ourselves!

1. Just like last year, we will be conducting an audit of our food costs. Last year, we found that 54.75% of the money we spent on raw produce and value added products was spent back into the local community. We have made a number of significant changes to our menu over the past year towards increasing this percentage, including permanent additions of multiple local meats, thus we are anxiously awaiting these results!
2. We hereby commit to providing localvores with a food special each week in September that is 100% local (allowing for Marco Polo rules as described above). While we do have a few products on our permanent menu that are 100% local, we want to make sure folks taking the localvore challenge this September have some fresh and fantastic options when you come to the Skinny Pancake.

Food specials this week:

Ladies and Gentlemen, you may want to take a seat or grab the nearest supportive rail…because we’re about to announce the overwhelmingly anticipated monthly Drop-n-Draw Sweepstakes Winner for Montpelier….

Claire Fitts of Butterfly Bakery
Hey Claire, you’ve just won a $20.00 Gift Certificate to the Skinny Pancake…
So come on down!!!


Claire is the owner of Butterfly Bakery of Vermont in downtown Montpelier. Using only natural, wholesome organic ingredients, Claire serves up delicious sweet goodness in the form of cookies, truffles, granola and the signature Nutcase Chocolate Spread. Visit Claire’s bakery at 87 Barre Street in Montpelier and online at https://butterflybakeryvt.com.

Music this week at the Skinny Pancake:

Thursday, 08.20.09
James Kinne (Original Acoustic)
***$5 suggested donation
www.jameskinne.com/

Fri 08.21.09

Saturday, 08.22.09

Howdy Friends!

Every Thursday like clock-work our homegrown newsletter The Skinny appears in your email inbox.  This always clever, often witty, and perpetually poignant piece of cake news is the compilation of our creative crepe leader Benjy Adler. Benjy wears many hats as the conductor of two brick and mortar restaurants, multiple mobile festival/event crepe units, and last but certainly not least the original crepe cart on Church Street in Burlington. He is the hub by which the Skinny Pancake turns full circle. This week our hardworking hero is off on a well deserved vacation (Insert applause here)! And while we miss him & wish him fabulous fun, all continues to run as smooth as melted butter on sweet local corn here in Vermont…with the exception of this late edition of the Skinny.

And truly it’s high summer here–the perfect time to take a dip in your favorite swimming hole then come enjoy crepes & the waterfront breeze on our Burlington patio or the sun and crepes with a city scape view from our Montpelier patio. Either way, we have delicious specials in both locations this week…

And in the cool of the evening, come check out our musical line-up in Burlington…

Friday 08.14.09 9:30p.m. Megan Callahan (Singer/Songwriter)

We are pleased to welcome back to the Skinny Patio, Megan Callahan! Her first show had an amazing turn out with passerbys drawn into the ‘Cake upon hearing her incredible vocals & fresh guitar pickin’.

“Dan Kase is making heads turn in Northeast Minneapolis” -Greater Twin Cities

Blues Music Society

Tuesday 08.18.09 Sunset Session 7-9p.m.

Dale & Darcy (Bluegrass/Old time Fiddle)

Joining us for another sunset session are local talents Dale Cahill (mandolin, guitar, vocals), Darcy Purinton (fiddle) and Neil Rossi (mandolin, guitar, fiddle) performing Bluegrass, Folk, and Old Time fiddling.

Wednesday 08.19.09 Sunset Session 7-9p.m.

That Toga Band (Electroacoustic/Jazz/Rock)

That Toga Band returns for another sizzling sunset session out on our waterfront patio!

In their own words, “An accomplished band that is never predictable, That Toga Band combines jazz, rock and latin influences together with creative composition, ambient sound and thoughtful instrumentation in order to create their own brand of music. Melding acoustijazz flimflam and spacey landscapes with rock solid beats, That Toga Band pursues organic explorations of a creative smorgasbord. Structuring sonic melodies from a strongly harmonic angle, That Toga Band maintains subtle oddity while juggling odd time signatures and key changes. Quirky antics and light hearted entertainment shape the band’s motto: “Invent yourself before you reinvent yourself.”

In other words…”That Toga Band is the artistic explosion of everything toga- toga being anything from pens to pencils, arms and legs and musical combinations of the above. Really, though, That Toga Band has been a question mark behind what is Burlington for a few years now. They have just taken a strong step forward into the main scene now that their experimental sound has become more confident and more mature.”-the Deli Magazine (May 27th, 2008).

You can hear them www.myspace.com/thattogaband and at the Cake in Burlington on Wednesday August 19th  7-9p.m.

In the Pipeline….

Fri 08.20 9:00p.m.
James Kinne (Original Acoustic)

Hey folks,

BIG NEWS FROM SEVEN DAYS…

The Skinny Pancake has been voted the 2009 Seven Daysies winner in the “Best Street Eats” category. Having honed our chops on our Church Street Cart for 7 years now, we’re psyched to be awarded this blue ribbon for our second consecutive year. But with little more than two years wearing our “bricks ‘n mortar” cap, we’re even more jazzed to have received the red ribbon for runner up as “the Best Place to Do Lunch.”

To all of the Fancakes, Friends, Family, Crepe Crusaders and regular ‘ole people out there that voted in support of us, THANK YOU. We’d also like to send out a big thank you to Seven Days Newspaper…it really is not possible to properly acknowledge the depth of their contribution to our community without surpassing your attention span…so we’ll just keep it simple: SEVEN DAYS, you’re good people…THANK YOU.

This week’s food special:

The Parm Farm: Pitchfork Farm Heirloom Eggplant Breaded with Red Hen Bread Crumbs, Fresh Marinara, Local Basil and Maple Brook Farm Fresh Mozzarella. Served in a Savory Parmesan Cheese Crepe. $9.00

Vermont’s largest agricultural fair always takes place during the first full week of August. Celebrating its 61st year, this family-oriented fair is a deeply rooted community tradition. From the 4H competitions to the Tractor Pull, the Demolition Derby to the Ferris Wheel, The Fair & Field Days is both wholesome & hopping…and it is absolutely the quintessential agricultural fair…so come one, come all August 4th (Tuesday) through August 8th (Saturday).

The Valley Stage Music Festival (www.valleystage.net)
Saturday, August 8th, Huntington, VT

Valley Stage takes place in Huntington with Camel’s Hump as the dramatic backdrop. Families, friends & people in the know come to this one day gem of a gathering to enjoy some of the best folk music you’ll find in one place in one day in Vermont. Four bands will take the stage with the headlining act, The Waybacks, starting at 7:00 pm.

The Northeast Kingdom Music Festival (www.nekmf.com)
Friday, August 7th & Saturday August 8th; Albany, VT

NEKMF was born in the same summer as the Skinny Pancake, 2003. Much like the SP, the organizers of NEKMF have learned, earned and grown through hard work, hard-knocks & heart. The event has grown in girth and now pulls a thousand people out of and/or into the population-not-so-dense Northeast Kingdom. This BYOB event is rowdy and ready to party through the night for two straight evenings. Look for a hot line-up on two stages, a massive bonfire, performances from the nearby Bread & Puppet compound & some wholesome activities for the kiddoes too. What makes NEKMF extra special? As organizers there often say, “You’ll never know, until you go.”

Thursday, 08.06.09
The Silver Dagger Bluegrass Band

Hailing from Ashville North Carolina, the uber-talented four-piece Silver Dagger Bluegrass Band joins the Skinny Pancake in Burlington on their Northeast tour. Check ‘em out: www.myspace.com/silverdaggerbluegrass and definitely come on down TONIGHT from 9-11p.m. to hear them in action!

From their site: A recognized act in today’s roots music scene, Silver Dagger brings together young and energetic talent from the country’s leading music programs. Alumni of East Tennessee State’s acclaimed bluegrass program, Grace Van’t Hof and Ricky Cooper, Berklee alumnus, Ashleigh Caudill, and national touring veteran, Matt Purinton, work a stage like old hands. Weaving in and out of their solos and vocal harmonies, the group rivals seasoned artists many years their senior. Their different backgrounds and four home states influence their unique instrumental styles. 2009 marks Silver Dagger’s first complete touring season.

“Silver Dagger is a dynamic acoustic band…and one of my favorites! They have great vocals that blend seamlessly with their controlled, powerful instrumental work. This fine group showcases a wealth of American and Bluegrass music…as well as expertly presenting the best of their own original songs. I look to these young folks to make important contributions to our music heritage for a long time!”-Marc Pruett (Kentucky Thunder, Balsam Range)

Friday, 08.07.09
Laslo Cameo (Roots, Rhythm & Blues)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/laslocameo

Saturday, 08.08.09
Qwill (roots/surf/soul)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/qwillmusic

This Saturday, clear your calendar and beat your feet down to the waterfront to catch Boston-based singer-songwriter Jesse Ciarmataro, who performs under the name Qwill. He has shared the stage with artists such as Kaki King, Richie Havens, Guster, The Samples, Better Than Ezra, and The Violent Femmes.

He joins our Burlington crepe venue for a solo performance on Saturday August 8, 2009 so check him out at www.myspace.com/qwillmusic and then come on down!!!

“If you haven’t had a chance to hear him you will soon enough.” --Keith Grieves (Not Your Average Folk)

“He writes dreamy roots music that rivals that of British star David Gray.” --Joanna Massey (The Boston Globe)

“We have a tight-nit family of musicians cultivating from the north shore of Boston and beyond, and Jesse is at the center of that family. He’s a master songwriter, a killer musician, and an amazing human being. Props to anyone out there who’s in the know.” -- Ryan Montbleau

Wednesday, 08.12.09

Sage Mayhew & Friends (folk)

***$5 suggested donation

***SUNSET SET, 7-9 pm***

Thursday, 08.13.09
Myra Flynn (soul/funk/r&b)
***$5 suggested donation
http://www.myspace.com/myraflynn

Friday, 08.14.09
Meghan Callahan (folk singer/songwriter)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/megancallahanmusic

Saturday, 08.15.09
Lonesome Dan (1920’s & 1930’s R&B)
***$5 suggested donation
www.lonesomedan.com/

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