Archive for December, 2009

Ahhhhhhhhhh, ladies and gentlemen, are you up for some heavyweight musical entertainment this New Years Eve?!

The Skinny Pancake kicks off 2010 with the Josh Panda Band www.reverbnation.com/joshuapanda…this show flies after the fireworks…

Once in awhile we are blown away by a band and JPB lifts the roof off…almost literally.  The Seven Days just caught up with Josh Panda http://www.7dvt.com/2009gospel-joshua from the church to the street, this Panda is always singing.

Hope to see ya’ll  heading down the hill to the ‘Cake on New Years Eve to check out Josh & Company…And for your year ahead, be sure to calendar other notable shows….http://www.skinnypancake.com/music-calendar/.

Happy New Year & Musically Yours, The Skinny Pancake

Howdy folks,

we’re in the home stretch now…for the holiday season & the year. My how time flies…….Since you surely don’t have enough to keep you busy this weekend (insert comment about the frantic nature of the holiday season here:_____), we thought it would be most joyous to toss yet another yule log on the burning desire that is your agenda for this coming weekend…in two acts:

ACT I: HOLIDAY THEATRE…

One for Montpelier/Barre:
The Green Mountain Nutcracker
At the Barre Opera House
www.barreoperahouse.org/

Can’t make it to George Balanchine’s production of the Nutcracker at the famed New York City Ballet? Fret not, friend! The Granite Center of the World (Barre) has a production that is sure to rival the competition in innumerable ways (starting with the price). This production features dancers of all ages from 16 Vermont communities. One of our very own Montpelier Crepe Makers performs in this seasonal classic.

Saturday – December 19, 7PM
Sunday – December 20, 2PM

From the Production Company: “A wooden nutcracker comes to life at midnight! A little girl visits the Land of the Sweets. For the third year running, Moving Light Dance Company will, once again, present the Green Mountain Nutcracker on December 19th and 2oth at the Barre Opera House.

And another for Burlington:
National Marionette Theater’s Hansel and Gretel
In the Main Street Landing’s Black Box

http://www.nmtshow.com/Home.html

Raise your hand if you’ve actually seen a master puppeteer in action, let alone two….right, didn’t think so. Here’s your chance…bring your kids. Support an old art form. Oh, and you can drop by the ‘Cake before or after…check out any of the following times:

Friday – December 18th @ 7 p.m.
Saturday – December 19th @ 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Sunday – December 20th @ 2 p.m.

From the Production Company: In our newest production, two master puppeteers bring the most famous of the Grimm Brother’s stories to life. Featuring exquisitely crafted marionettes, scrolling scenery and the beautiful music of Engelbert Humperdinck, Hansel and Gretel is sure to delight audiences of all ages!

Intermission: Skinny Specials this Week at the ‘Cake…

Ham On It (Burlington): Winding Brook Farm Ham and fresh Broccoli wrapped in a Gleason’s Grains Whole Wheat Crepe and topped with Grafton Smoked Cheddar Cheese Sauce.  $8.25

Chicken & “Dumplings” (Montpelier): Misty Knoll Chicken in a rich gravy with Pete’s Carrots and Onions and VT Shitake Mushrooms over 2 Savory Crepe “Dumplings”. $9.50

Act Two: MicroLocal Markets for your shopping pleasure…

The Burlington Center for the Arts Holiday Artist Market
Contois Auditorium (inside City Hall)
http://www.burlingtoncityarts.com/events/

Friday, December 18th from 12PM to 8PM
Saturday, December 19th from 10AM to 6PM

Remember that drum I was beating…”buy local.” Apparently some people got bored of it as we saw the unsubscriptions spike in the past two weeks. Well, I don’t mind burning social capital for the cause…so here is yet another plug to BUY LOCAL this holiday season.

As the BCA aptly observes on their website, these are “truly unique local, handmade gifts. Artists from the BCA Summer Artist Market in City Hall Park join with other high quality local artists for a truly unique holiday shopping experience!” It just doesn’t get much better than that for the localvore dork in us all….

The Burlington Winter Farmer’s Market will also be held this weekend on Saturday from 10:00 to 2:00 pm in Memorial Auditorium.

The Montpelier Farmer’s Market:
www.montpelierfarmersmarket.com/

Saturday, December 19th from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Montpelier’s got Burlington “beet”…about twice over. In Burly, there’s one winter farmer’s market a month (always the Third Saturday). In Montpelier, they’ve got it going every first & third Thursday at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Does that mean that the Capitol City has twice the demand with 1/4 the populace? If so, would it suggest that the average Montpeliarian consumes 8x the winter veggies than his/her Burlington counterpart….really? Well…there’s some fuzzy logic in there, but it is food for thought….

As Seven Days describes it: “Root veggies, honey, fresh mesclun and more change hands at a biweekly, off-season celebration of locally grown grub, accompanied by live music and crafts.”

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This week in music at the Skinny Pancake:

So busy…we’re all sooooo busy this time of year….oy! Well, maybe you finish your day and you want to do something…not to keep busier, but to relax…if so, this weekend’s line-up is quality. Its a solid music-making line-up for the warn-out workin’ man and lady…so come for a visit, kill two birds with one stone…feed your soul through your ears and your stomach through crepes.

Thursday, 12.17.09
Damn Yankee String Band (Old-Time/Hill Billy Jazz)
***$5 suggested donation
dysb.home.att.net/.

The Damn Yankee String Band is based in Montpelier, Vermont, and consists of Sarah Hotchkiss on fiddle, banjo and vocals, and John Mowad on fiddle, guitar, banjo and vocals. Playing old time mountain music, vintage country and “hillbilly jazz”, a hybrid mix of string band, country and swing music, much of it featuring John’s tasty guitar pickin’ along with a new genre to the repertoire: R&B (Rhythm & Banjo)!

Friday, 12.18.09
Chris Velan (Singer/Songwriter)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/chrisvelanmusic

AHHHHHHH!!!H!H!H!!! DID I GET YOUR ATTENTION? GOOD!

Chris Velan is amazing. I hope we don’t use that superlative so much as to cheapen its’ meaning when it matters. I stumbled into Chris’ last performance at the SP to find this one guy in bare feet playing to a packed room, looping his own instruments into a thick tapestry of sounds,

He was first trained as a classical guitarist at age 9. He grew up influenced by folk classics Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Willie Nelson, and Van Morrison, his sister’s early 80’s New Wave cassettes, and his uncle’s extensive reggae vinyl collection. After college, he was deeply involved with the “discovery” of the Sierra Leone Refugee All-Stars. And now he is a one-man band…very refined songwriting, Chris is a master-musician who puts out a clean performance with world, folk & rock influences.

From his website: His involvement with Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars (he produced their album and often performs with them) showed him that there is power in music that transcends even the law and put him literally on the road to making a career as a singer/songwriter.

Chris Velan’s current album (his third), Solidago, is a stunning culmination of influences. From the folk-rock of his youth to the reggae of his college days to the echo of his time in Africa, Chris has created a unique collection of songs that invite listen after listen. Not often will you find a record that juxtaposes the horror of sectarian strife with the hopeful musings of errant love. Solidago achieves this seemingly without effort. The jarring lyrical content of “Wobbly Bones” is brilliantly offset by the lilting dirge that draws the listener to the stark reality of man’s cruelty to man without causing them to look away. Few songwriters working today would be able to make the point without contrivance. Followed by “Oldest Trick”, a sly skewering of our technological world, Solidago reveals itself to have a gravitas missing from most contemporary efforts. Capped by the starkness of “May Your Soul Get to Heaven”, Solidago is an album that begs for a follow-up.”

Saturday, 12.19.09
Grass Gypsies (folk duo)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/thegrassgypsys

This poetically cultivated acoustic duo The Grass Gypsys http://www.myspace.com/thegrassgypsys return to the Burlington ‘Cake!

In the pipeline…

Saturday, 12.26.09
Paul Cataldo (singer/songwriter)
***$5 suggested donation
www.paulcataldo.com

Thursday, 12.31.09
NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION WITH

JOSH PANDA & Company!!!!!

The local legend will help us pass into the new year in his infamous glamfolk soulrock style…come down for the fireworks and drop in on the music!!!

Please note: there will be a $10 cover for this event.

Food in the United States travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to fridge, according to the Worldwatch Institute. Shipping food cross-country leaves a large carbon footprint and is becoming more expensive as transportation costs rise.

Naturally, buying local is a remedy. But let’s face it, in the Northeast, there are foods that can not be produced year round and must travel in order to reach our tables. Here at the Skinny Pancake, we continually evaluate our choices when it comes to our menu & the foods we purchase. Our goal is to ensure our choices are socially, economically, and environmentally responsible.  While we can’t source local avocados for your favorite Crêpadilla or get fresh local tomatoes in December for the Cannelloni Crêpe, we do question, is there a better way?  We are still honing in best practices and always up for an interesting read on the latest food news. Jonny Adler found this article on food systems in the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/opinion/09scholz.html?_r=1&ref=opinion.

What do you think?

Hello from The Skinny Pancake!

since it is “Tis The Season” Season, we’re going to go along for the ride in this edition of “The Skinny”…in fact, we’re going to keep beating the drum on a theme from last week, which is:

BUY LOCAL THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Sure, we’ve got gift certificates to sell, but this plug is not about the SP….it is about exercising your consumer power…the same reason we are so deliberate about sourcing our food locally….

Church Street is littered with locally owned stores, including (but far from limited to): Old Crow Bookstore for your books, Frog Hollow for art & jewelry, the Outdoor Gear Exchange for adventure, Pure Pop for your music. If everyone of this list deliberately spends an extra $100 locally this holiday season, that will keep an extra $140,000 here in the local VT economy (or whatever local economy you are in!).

Speaking of “Tis The Season” Season, making litter & making lists, here’s a long list of creative & environmentally friendly gift wrapping & packaging made by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency: www.pca.state.mn.us/oea/reduce/nowaste.cfm. Thanks M.P.C.A.!!!

And since we’re on the subject of waste, yet another campaign to “Kick The Bottle” swept through Vermont yesterday to raise awareness about environmental, humanitarian & economic impact of bottled water. This campaign, “Think Outside the Bottle,” is calling on State governments to cut spending on bottled water from their budgets, including the $200,000 annually spent on bottled water by the State of Vermont. For more information or to sign this petition, you can visit: salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2215/t/8036/p/dia/action/public/. You can also read the BFP article that came out about the campaign today: www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20091210/NEWS02/91209038/Group-urges-state-to-dump-bottled-water

The Tailgate Crepe (Burlington): Vermont Yak Company Sweet Italian Sausage, Sauteed Peppers and Onions, a sprinkle of Cabot Cheddar Cheese rolled in a savory crepe.  $9.00

Mama Mia (Montpelier): Misty Knolls Turkey Meatballs with organic baby Spinach, Marinara sauce and Maplebrook farm fresh Mozzerella in a savory crepe. $9.50

Music this week at the Skinny Pancake:

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Howdy folks:

The weekly reader or astute observer surely noticed the palpable void in their lives last week as we chose to not write “The Skinny.” It was a short & busy week. As Wednesday spilled into Thursday, we just did not want to intrude (even via email) on Thanksgiving.

That said, we wouldn’t want you thinking we are ungrateful! Seriously!!! So we’re writing to express our sincerest thanks & deep gratitude to everyone out there who patronizes the SP. We were very aware of the odds against us when we opened in Burlington some 30 months ago and we are equally clear on the current state of the economy. Holding these truths in mind, we are overwhelmingly grateful to all the Cake-Eaters out there that help the Skinny Pancake prosper. The good news (beyond the fact that we’ll be around to make you food when you’re hungry) is that the majority of all of our revenue is spent right back into other Vermont businesses. Maybe its karma? Who knows… Regardless, please accept our very grateful THANK YOU.

Speaking of spending money, ’tis the season for shopping...
BUY LOCAL!!!!!

Especially during this down economy, our collective dollars have the power to make a very real impact and local prosperity if spent with intention. BELIEVE IN CONSUMER POWER….IT IS REAL!!!!!

Now I know there are “buy local” skeptics out there…in fact, there are several within my nuclear family!!! Below are a few convincing passages from Bill McKibben’s book Deep Economy. Even if these passages don’t persuade you, how about the simple thought, “why not?” Local is not necessarily more expensive. Local is bound to add to a more colorful commerce, a more vibrant downtown…so even if you’re just humoring your hippy sibling, why not try buying local?

From Bill McKibben’s book, Deep Economy, “The farmer buys a drink at the local pub, the pub owner gets a car tune-up at the local mechanic, the mechanic brings a shirt to the local tailor; the tailor buys some bread at the local bakery; the baker buys wheat for bread and fruit for muffins from the local farmer. When these businesses are not owned locally, the money leaves the community at every transaction.”

A statistical argument from Deep Economy: “Even in a smaller state like Vermont, a recent study found that if local consumers, ‘substituted local production for only 10% of the food we import, it would result in $376 million in new economic output, including $69 million in personal earnings from 3616 new jobs.’”

In keeping with the theme thus far…
We’re thankful for our new neighbors…The Peace & Justice Center.
You can BUY LOCAL with them this holiday season!!!

These fine folks have relocated from Church Street, bravely pioneering retail on the waterfront. They have a great selection of socially-responsible gifts from a secret santa solution to a sweater. You can wander over & check out their goods next time you come to the ‘Cake!!!

In an effort to collaborate with P&JC this holiday season, The Skinny Pancake has the following offer for you: Spend $10 or more at either the Peace & Justice Center or The Skinny Pancake, show your receipt at the other location on the same day and get 10% that second purchase!

Finally, a BIG FYI: they have a HUGE sale for the NEXT TWO DAYS.
(note the image on the left)

This week’s specials at the Skinny Pancake:

While it was tempting to put the specials higher on the page, I just couldn’t justify interrupting those three sections…

Kielbasa & Kraut (Burlington) North Country Smoke House Kielbasa Simmered in Burlington’s Switchback Beer with Veggies & Spices, Then Wrapped in a Savory Crepe with Sauerkraut and Champlain Orchard Apples. $9.50.

Chicken Cordon Blue Crepe (Montpelier): Misty Knoll Chicken and Winding Brook Farm Ham with Taylor Farm Gouda and Jarlesburg Swiss Cheeses, Carmalized Pete’s Onions Wrapped in a Savory Herb Crepe and Topped With Dijon Cream Sauce. $10.00.

This Week In Music at the Skinny Pancake

Thursday, 12.03.09
Phineas Gage (Acoustic/Bluegrass)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/phineasgageproject

We are pleased to welcome back to the Skinny, the fabulously fun Rob Williams & James Kinne team up for the “folkgospel grassicana” group, Phineas Gage.

Since their last visit to the SP, I’ve had the great pleasure of getting to know Rob Williams in the context of his work as the owner of the Vermont Yak Company (www.vermontyak.com) & through his participation in Vermont Commons (www.vtcommons.org)

But tonight’s music is not about either of those efforts…its just good, quality tunes. Come out this evening and enjoy!

PS….do you know the origin of the name “Phineas Gage?” Hint: its got something to do with this image on the right. Google the name to learn more…

Friday, 12.04.09
Purple Mountain (classical/folk)
***$5 suggested donation
www.dayvehuckett.net/recordings.html

Dayve Huckett & Hannah Rose Rommer make their debut appearance at the ‘Cake as Purple Mountain. This Vermont based duo perform lovely classical acoustic music on viola & guitar with warm harmonies.

Saturday, 12.05.09
Ghosts of Pasha (indi/alternative)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/ghostsofpasha

Mixing it up at the ‘Cake on Saturday night is Burlington’s the Ghosts of Pasha. An oddly assorted meld of Lo-Fi Indie unique something-or-other that is expressively different.

Take a listen to the song everything glows in the dark on the link above. It is somehow reminiscent of Ween’s White Pepper (2000) phase…obviously!!! The song 50s and 5s sparks a nod toward alt band Pavement. Confused? Me too but I like it. Come down to experience the mystery of GoP yourself.

From their website, “Started as a home recording project by New Jersey-born founding members Milo Finch and Chris Partyka, the Ghosts of Pasha began their strange journey in 2003. The idea behind the effort was to never make the same kind of music twice, and to invite new members in and out of the group to influence and change the sound.

The group has toured the US, has performed/been interviewed on two television programs, has been featured in major magazines & news papers, in commercials on cable and network TV, on popular webisodes, on internet and conventional radio in the US, the UK, and France, and in a exclusive DVD compilation distributed by US label DARLA records (home to releases by THE ORB, MY MORNING JACKET, TULLYCRAFT and JIM O’ROURKE), has appeared at the Boulder Fringe Festival in 2007, mentioned in countless blogs and even name-checked on L.A. gossip websites. All this without management, distribution, funding, or help of a label, all with a rampant DIY philosophy, and all from their rural home base in Vermont.”

Thursday, 12.10.09
Kip de Mol (folk/rock)
***$5 suggested donation
http://kipdemoll.com
Friday, 12.11.09
James Maddock (Lyrical/Acoustic/Pop)
**$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/jamesmaddockmusic

Saturday, 12.12.09
APR (folk)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/aprmusic