The Skinny: 05.27.09 through 06.02.09
“The Skinny” newsletter hits 1000 people!!!
Its official…we’ve been watching the number of readers creep up month after month since “The Skinny” was born in the winter of 2008…in truth, we’ve been very appreciative and rather surprised that folks didn’t just “quit the list” in droves. To our amazement, some of you out there apparently enjoy this weekly update on our peculiar passion for pancakes, news from around town and the occasional waxing rumination…so a deep & digital bow of gratitude to you all for sticking with “the Skinny” thus far…THANK YOU!!!
An update from the front:
(storefront, that is)
The “Mini-Skinny” of Montpelier is a circus of activity these days as everyone pitches in to pry the doors open. Our Head Chef (Tim Collins) is seen here writing our new signs with his excellent penmanship, our General Manager (Jeremy Silansky) spent time over the weekend hanging shelving, the best handyman in the land is currently installing a myriad of knicks & knacks (Chris Labelle & his buddy Jeff seen in here in this photo)…
Then there is the 9-5 crowd. During the day, we’ve got plumbers and carpenters, tin-knockers & electricians all working diligently towards the same goal. There have also been kegerator technicians, espresso tuners, custom light fabricators (Conant Custom Metal & Light…a great local company…check ‘em out: www.conantcustommetalandlight.com), finish carpenters, painters, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, city & state officials…and the list goes on from there. Apparently it takes a village to open a restaurant….
This week’s special:
The S’mores Crepe: The classic campfire snack with a “Skinny” twist: A sweet sandwich of graham crackers, shaved Barry-Callebaut chocolate and marshmallows wrapped in sweet batter blended with graham cracker crumbs….$8.50
In search of an appropriate image, I uncovered this photo documenting the world’s largest s’more. Made in 2003, in California and documented in The Guinness Book of World Records, it was constructed from 20,000 marshmallows, 7,000 Hershey’s chocolate bars, and 24,000 graham crackers. All totaled, it weighed about 1,600-lbs.
At first, I was really impressed, even inspired to make the world’s largest crepe by piling tens of thousands of them side-by-side…but then I began wondering about the very definition of a s’more…and now I’m a bit skeptical. It seems to me that a s’more is defined by two graham crackers sandwiching chocolate and marshmallows. Thus, this great achievement is more accurately described as a record for the most s’mores side-by-side at one time ever…or perhaps even the most s’mores in a single room at a single time. The Skinny Pancake would follow up with Guinness & file a formal complaint regarding this serious oversight but for the fact that we’re kinda busy right now opening the World’s Smallest Skinny Pancake in Montpelier.
A now, a word on the etymology & origins of s’mores, straight from our friends at Wikipedia:
“While the origins of this popular campfire dessert is unclear, the first recorded version of the recipe can be found in the Girl Scout Handbook of 1927.
S’more appears to be a contraction of the phrase, “some more”. The informal nature of this term reflects the environment in which s’mores are traditionally served and its meaning hints at the desires of campers who are not satisfied by the first bite of the treat. Some have jokingly surmised that the name originated from people who were so busy eating the tasty treat that they did not have time to speak in complete sentences, or alternately, that their enunciation was compromised by the fact that their mouth was still full of the previously mentioned s’more.”
Music at the Skinny Pancake this weekend:
Thursday, 05.29.09
Dave Keller (blues/soul/R&B)
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/davekellermusic
Dave Keller is a career-musician here in VT…not an easy task. But he’s committed to his craft and for good reason…come see him this Thursday evening at the SP and hear for yourself…
“The best musicians know it’s all about space — hang back a little and you can let that guitar perform a triple-bypass. Creating space by knowing when not to play is exactly what makes local bluesman Dave Keller’s new album, Play for Love, so good. Additionally, Keller has the innate ability to allow one unified voice to rise from both his lungs and his Telecaster. From the moment his vocals first come in, you hear the soul oozing out. What becomes obvious by the end of Play for Love is that six years is too long to wait for such a talented Vermont artist to release a CD.” Adam King, Seven Days, Vermont’s Arts Paper
Friday, 05.30.09 (folk/rock double bill)
Lowell Thompson & Jay Ekis
***$5 suggested donation
www.myspace.com/lowellthompson
Jay Ekis (www.myspace.com/jayekis, www.ekismusic.com)…one of several talented folk artists from Montpelier. There is a really nice collection of performers over there in our sister city to the southeast….and yet, folks here in Burlington don’t seem to know about any of them! But here’s your chance to check out one of the Capitol city’s regulars…
Lowell Thompson’s pull quotes: “It’s country. From the north country.” (NYLON MAGAZINE) “Burlington’s own version of Springsteen.” (PERFORMER MAGAZINE) “One of Vermont’s most prominent young musicians, Lowell creates Americana music with echoes of Gram Parsons and Neil Young infused with his own modern style. Likely to be covered on No Depression Magazine…..” (BURLINGTON FREE PRESS) “Over the years, he has crafted a shimmering, high-lonesome sound rooted in classic 1970s country-rock, peppered with healthy nods to modern torchbearers such as The Jayhawks and Old 97’s. Whiskey is highly recommended.” (SEVEN DAYS)
Saturday, 05.31.09
Toni Catlin (Southern Folk)
***$5 suggested donation
From Toni’s myspace page: “A Vermont native, Toni grew up performing for guests around the campfire at her parent’s rustic Adirondack resort. Inspired by artists such as Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt and others, Toni moved to Nashville to focus on songwriting. As an independent artist paving her own path, Toni has achieved a lot in the last few years, she has opened shows for Shawn Colvin, Steve Earle, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Chicago. She’s been a featured performer at Austin’s South by Southwest, Nashville’s Americana Conference, the Americana stage at Fan Fair, Billy Block’s Western Beat Showcases and at Tin Pan South. She has been on NPR’s the Songwriter Sessions, BBC’s London Live, Ralph McLean’s BBC Ireland broadcast, and is a favorite of London’s Bob Harris of BBC radio. Toni has toured England, Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland four times and has opened shows in the UK for Tift Merritt at the Borderline in London, BR549, and Allison Moorer. Paul Fenn of Asgaard Promotions in London is also a fan of Toni’s and has called upon her to open shows for some of the artists he represents.
In the pipeline…
JAZZFEST WEEK!!! HUGE LINE-UP ALL WEEK LONG!!!
Thursday, 06.04.09
D Davis (folk/blues)
***$5 suggested donation
Friday, 06.05.09
5-7 PM: Sarah Blacker
9-11 pm: Pneuma
Saturday, 06.06.09
2:30-4:30 Barbarian Horde
5:00-6:00 Lokum
9:00-11:00: Boubacar Diabate
Sunday, 06.07.09
5:00-7:00 Hokum Brothers
7:00-8:00 Laslo Cameo
9:00-10:00 Beeline Ramblers
And much much more…details to follow in the next edition of “The Skinny”!!!