Dishin' With Downtown Diane
Fancy Food Show D.C.
The NASFT Fancy Food Show held in DC this week is North America's largest specialty food and beverage event. With close to 200,000 products, it's hard to choose favorites; however, I did have some stand-outs to share. Here's the dish:
Olympus Greek Yogurt: Imported from Greece, it's like a smoothie in a cup. Delicious. www.olympusdairyusa.com/en/products/yogurt
Mediterranean Snack Foods: Baked lentil chips & crackers in a variety of flavors. I love the cucumber dill & sea salt and also the spicy wingers. www.mediterraneansnackfoods.com
Tonewood: Fresh maple syrups, seasoning, cream, wafers & a maple cube! Their products are unblended, single-sourced and free of additives. www.tonewoodmaple.com
Nueva Cocina: This Latin cuisine is 100 percent natural and delizioso! http://nuevacocina.com
Raincoast Crisps: I brought these to a party and they were a HUGE hit with everyone. Try them instead of chips. Flavors include cranberry hazelnut, rosemary raisin pecan, fig & olive, salty date. Enjoy the crispy oats, pumpkin and flax seeds in these unique crackers. http://lesleystowe.com/raincoastcrisps/about
Ola! : Hand baked and so yummy, these 100 percent natural granolas are lightly sweetened with maple syrup. They come in vanilla almond, cranberry orange pecan and no nut vanilla. www.olafoods.com
Almondina: "The delicious cookie without the guilt." Chocolate cherry, coconut, ginger spice and cinnaroma are just a few of the flavors in this line of thin, crunchy cookies w/ minimal calories. Perfect. www.almondina.com
Magic Straws: In a variety of flavors, they change the flavor of your milk as you sip it through the "magic straw." Chocolate, strawberry, cookies & cream and many more flavors are guaranteed to make drinking milk way more fun. Plus they are all natural and gluten/lactose free. www.magicstraws.com
Skinny Sticks: They have up to 40 percent less fat than potato chips, and with their crunchy, flavorful taste you won't miss the fat. Flavors include sea salt, cheddar, sweet onion and sweet potato. www.hiimskinny.com
Taza Chocolate: This stone ground organic chocolate comes in bars, discs, and covered with nuts. With flavors such as chipotle chili, ginger, orange, salt & pepper and vanilla bean to name a few, every chocolate lover will be in heaven www.tazachocolate.com
G.H Cretors: Flavors include caramel corn, kettle corn, Chicago mix, cheese corn & caramel nut crunch—with all natural ingredients. Keep a few bags of these on hand, and you will never be without a crowd-pleasing snack. www.ghcretors.com
Little i: These are mint tins with built in mirrors, and they're perfect for your purse ladies! They also have clever sayings and designs--just adorable. www.littlei.com
Goji Gourmet: This is a guilt free snack. I love their 100 calorie Goji Berry Cookie Pack in Goji cherry cacao and Goji ginger walnut. https://gojigourmet.com/Home.htm
What A Sailabration!
What a fabulous weekend in Baltimore. The magical events made me so very proud to be from Baltimore. I attended several tall ship and navy ship receptions, and everyone had lots of praise for Charm City. I can't wait for 2014 when we do it again!
Upcoming Events In June!
FREE Friday Night Summer Concerts:
- Towson- Feet on the Street, 6-9:30 p.m.
- Hunt Valley Town Centre- 7-9 p.m.
- Belvedere Square- Summer Sounds at the Square, 6-9 p.m.
Solstice At The Maryland Science Center: Saturday, June 23 8 p.m.-midnight. Dance the night away, and celebrate the education and outreach programs of the Maryland Science Center. Enjoy fabulous food stations, live music and signature cocktails. www.mdsci.org/events-calendar/events/solstice.html
The Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament: Begins June 25 for multiple weeks. Enjoy a unique dining and culinary experience! This multi-week event is a single-elimination tournament designed to showcase some of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area's finest executive chefs and restaurants, while providing the audience a unique evening of entertainment. At the end of this tournament only one of the 16 competing chefs will emerge as the Mason Dixon Master Chef! http://masondixonmasterchef.com
Upcoming Events In July!
July 4 At The Baltimore Inner Harbor: Enjoy live entertainment at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater, located at Pratt and Light Streets. The celebratory night concludes with a spectacular fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. The holiday fireworks can be viewed from several locations in downtown and beyond, including Federal Hill, Fells Point and Rash Field. www.bop.org/index.cfm?page=events&id=42
Ocean City Fourth of July Celebration: July 4 8 – 10 p.m. Enjoy a free concert at 8 p.m., followed by fireworks at 9:30 p.m. downtown on the beach at North Division Street and simultaneously, uptown at 127th Street at Northside Park. http://ococean.com/events.
Visionary Pets On Parade: July 4 10 a.m. (9:30 a.m. Pet Registration) at American Visionary Art Museum. Dress your pet & strut your stuff. Trophies awarded for Best Costume, Most Patriotic, Most Visionary Pet, Owner & Pet Look-A-Likes, Least Likely To Succeed As A Pet, Visionary Pet Tricks and more. All pets welcome. Followed by the Pet Talent (Or Not) Show. Stay for pet musical chairs. Pets must be leashed or carried. H20 and baggies provided.
REGISTRATION: Pet registration begins at 9:30 a.m. Parade kicks off at 10 a.m. This event is free and open to the public. No advanced registration required.
Ocean City FREE SUMMER Concerts on the Beach: Wednesday nights July 11-August 29. Full schedule of concerts http://oceancitymd.gov/Recreation_and_Parks/free-concerts.html.
Free Summer Flicks from The Hill: Thursdays July 12 –August 23 at American Visionary Art Museum. Films start at 9 p.m. The museum opens at 5 – 9 p.m. before the flick. http://avam.org/news-and-events/events/flicks-from-the-hill.shtml
Craberet: Thursday, July 12 6:30 – 10 p.m. at Gertrude's in the Baltimore Museum of Art. This sensational summer event benefits the House of Ruth Maryland. Enjoy sultry crab dishes by chef extraordinaire, John Shields, cocktails from The Wine Source and Heavy Seas, and a smorgasbord of salsa, cha-cha and percussion compliments of Mambo Combo live in the BMA's Sculpture Garden, as well as wonderful auction items. www.hruth.org/crabaret.asp
Artscape: July 20-22. America's largest free arts festival is here in Baltimore! With more than 150+ fine artists, visual art exhibits, live concerts on the outdoor stages, performing arts, family events, street theater, delectable food and beverages + SO much more. www.Artscape.org
Summer Restaurant Week Returns: July 27-August 5. Enjoy two-course lunch at participating restaurants for $15.12 & three-course dinners for $20.12 or $30.12. Check for frequent updates and menus of those participating www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com.
Downtown Diane is a Baltimore area food, travel & entertainment reporter, appearing Fridays on 105.7 The Fan Norris & Davis Show with her entertainment report. Follow her for Daily Dish on Twitter @DowntownDiane & check out upcoming events at www.DowntownDiane.net.
