Food Notes

Virginia Aquarium launches seafood program

The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach recently launched its Sensible Seafood program in conjunction with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program and with regional seafood experts.

The program is designed to help consumers make sustainable seafood choices when shopping and dining in restaurants.

The program’s pocket reference guide rates the most popular seafood into red, yellow and green categories. Green-listed fish and shellfish are harvested or grown in an environmentally friendly manner. Yellow indicates that there may be some issues involving a species, such as an accidental catch of turtles or other marine animals. Red items are best avoided, at least for the time being.

Learn more at http://www.virginiaaquarium.com and download a Sensible Seafood guide.

Gray Ghost was double winner in San Francisco

Gray Ghost Winery’s 2007 Adieu took a double gold at the San Francisco International Wine Competition earlier this summer.

The wine was one of only 127 to win the honor out of a total of 4,260 wines entered. Double gold medals are reserved for wines that receive unanimous votes for a gold medal from all judges in the panel.

As a double gold winner. Gray Ghost will be presented at Tasting Panel Magazine wine, spirits and culinary events across the country.

Adieu will be featured at the Charlie Palmer Steakhouse in Washington on Oct. 16 and throughout the year in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago and New York.

Gray Ghost also took home six medals from the Tasters Guild Consumers’ Wine Judging in Washington last month, winning gold for its Cabernet Sauvignon, silver for Adieu, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Ranger Reserve and Reserve Chardonnay and bronze for Gewurtztraminer. The competition is unique in that consumers are the sole judges, and Gray Ghost picked up a gold medal for the sixth year.

Gray Ghost’s tasting room is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 14706 Lee Highway in Amissville. For details, call (540) 937-4869.

Whole Foods plans a fundraiser for February

Each Friday evening in February, Whole Foods Market will offer samples of five wine and food pairings for a $5 donation to the Alzheimer’s Association Central and Western Virginia Chapter.

Call (800) 272-3900 or visit alz.org/cwva.

‘Cookin’ Cheap’ fans can pick up a new DVD

The popular television series “Cookin’ Cheap” is available on DVD for the first time.

Larry Bly and the late Laban Johnson starred in the Roanoke-based show, which spent 27 years exploring inexpensive recipes and Southern favorites with plenty of humor.

The first DVD includes four complete shows, a blooper section and a new introduction by Bly, who plans to release new DVDs every few months.

Find out more at http://www.cookincheap.net.

Old Grind is offering new fax order options

Not the Same Old Grind in Orange accepts faxed orders for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Visit the restaurant’s Web site at http://thejunction

inorange.com to download a pdf of the breakfast and lunch menu or the dinner menu.

Orders may be faxed to (540) 672-1670 and picked up at the restaurant. Seniors get a 10 percent discount every day, and teachers and students get a 10 percent discount on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The restaurant is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at 130 E. Church St. in Orange. For information, call (540) 672-3143.

Shields is serving up its annual holiday fest

Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Dining Taverns will offer special dining events for the season.

Shields Tavern’s Holiday Feast serves tavern fare from Friday through Dec. 31. The price is $54.95, $19.95 for children.

For reservations, call (800) 447-8679. For details, visit http://www.history.org/dining.

Bonefish Grill has been offering lighter fare, too

Bonefish Grill will introduce a new series of menu items to appeal to diners who’d prefer lighter or more casual fare.

New “handhelds’’ will include the Bang Bang Shrimp Taco, a fresh fish sandwich, a Maryland crab cake sandwich and new salads, including a grilled salmon and asparagus salad with goat cheese, fennel and citrus herb vinaigrette.

Petite portions also are in keeping with food trends. Bonefish’s grilled Gulf grouper, Snake River rainbow trout and Chilean sea bass will be served both in regular and smaller portions. Four house-made sauces are available — warm mango salsa, pan-Asian, chimichurri and lemon butter.

New on the menu will be Imperial longfin, featuring fresh fish stuffed with shrimp, scallops and crab draped in creamy Imperial sauce.

Bonefish recently won the Platinum Award for Seafood, the top honor in Restaurant and Institution magazine’s 2008 consumer survey.

Look at sample menus online at http://www.bonefishgrill.com.

From staff reports