There is no shortage of dining events in June.
WGBY, Western New England's Public Television outlet, is paying homage to one of the region's most loved agricultural products.
They're sponsoring an Asparagus Festival and Gala on June 2 and 3, with a community focused event June 2 at Seven Sisters Market Bistro in Hadley. A showcase of local foods, crafts, and producers, the Community Festival will feature a special luncheon and a late afternoon beer tasting.
On June 3, a "Spearit Gala" dinner is planned for the Lord Jeffrey Inn in Amherst, where collaborating chefs from across the region will put together a special dinner experience.
More details on the Asparagus Festival and Gala can be found at wgby.org/asparagusfestival
One of the high points on this area's annual dining out calendar, Northampton Restaurant Week, is just around the corner. Scheduled for Monday, June 3 through Sunday, June 9, the event gives diners the chance to make a gastronomic pilgrimage around downtown Northampton, indulging in the delights that nearly twenty of the city's restaurants have to offer.
As is customary, this eighth annual "week" features set price menus (typically either $20 or $25) specially developed to showcase the food and style of the various establishments involved.
Bistro Les Gras on West Street will, for example, be offering a choice of herb encrusted pork loin, roasted pollack, or gnocchi Parisienne along with starter and dessert for $25, while Ibiza Tapas on Strong Avenue is featuring a two-tapa-plate plus dessert deal priced at $20.
Other eateries involved in Restaurant Week include Eastside Grill, Mamma Iguana's, Paul and Elizabeth's, Sierra Grill, and Zen Restaurant.
Northampton Restaurant Week has a web site, www.northamptonrestaurantweek.com, which includes menus and price points for the restaurants involved.
Northampton Restaurant Week is being coordinated by the Northampton Business Improvement District, which can be reached at (413) 582-0723.
On June 5, Partners Restaurant in Feeding Hills, in conjunction with the Dante Club, will be holding a "Summer Celebration" Clambake.
Scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., the event will include lobster, clam chowder, steamers, mussels, sausage and more, all for $25 per person. An a la carte raw bar menu will also be available. For more details, contact Partners Restaurant at (413) 786-0975.
South Deerfield-based Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) recently released its 2013 edition of "Locally Grown: Farm Products Guide," a resource directory for the Pioneer Valley.
In addition to providing information on foods grown and produced nearby, "Locally Grown" incorporates a list of area restaurants that serve local agricultural products.
The printed version of the guide was distributed in early May and can still be found in a number of food retailers up and down the Pioneer Valley.
An on-line edition, which lets users search by product and location, is available at www/buylocalfood.org. CISA can be reached at (413) 665-7100.
On Saturday and Sunday, Steaming Tender Restaurant in Palmer will be celebrating the summer opening of their patio with a Brakeman BBQ.
Steaming Tender will also be hosting a special dinner show on Sunday, June 10. "Murder on the Diamond," a railroad-themed whodunit, will be presented in the restaurant's parlor car. Tickets are by advance purchase only. Contact Steaming Tender at (413) 283-2744 for information about either event.
Mai Fest at the Munich Haus in Chicopee wraps up with two musical evenings.
On May 24 the Berkshire Mountain Wanderers will perform starting at 6:30 p.m., while on May 25, the Munich Haus will be welcoming the Accordion Duo & Friends starting at 6 p.m.
Both events include a Bavarian Maifest Buffet, the centerpiece of which will be a roasted steamship round of beef. The price of the evening is $19.50.
On June 5 the Munich Hops Club will be holding a New England Clambake featuring whole lobster, roast chicken, and more.
That celebration begins at 6 p.m. and is priced at $19.95. Both events require advance ticket purchases; contact the Munich Haus at (413) 594-8788 for more details.
Ken Toong, executive director of auxiliary services at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, was recently presented with one of non-commercial food service's most prestigious honors, the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association Silver Plate Award.
Toong, who joined the staff at UMass in 1998, has transformed that institution's dining services program into a national model, at the same time increasing its revenue by 400 percent.
He's responsible for numerous innovations -- special events, new menu offerings like dim sum, and celebrity chef dinners. More recently, he's encouraged the use of healthier components in dining hall fare and increased local sourcing.
Toong will also be hosting the Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference next month, an event that will bring college and university chefs from across the world. They'll be on the Amherst campus for a five-day skills-building experience.
Scheduled for June 16 through 21, this year's conference is themed as "Flavor, Culture, Healthfulness: The Future of College Dining Menus" and will explore American regional cuisines as well as culinary influences from across the globe. More information on the conference can be found at www.chefculinaryconference.com or by calling (413) 545-6529.
Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community College's hospitality and culinary arts program and has over 35 years of restaurant and educational experience. Please send items of interest to Off the Menu at the Republican, P.O. Box 2350, Springfield, MA 01102; Robert can also be reached at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com