There is no shortage of dining events in Western Massachusetts in the weeks ahead.
Beef prices continue to rise.Smaller herds (thanks to high feed prices) and increased demand from overseas threatens to drive beef prices further into record territory in the months ahead.
Big-city steakhouse operators like Morton's and Ruth's Chris, which rely on always-costly prime grades of beef, are currently facing a quandary as $50 plus rapidly becomes the norm for a USDA Prime steak dinner.
Some in the industry see that price level as unsustainable, making steak into what one operator calls a "special occasion."
In New York City a number of well-known steak houses have, despite misgivings, already taken the pricing plunge, and more are set to follow.
Locally, the wholesale cost for prime rib and filet mignon, two perennially popular menu items, also continues to rise. The result is likely to be menu prices for those items moving well above $30, a level that's historically been a pricing "no-fly-zone" in this area's dining out market.
With its March 24 Game Feast a sell-out, the Munich Haus in Chicopee has added an additional date for those who might have wanted to attend but weren't able to get tickets.
The Feast will be reprised on Saturday, April 21, with a triple carving station of wild game the centerpiece of the buffet.
Though menu offerings might vary according to what's available, the feast is expected to offer a chance to "bite back" by sampling the likes of bear, venison, bison, kangaroo, and more.
New to the menu this year is an oven-roasted boar cooked in traditional Black Forest fashion.
Tickets for the April 21 event, which must be purchased in advance, are $45 per person. Contact the Munich Haus at (413) 594-8788 for additional information.
While an unseasonably warm March is spelling a premature end to the maple harvest itself, there's still time to enjoy one of early spring's sweetest dining out experiences -- the sugarhouse restaurant.
Offering breakfast dishes, baked goods, and even maple-flavored ice cream treats, these seasonal "pop-up" eateries offer the chance to enjoy maple in pristine, fresh-from-the-evaporator forms.
Some are rustic and out-of-the-way, while others offer easy access and more in the line of creature comforts. All are, in their own way, memorable.
Don't delay, though, since most close up for the season in early April.
For a complete listing, consult the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association web site, massmaple.org
Some area restaurants are also in a maple-season frame of mind. The Farm Table at Kringle Candle in Bernardston is, for instance, observing Maple Month by showcasing local maple to both food and beverage specials.
Mino Giliberti of Buon Appetito Ristorante sends word that he's about to leave on a special "cook's tour" of Italy.
Giliberti will be touring Abruzzi and Molise, visiting vineyards, cheese producers, and pasta manufacturers. A high point of the odyssey will be the group's visit to Molise, the region of Italy where most of the truffle crop is harvested; the tour will include a demonstration of how those precious fungi are hunted for and dug.
In addition to learning about authentic ingredients and how they're being produced, Giliberti says he'll have the chance to pick up new ideas he can apply to Buon Appetito's menu when he returned.
Buon Appetito will be closed from Sunday, March 25 until Wednesday, April 5, while Giliberti is away. Buon Appetito Ristorante answers at (413) 568-0002.
On March 31, Max Fish in Glastonbury, Conn., will be celebrating its "Second Annual Oysters And..." event with a debut sampling of fresh oysters farmed in Long Island Sound.
Ned's Island Oysters, headquartered in Darien, Conn., has begun the commercial production of "farmed" oysters, and the Max Fish event will serve as a coming out party for the product.
Along with a dozen of these Long Island blue points, attendees will enjoy beer from Long Island's Blue Point Brewing Company of Patchogue, NY.
The event will begin at 2 p.m.; Ross Hammond, the owner of Ned's Island Oyster and Jamal Robinson of Blue Point Brewing Company will serve as guest speakers. Cost to attend is $35 per person. Contact Max Fish at (860) 652-3474 for more details.
As part of the company's strategy to boost sales and enhance its value image, Olive Garden, the Orlando-based chain has introduced a limited-time-only "Create Your Own" lunch deal.
The special offer includes a choice of soup or salad, unlimited breadsticks, and one of six lunch entrees from a list that includes a calzone and five different "half-sized" panini and flatbread sandwich options.
Among those sandwich choices can be found the likes of a grilled chicken caprese panini, a steak and portabello panini, and a caprese flatbread.
The offer will be available until April 22 and, like a previous $12.95 dinner deal, is designed to boost lagging customer counts. Olive Garden has locations on Boston Road, Riverdale Street in West Springfield, and in Enfield.
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