The cold of mid-January didn’t stop an outdoor fresh local food party from happening on Sunday in Church Hill. “Andy’s Burger Night”, a daytime winter picnic showcasing local foods, brought a crowd of over two hundred outside for a January picnic.
Created in remembrance of Burger nights at Andy’s, a Chestertown tavern loved by many for 20 years, the event offered hot burgers made from local beef and bison, salads from local farms and cheese, local cider, breads and vegetables. Local brews from 16 Mile Brewery and wines from Cassinelli Winery quenched thirsts, and offered peeks into seasonal offerings.
The event was held at Unity Nursery in Church Hill. A fire pit and hot drinks drew a crowd, as did local musicians who played under a heated tent. People ate family style and made new friends across the tables and outdoor seats.
“This is another reason why we love Chestertown” said Melanie Culp, as she sipped a local red with her fiancé John Keller, local cooking teacher, who donned a chef’s jacket and spent the afternoon at the grill. “There’s so much fresh local food and such a great feeling of community.”
The event was sponsored by the Center for Environment & Society at Washington College, and proceeds benefit the Locavore Lit Fest, which returns to Chestertown March 21-24, 2013.
Participating meat producers included Black Bottom Farm, Cedar Run Farm, St. Brigid’s Farm, SB Bison, and Crow Farm. Robbie Jester and Kevin McKinney, local Chestertown chefs, grilled the sliders, serving them with Eve’s Cheese, Lockbriar Farm apples and cider, bread from Evergrain Bread Co., and hot chocolate from Nice Farms Creamery. Chef Sabrina Sexton worked her magic to create delicious salads and desserts with foods from Chesapeake Greens, and vegetables from Priapi Gardens, Colchester and Homestead Farms.
Small sliders from five producers equals a lot of meat, and appetites were definitely sated. Plates brimmed, and people went back for seconds, and even thirds. Nobody walked away hungry from this summer-style meal.
The third annual event sold out in advance. You can expect the same next winter, as locals proved yet again that good food is all it takes to get people to join in outdoor parties, even in the middle of the winter.
Kimj Gale says
Very cold but, we had a lovely time.
Nevin Dawson says
I’m very sorry we had to miss it–it looks like another great event! My biggest question, though, is how did that chicken make its way from Galena to Church Hill??