THE BLACK BOX Sets The Stage For Culinary Cabaret Signature Food And Wine Event

The Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) presents Culinary Cabaret 2015 on Friday, March 6, from 7-11 p.m. at THE BLACK BOX, 15 West Central Street, in downtown Franklin. The fourth annual signature food and wine event showcases the culinary and performing arts, featuring masterful dishes and gourmet specialties. A culinary-themed silent auction will feature quality cookware, wine and experiences for the food lover. The evening includes music and entertainment by FPAC special guest artists and Electric Youth.

FPAC is pleased to partner with exceptional area chefs and restaurants to present an innovative evening of inspired cuisine. Savor fine wines, craft beer, and delicious appetizers, desserts and dishes from Annie’s Just Desserts, The Cake Bar, Campania Ristorante, Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, Genji Sushi, Incontro, J & L Catering, Pour Richard’s Wine & Spirits, Salt & Olive, Tavolino, Twelve Fine Food & Spirits, Whole Foods Market, 3 Restaurant and more. THE BLACK BOX, FPAC’s new theater, music and event venue, provides a dynamic setting to eat, drink, learn and celebrate.

Pictured from Franklin's 3 Restaurant are
Executive Chef Chad Terry and General Manager Brian Ravella

With the return of Culinary Cabaret 2015, FPAC is proud to once again spotlight some of the finest culinary talent in Boston’s MetroWest region, pairing food and art of outstanding creative caliber, with an impressive roster of vendors.

This year’s event welcomes back several founding partners, including Davio’s, Tavolino and Whole Foods Market. Led by General Manager Tom Perruna and Executive Chef Greg Galano, Tavolino treated guests to seared Ahi tuna and braised calamari at Culinary Cabaret's launch in 2012. This year, the team will prepare pan-seared scallops, crushed cashews and local seaweed salad, as well as duck confit ravioli served with a toasted walnut risotto and a port wine reduction. Davio’s Executive Chef Paul King will serve up prime beef short rib and butternut squash purée, garnished with crispy leeks. Among the 2015 new event partners, Incontro will present guests with several selections, including pork rillette with pickles, mustard, herbs and micro greens with crusty bread, as well as house-made lemon ricotta and grilled asparagus.

Culinary Cabaret

Pour Richard’s will partner restaurant stations with representatives from wineries and distributors, who will pour wines specifically chosen to complement the chef-prepared specialties. Reflecting Pour Richard’s “Never Drink Ordinary” motto, beverages will feature small producers, high quality and eclectic selection, including wines from Carol Shelton Vineyards, Sine Metu, Wente Vineyards, Pedroncelli Vineyards, Tiefenbrunner and many more, as well as craft beer, Irish Whiskey, Coole Swan Irish Cream and a signature cocktail created by Ipswich's own Privateer Rum. Pour Richard’s will also feature a single cask, single malt Scotch tasting, led by Scotch Master Charlie Tower, representing Douglas of Drumlanrig, Old Malt Cask and Malt Man selections. These are rare and delicious whiskies, many produced in lots of only 150 total bottles.

Tickets for Culinary Cabaret are $75 and fully inclusive of the evening’s food, wine, beer and entertainment. Purchase tickets online at www.theblackboxonline.com or by phone at 508-528-3370. Event proceeds support Electric Youth’s 2015 European summer concert tour and EY’s mission to give back through musical performance, education and ambassadorship. Culinary Cabaret 2015 media sponsors are The Milford Daily News and WMRC.

The direct link for tickets via THE BLACK BOX is here

Franklin in Snow

Even I'll admit that the snow is getting tiresome. It is pretty and we have been very fortunate not to lose power through all these storms (and I hope this doesn't jinx us). But it is also disrupting life. I stuck to mostly the sideroads as the side walks are buried while making my morning exercise walk around Franklin on Monday. 

cars are now hidden in driveways with the snow piling up so high on either side

Be careful driving on side streets and expecially coming out from the side streets on to the main roads. What you used to be able to see may not allow you that view today

fortunately school is out this week so DPW has time to catch up to clearing them

the new tot lot is getting buried deeper and deeper in the snow

even the sign at Dean is getting hidden by the snow

While the sign gets buried, the Library stands tall above the snow

a monster icicle at Clark Cutler on Fisher St

The train hadn't gone to Forge Park yet that morning

the wind has added its influence to the snow piles

Wachusett St is shining in the sunlight

the wind creates its own sculptures

FHS winter team results Monday, Feb 16

From Hockomock Sports we share the results of the FHS teams on Monday, Presidents' Day

Boys Basketball

Franklin, 66 vs. Andover, 60 - Final - Senior Markus Bohmiller connected on 70% of his three pointers, hitting seven of them on his way to a team-best 28 points. Senior Marcus Giese added 16 points and junior Tim Prunier added 13 points.

FHS Panthers

Girls Basketball

Franklin, 69 vs. St. Bernard's, 28 - Final - All 13 Franklin players scored in the win, led by Jillian Spolidoro's 11 points. Julianne Pisani and Lexi Martin each added nine points and Lauren Rudolph had eight points. Franklin will play Shepard Hill in the semifinals on Tuesday.

Girls Hockey

Franklin, 0 @ Whitman-Hanson, 7 - Final

For the remainder of the Hockomock League results check this link
http://www.hockomocksports.com/blog/hockomock-schedule-scoreboard-021615

Franklin Library: Winter Carnival - Feb 18th

Take the kids to the Winter Carnival at the Franklin Library on Wednesday.

Games, music, prizes, face painting balloons and more from 10:30 AM to noon.

Winter Carnival - Feb 18th

This was shared from the Franklin Library page
http://franklinpl.blogspot.com/2015/02/winter-carnival.html

MBTA: Tuesday (Feb 17) Commuter Rail schedule changes

All Commuter Rail Lines will operate a modified weekday schedule on Tuesday, February 17.  Schedules details for each line are at www.mbta.com/winter. Passengers should expect significant delays and several canceled trips. Note that Providence/Stoughton Line trains will not serve TF Green and Wickford and all service will begin and end in Providence.  On the Kingston/Plymouth Line, trains will not service Plymouth and all service will begin and end in Kingston. Last updated: Feb 16 2015 09:23 PM Sent by the MBTA. not hard to see why the MBTA is having trouble running trains on time given the state of the tracks covered with snow

Party - Town of Franklin's 237th Birthday - March 1

The Franklin Historical Commission will celebrate our town's birthday with a party at the Museum on Sunday March 1st.

The public is invited and encouraged to join the Commission for cake and refreshments as we commemorate the Town of Franklin's 237th Birthday.

Originally to be named Exeter when the charter was filed on March 2, 1778, our town took the name Franklin after the famous diplomat and revolutionary, Benjamin Franklin
.
Local residents who were born on March 2nd have received an invitation from Historical Commission Chairperson, Debbie Pellegri, inviting them to the museum to celebrate their shared birthday with the town. 

From young children to seniors, as many as 88 town residents have a March 2nd birthday. All invitees in attendance born on March 2nd, will be entered in a free raffle for a $100 prize!

Sunday March 1st, 1:00PM, Franklin Historical Museum, 80 West Central Street, Franklin.

The Franklin Historical Museum in warmer times

For additional information on the Museum and exhibts, visit their webpage
http://franklinhistoricalmuseum.org/

FPAC - “My Violin Journey” Sunday, February 22

Franklin Performing Arts Company’s annual, free Family Concert Series continues this season with “My Violin Journey” on Sunday, February 22 at 1 p.m., featuring violinist Irina Fainkichen, with piano accompaniment by Kitty Cheung Evans. The performance will take place at THE BLACK BOX, FPAC’s new theater, music and event venue located at 15 West Central Street in downtown Franklin. 

violinist Irina Fainkichen

Family Concert Series events are especially geared to children in length and format and provide young audiences with a fun introduction to the world of live music. The performances feature talented, professional musicians and present music of many genres in an entertaining and interactive way. Audience participation is encouraged.

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Irina Fainkichen received degrees from Rachmaninoff Music College, St. Petersburg State Conservatory, Russia, and Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem, Israel. She is a busy freelance violinist in the Greater Boston area. Irina was concertmaster of San Francisco’s Russian Chamber Orchestra for many years, appearing as soloist numerous times. Currently, she is a member of Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra, assistant concertmaster of Brockton Symphony Orchestra, and a co-founder of “Flying Hearts” duo, which performs in a number of musical genres including Jazz, Klezmer, and classic American tunes.

For the FPAC Family Concert Series program, Irina has chosen songs that have significance from her early childhood. These include works by Mozart and Beethoven, pieces that Irina first played at the age of 5 and that she now likes to teach to her own violin students. Additionally, Irina will perform two pieces, Weber’s “Hunter’s Chorus” and Baklanova’s “Mazurka,” that she played at her first public performance at age 6, and F. Schubert’s “The Bee,” which she performed at age 10 for her first national TV appearance. The program will also include “At the Zoo,” by Cofalik and Twardowski, among the many engaging and accessible pieces of repertoire by noted composers.

A treasured FPAC tradition for more than two decades, FPAC’s Family Concert Series concludes on April 12 with Alice in Wonderland, an opera for children featuring sopranos Mariko Matsumura and Shauna Martin. FPAC’s 2015 Family Concert Series is sponsored by Berry Insurance. A distinctive, non-profit arts organization founded in 1991, FPAC presents quality performances with a focus on youth development and live music, while offering opportunities for professional artists, community performers and students of the arts to work together in a collaborative and creative environment. For more information, call (508) 528-3370 or visit www.fpaconline.com and www.theblackboxonline.com.