Author Archives: Chuck Gregory

MEET WILDFARE: WILDLY IRRESISTIBLE MEDITERRANEAN FARE TAILOR-MADE FOR THE AMERICAN KITCHEN

Harvested from ancestral fields, made from historic recipes

Healthy and clean from crops to cuisine, Wildfare cultivates farm-fresh produce grown beneath the rich, Mediterranean soil and warm sun in ancestral fields that have been tended for generations. Each one-of-a-kind product comes from heritage recipes that create nutritious and wildly irresistible Mediterranean fare perfect for the American pantry. From cold-pressed, pure olive oils (with one even bottled specifically to inspire young palates to enjoy healthy food) to juicy semi-sundried tomatoes to beetroot pastas and orange-stuffed olives, you haven’t tasted the Mediterranean until you’ve tasted Wildfare.

“With our roots in the lush Mediterranean region and our company headquarters in the US, Wildfare prides itself on honoring the simple, exquisite culinary history of our ancestors while innovating convenient ways to preserve and deliver the same abundantly fresh flavors to people’s kitchens. While encouraging Americans to eat well, we are also dedicated to empowering female growers and makers to succeed and pass their invaluable knowledge on. Together, we make magnificent products and memorable meals,” said Melissa Clemente, Wildfare’s Creative and Marketing Director.

Some of Wildfare’s unique products grown by heritage farming practices and crafted from historical recipes include:

Wildfare Olive Oil for Children: Helps and inspires children to acquire a taste for healthy Mediterranean food early on with their starter olive oil.
Wildfare Orange Stuffed Olives: Dirty with a twist! Wildfare orange stuffed olives wow in all kinds of recipes from salads and mezze to cocktails and canapes.
Wildfare Ajvar: This eggplant and roasted red pepper Ajvar recipe was perfected with the input of 100 Macedonian grandmothers before becoming an American pantry staple that can be used as a sauce, spread or dip.
Wildfare Shatta Mediterranean hot sauce: The next fiery menu must-have curated from traditional recipes.
Wildfare Organic & Vegan Pastas: Available in black carrot, spinach, tomato, sweet red pepper, olive or the band’s best-selling beetroot, Wildfare makes a unique plant-based fettuccine that adds color and nutrients to simple pasta dishes.
Wildfare Bruschetta: A collection of incredible recipes all ready to go— the making of an authentic Bruschetta bar for your next American holiday starts with Wildfare.
Wildfare whole Freeze-dried Produce: The freeze-drying process for Wildfare’s fruits and vegetables retains all the taste and aroma of freshly picked produce with 98% of the nutritional value.
Wildfare Semi-Sundried Tomatoes: Wildfare’s natural semi-sun-drying process (without all the heat) results in sweet, concentrated cherry tomatoes that literally burst in your mouth with a gorgeously intense flavor!
Wildfare Pistachio Butter: A magical combination of tastes and textures. Sweet and nutty, pistachios are delivered in a creamy texture that also incorporates tiny bits of this favorite among nuts.
Hazelnut Butter with Cocoa: Hazelnut Butter with Cocoa elevates the classic combination universally beloved by children and adults alike. The texture is beyond silky, and the flavor is extraordinary!

Wildfare’s unique Mediterranean pantry products are available at select grocery stores nationwide, including Gelson’s, ShopRite, Meijers, and Central Market in Texas.

For more information click here

Fight Children’s Cancer – The Great Cycle Challenge

Friday, September 1 to Saturday, September 30
Florida

Once again this year, Party Digest’s own Chuck Gregory is riding in The Great Cycle Challenge, an annual fundraising event to fight cancer in children. Chuck started this year with goals of 400 miles and $500 – his latest goals are 600 miles and $1800!

You can see pictures, ride maps, and other fun stuff at Chuck’s page on the Great Cycle Challenge website. There’s a link to donate, too.

For more information click here

Veg Fest 2023

Saturday, October 28 from 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM
Orlando Festival Park 2911 E. Robinson Street Orlando, FL

Central Florida Veg Fest is an exciting day of colorful and educational exhibits and activities! It will take place at beautiful Orlando Festival Park near downtown Orlando on October 28, 2023 from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Admission is FREE! Veg Fest is a family-friendly, dog-friendly, alcohol-free, and smoke-free event. Veg Fest, now in its 18th year, is one of the biggest and best vegan festivals in the country!

Central Florida Veg Fest will draw both committed vegans and those who want to learn more about how veg-living enhances our health, the planet, and its inhabitants. Come enjoy a diverse cross-section of vegan cuisines and lifestyles. Discover new products and ideas from over 200 vendors and 100 contributors and enjoy a wide variety of presentations and food preparation demos. Not a vegetarian? Whether you’re looking for new ideas to add color and variety to your meals or you’re a “seasoned” vegetarian interested in expanding your knowledge of nutritious and ethical foods, this is the place for you. Please RSVP on the Veg Fest event page and join the Veg Fest community page for regular updates about the event. And please share these pages with your family and friends.

Enjoy speakers, food preparation demonstrations, a veggie kids zone, an animal haven, an artist corner, music on an acoustic stage, lots of other activities, and many veg-friendly vendors. There are so many fun and interesting things happening at Veg Fest you will want to stay all day. And so much delicious vegan food that you can have breakfast, lunch, and dinner with plenty of snacks in between!

For more information click here

TEDx Jacksonville

Saturday, October 14 from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Join us October 14th for inspiring ideas, unique experiences, and conversations that matter.

Speakers Include Internationally and Nationally Recognized Experts
in Artificial Intelligence, Neurobiology, Robotics,
Climate Resilience, Education, Human Connection, and More!
Give yourself the gift of a day dedicated to deep connection, not only with ideas, but also with one another. TEDxJacksonville’s 11th annual conference will take place October 14th. It’s a daylong event curated to stimulate dialogue through engaging talks and session breaks designed to give our city’s intellectual explorers and cultural creatives a platform to meet and share important ideas.

This year, we’re returning to WJCT Studios, a site that has fostered some of our most compelling conference moments. Our theme, Human/Nature, is intended as a meditation not only on the incredible richness of being human, but also on the intimate — and interdependent — relationship between humanity and the natural world. The impact that human actions have on nature is as self-evident as the impact nature has on us.

The conference features ten remarkable speakers, multiple engagement activities, and dynamic performances from hip-hop legends 95 South, singer-songwriter Jesabel, and spoken word performer LoveReigns.

The conference will take place October 14 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Tickets are $135. A limited number of student tickets will be available for $70. (Prices include all ticket fees.) Conference registration opens at 10:30 a.m. All tickets include the full conference experience, delicious lunch options, and admission to the AfterGlow party (5:30 – 7:30 p.m.), which features hors d’oeuvres and adult refreshments.

TEDxJacksonville 2023 is more than just an event — it’s where ideas come to life. Come be a part of it! Tickets to the conference are on sale now. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and are likely to sell out quickly, so grab your ticket today.

For more information click here

Mehta Quest Festival 2023!

Saturday, October 7 from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM
1 Purlieu Place #100 Winter Park, FL 32792

You won’t want to miss this illuminating, informative, transformational, and enlightening opportunity! Bring your friends and meet other like minded ones at the The Mehta Metaphysical Center for our exciting October event: Mehta Quest!

This valuable event will feature presentations from each of the Center’s Guides: Ted Skorman, Amy Anthony, Jax Cassidy, Stephanie Ray, and Heidi Bromm as well as our beloved metaphysician, Vipin Mehta. After the presentation enjoy a delicious lunch! A beautiful, guided meditation will follow, beginning with the harmonious healing sounds of Amy Anthony on the Crystal Bowls.

After the Meditation you are free to tour the Center and meet with the Center’s Guides in attendance.

For more information click here

Amelia Island Concerts – 23rd Season

Multiple events from November 2023 through June 2024

Tickets are available now for all performances! Join us for a captivating season featuring some of the greatest musicians including Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Wynton Marsalis, Dover Quartet, the Jerry Douglas Band, the Juilliard Quartet, and many more!

For more information click here

We’re Expanding to Orlando!

That’s right, Party Digest is expanding again. Our latest new city is Orlando, Florida. Our founder Lakhinder Vohra will be making his home there while we create our latest curated news about the Orlando area.

Party Digest brings you the latest news about events and products in your area. We focus especially on the supportive social structure – benefits, openings, etc. Our 25+ years of experience give us rare insight into the best opportunities for you to support local businesses and artists while having a fantastic time!

There’s so much happening right now in Orlando. Already acknowledged as the tourist capital of Florida, its transportation hub is getting better with the addition of Brightline which is starting their Orlando-to-Miami high speed rail service. And the attractions – Disney and Universal are just the tip of the iceberg. We’re excited by the bright future in this lovely city.

For more information click here

Vodka and Blue Agave Tequila – Dread River

Each and every bottle distilled at Dread River is the result of hard work, limitless passion and an unwavering commitment to serve hand-crafted spirits worthy of celebration. Hard work, passion and commitment. Dread River offers small-batch spirits centered around discovery, excellence and integrity.

Dread River Vodka is an inviting spirit, smooth enough to sip at room temperature. Unlike many vodkas that have been stripped of all flavor, this 100% wheat vodka bursts with citrus and floral notes, perfect for mixed drinks and martinis, but also just as good enjoyed alone. Dread River Vodka offers the nose a sweet, floral scent with a hint of citrus, and a smooth, clean finish with a lingering vanilla flavor on the pallet. ($25.99 per bottle)

Dread River Blue Agave Tequila — Like Mexican tequilas, but distilled in Birmingham, this “agave spirit” is mellow with subtle fruity, earthy, and herbal notes on the palate. ($34.99 per bottle)

For more information click here

Port Finished Straight Rye Whiskey

Want to give the best? Don’t just go for the gold, reach for this three-time gold award-winning Port Finished Straight Rye Whiskey from Milam & Greene. To craft this whiskey, Milam & Greene brings Indiana Rye whiskey to Texas where the distillery batches it in their warehouse and finishes it in old Port Wine Casks. The Texan sun influences the rate and strength of flavor imparted into the whiskey. Some casks take longer than others. The Milam & Greene team tastes the whiskey finishing in the Port Wine Casks regularly until the optimal flavors are achieved. Casks are then batched together, tested regularly and proofed before bottling. Find a store near you, or purchase this Port Finished Straight Rye Whiskey ($51.99 per bottle) directly from Milam & Greene online at https://milamandgreenewhiskey.com/port-finished-rye/.

For more information click here

Samuel Maverick Private Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Maverick Distilling of San Antonio, Texas has the perfect gift for anyone who loves bourbon: A bottle of Samuel Maverick Private Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey is just $75. Be sure to book a tour and tasting for two at the distillery (115 Broadway, San Antonio, Texas 78205) if you visit our city!

A 2022 John Barleycorn Awards Double Gold winner, Private Reserve is distilled in San Antonio in small batches using select Texas-grown corn, rye, and barley and aged on-site in the vaults below the distillery in the historic Lockwood National Bank building located steps from the Alamo. Just seven barrels of the four-year-old reserve bourbon were bottled for this small-batch limited release of Samuel Maverick Private Reserve. At 45% ABV, 90 proof each 750ml bottle ($75 each) comes beautifully packaged, complete with Samuel Maverick’s historic signature embossed on the glass. Look for this special product and other Maverick Distilling whiskey and spirit options in-stores as distributed by Republic National Distributing Company, or order online for shipping to 42 states across the USA via: https://maverickwhiskey.com.

For more information click here