A new dinner series has launched to help raise funds for beginner farmers and new food entrepreneurs in North Carolina.

It is called Funds to Farms
and here is how it works: diners pay $15 at the door for a buffet meal and listen to presentations from five people seeking funding for their farm or food business. The diners will vote on which person should get a micro-grant. That person will take home the money raised from ticket sales and donations at the door.

These dinners are a collaboration between The Abundance Foundation, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and Slow Money NC.

The first dinner will be 7-9 p.m. Jan. 27 at Fullsteam Brewery, featuring soup and salad from Vin Rouge Bistro and Piedmont Restaurant and bread from Ninth Street Bakery. Plus, Fullsteam will be donating $2 for each pint sold of their new beer, Cackalacky Ginger Pale Ale, at its launch party from 3-5 p.m. Jan. 27.

And if you would like to be one of the five applying for a micro-grant, applications are due Jan. 16.

For tickets or information, go to fundstofarms.com.

County Commissioner Penny Rich asked the Chapel Hill Town Council this week to seek the Planning Board chairwoman’s resignation.

Rich’s letter to the council references remarks Chairwoman Del Snow made Dec. 11 to the Orange County Board of Commissioners. Snow asked the commissioners to delay a regional transit plan and a half-cent sales tax to pay for it while considering other options. Snow spoke about the Planning Board's opposition to the plan during the public comment portion of the meeting. The Town Council supported the plan.

Rich said it was “highly unusual” for Snow to represent the town’s Planning Board in speaking to the commissioners without having been asked to do so by the council. She also questioned Snow’s ability to serve in light of her part in a pending lawsuit over the town’s Charterwood development approval.

“Ms. Snow’s interests are in conflict with the town and the citizens of Chapel Hill and I don’t see how she can vote on issues to move the 2020 Comprehensive plan forward given her stated positions,” Rich wrote in her letter.
Snow responded in a letter to the council that Rich’s analysis “is just plain wrong.”

The Charterwood lawsuit is irrelevant to the discussion, because people who pursue a legal dispute with the town do not give up their right to serve the town. Policy disagreements also do not disqualify residents from serving, she said.

The location has been changed for a Public Arts Committee meeting to review posters hanging in the windows of an N.C. 54 restaurant.
The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the first-floor recreation room at the Chapel Hill Community Center, 120 S. Estes Drive. East 54 developer Ben Perry will make a presentation about the basketball murals at the Tobacco Road restaurant.
The Public Arts Committee and town staff are expected to decide whether the posters meet the town’s guidelines for public art and are appropriate in their current location.
The Community Design Commission, a town advisory board, reviewed the posters Dec. 19 and questioned their appropriateness and if other businesses would want the same type of “advertising.”
The town staff does not consider the posters, which some called murals, to be signs, senior planner Kay Pearlstein said.
All public art, including painter Michael Brown’s downtown murals, however, must go before the Public Arts Commission.

The new schedule of cooking classes at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill has several events featuring local chefs and bakers:

• Baker Lionel Vatinet of La Farm Bakery in Cary will be teaching a class about country French bread at 5 p.m. Jan. 14. Cost: $50.
• Scott Crawford, executive chef at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, will be teaching a class at 6 p.m. Jan. 24. Cost: $45.
• Mel Melton of Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse near Research Triangle Park will teach Cajun cooking and play with his band, the Wicked Mojos, during a class at 2 p.m. Feb. 3. Cost: $45.
• Former Magnolia Grill owners and chefs Ben and Karen Barker will teach a class on cooking for two at 6 p.m. Feb. 7. Cost: $50.
• Pastry expert Martin Bruner of the fifth-generation The Bakehouse and Cafe in Aberdeen, N.C. will teach how to make classic French macaroons at 2 p.m. Feb. 10. Cost: $35.
• Durham chef Scott Howell of Nana’s restaurant will be teaching seafood cookery at 6 p.m. Feb. 21. Cost: $45.
• Chefs Adam Rose and Isaiah Allen of Chapel Hill’s Il Palio restaurant will teach a class at 6 p.m. Feb. 26. Cost: $50.
• Baker Phoebe Lawless of Durham’s Scratch Bakery will show how to make sweet and savory pastries at 6 p.m. Feb. 28. Cost: $40.
• Masa Tsujimura, owner of Raleigh’s Waraji restaurant, will teach students how to make four popular sushi rolls at 2 p.m. March 10. Cost: $50.
• Chef Christy Quirk of Durham’s Bull Street Gourmet and Market will share recipes for a few dishes from her spring menu at 6 p.m. March 21. Cost: $35.

The complete menus for each class are posted online at southernseason.com. To reserve a space in any of these classes, call 919-929-7133 or go online.

Due to the fatal wreck that took the lives of two Orange High School students, Friday's basketball games between Orange and Chapel Hill High School have been postponed and rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 10.

Go HERE to see Greg's list.

Greg Cox gives 3 stars to Giorgios Bakatsias' latest restaurant, City Kitchen. Go HERE to read the review.

Among remembrances of Christmases past published fifty years ago, comes this Associated Press profile of Chapel Hill's Paul Green family.

Like most the populace, playwright Paul Green cleaves close to the hearth come Christmas morn.

Then there will be a traditional "Southern sleigh ride," when Grandfather Green hauls the small ones around the yard on a tractor-driven sleigh. -- The News & Observer 12/25/1962

To read my story that ran Tuesday, go HERE.

Here's a list of special meals and events around the Triangle for New Year's Eve:

* Draft Carolina Burgers and Beer on Raleigh's Glenwood South will be closing after its New Year's Eve party. The cover is $20. There will be a deejay, party favors, a champagne toast at midnight and these drink specials: $3 for all 48 beers on tap, $4 for mixed drinks, wine, shots and bombs. Ten percent of all proceeds will benefit Band Together, the largest charitable music festival in North Carolina. For more information, go to facebook.com/draftraleigh.

* Also in Glenwood South, Zely & Ritz is offering a three-course meal for $45 before 8 p.m. and $60 after 9 p.m. The meal includes a glass of sparkling wine and there will be a deejay from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. To see the menu, go to zelyandritz.com. For a reservation, call 919-828-0018.

* Solas on Raleigh's Glenwood South is offering a five-course meal for $75 per person. To see the menu, go to solasraleigh.com or call 919-755-0755 for a reservation.

* Bolt in downtown Raleigh is offering a three-course menu from 4-7:30 p.m. for $50 or a four-course menu from 8:30 p.m.-midnight for $65. The latter seating includes a champagne toast and party favors. To see the menu, go to boltbistro.com. To make a reservation, call 919-821-0011.

* Bu.ku in downtown Raleigh is offering a three-course meal for $60 with a deejay and champagne toast at midnight. To see the menu, go to bukuraleigh.com Call 919-834-6963 for a table.

* Poole's Diner in downtown Raleigh is offering a four-course meal for $75. For more information about the menu or to make a reservation, call 919-832-4477.

* Raleigh's J. Betski's is offering a three-course meal for $55. Entree options include gingerbread-crusted venison loin, borscht-braised veal short ribs, seared diver scallops with a seafood cabbage roll and roasted breast of squab with a stuffed duck leg. To see a full menu, go to jbetskis.com/special-events. For a table, call 919-833-7999.

* Raleigh's Flying Saucer is hosting a party with a deejay, party favors and a champagne toast starting at 7 p.m. The cover is $10. Table reservations are encouraged in advance: $60 per table or $75 per booth. To make reservations, call 919-821-7401.

* Raleigh's Irregardless Cafe is offering a special three-course meal for $65 per person after 8:30 p.m., dancing, live music by the Moon & Stars Dance Band and a champagne toast at midnight. To see the menu, go to irregardless.com. To make a reservation, call 919-833-8898.

* Margaux's in North Raleigh is offering a four-course meal. Early seatings before 6:30 p.m. cost $65 per person. The second seatings starts at 8:30 p.m., costs $95 per person and includes a champagne toast, party favors and live music. To see the menu, go to margauxsrestaurant.com/menus/new-years-eve-bash. To make a reservation, call 919-846-9846.

* Several other downtown Raleigh restaurants are open for dinner but serving their regular menu: Second Empire (second-empire.com), Humble Pie (humblepierestaurant.com), Gravy (gravyraleigh.com), Mo's Diner (mosdiner.net) and 18 Seaboard (18seaboard.com)

* Lantern in Chapel Hill is offering a three-course menu for $75 a person. To see their menu, go to lanternrestaurant.com/menus/nye2012.html. To make a reservation, call 919969-8846.

* One Restaurant in Chapel Hill is offering a five-course meal for $48 per person with an optional wine pairing for $27. To see the menu, go HERE.

* La Residence is offering a three-course meal for $35 along with live music and champagne specials. The local band, Puritan Rodeo, specializes in rock, roots music and Americana and will be playing from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m. For a reservation, call 919-967-2506.

* The Pittsboro Roadhouse is hosting a New Year's Eve party from 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Tickets cost $15 for an appetizer buffet, champagne toast and live music from ZamBamBooGee. For more information, go to http://pittsbororoadhouse.com/2012-new-years-eve-party-at-the-pittsboro-roadhouse/

* Durham's Piedmont restaurant has a special menu for New Year's Eve. Go HERE to see it.

* Durham's Four Square Restaurant is offering a four-course meal for $95. For a reservation, call 919-401-9877.

* Food truck American Meltdown will be serving food from 8 p.m.-3 a.m. on New Year's Eve for the bash at The Pinhook in downtown Durham. Go HERE for details on the Pinhook party.

* Or dine at home thanks to Foster's Market in Durham and Chapel Hill. Both locations are selling three-course meals for two or four people. The prices are $75 and $149 respectively. To see the menu choices, go to fostersmarket.com/menus/special-menu/. To reserve, call 919-489-4114 for the Durham store and 919-967-3663 for the Chapel Hill store.

If your special dinner or event is not on this list and you would like it to be, send an email to aweigl@newsobserver.com.

UPDATE -- Here are a few more events that folks sent along over the weekend:

*Raleigh's Babylon restaurant is offering a four-course meal for $60 per person from 5-10 p.m. They also will have a limited late night menu and a 007 Bond Revelry Event. For more information, call 919-412-4260. To see the menu, I've a copy of the pdf below.

*Durham's Ai Fuji Japanese Steakhouse is offering a three-course meal for two for $38, which includes a choice of appetizer (gyoza or harumaki), two entrees (choice of hibachi chicken/steak/shrimp or teriyaki chicken/steak), and dessert (choice of cheesecake or four types of ice creams). They are also offering buy one get one free sushi. For more information, check out their website: www.aifujisteakhouse.com

* Durham's G2B restaurant is offering their full menu and a three-course meal for $39 per person with wine and beer pairings available for those interested. To see the menu, go to g2b-restaurant.com/events.aspx. To make a reservation, call 919-251-9451.

* North Raleigh's Fork & Barrel is offering a special four-course menu for $70 per couple. To see the menu, go to forkandbarrelnc.com/events/p8528. To make a reservation, call 919-322-0190.

* Raleigh's Vivace restaurant is offering a special menu for $55 per person with an optional wine pairing for an additional $20. The menu looks good. To see it, go to vivaceraleigh.com To make a reservation, call 919-787-7747.

*Raleigh's Jibarra restaurant is offering a three-course meal for $60 per person with a glass of sparkling wine. The menu includes a trio of ceviches, seared lamb chops with mission fig mole, whole Maine lobster with a shrimp and poblano pepper medley, tres leches cake with a strawberry-habanero salsa, and a hot corn cake with coconut ice cream. To make a reservation, call 919-755-0556.