French Bistro take an Irish Twist
‘Master of Whisky’ helps French bistro take an Irish twist on St. Paddy’s weekend
“The Luck of the Irish” lands in downtown Cambridge on Friday, March 19 when Bistro Poplar welcomes “Master of Whisky” John Heffernan and rising-star chef Ian Campbell and his staff put their culinary talents to work creating a menu that complements a selection of fine libations from the Emerald Isle.
One of the evening’s highlights will be the presentations made by John Heffernan, the Washington, D.C.-based “Master of Whisky” for Diageo, the world’s leading distributor of premium drink brands. To earn his degree, Heffernan underwent years of training in the history, production, maturating and blending of premium whiskeys. Before that, he served 12 years as a Whisky Ambassador.
Heffernan now educates bartenders and restaurant owners about the nuances of Scotch and Irish whiskies. “There is nothing more exciting than teaching people about my two loves: history and whisky,” he says. “I always get excited to share with others and see their faces turn from puzzled to enlightened.”
At Bistro Poplar, Heffernan will discuss the history of Irish whiskeys while guiding diners through tastings of select Bushmills blended and single malt whiskies. Other Irish libations will also be served during the event. Chef Campbell is developing a special five-course meal to be served in a casual family-style format during the event.
Just more than two years old, Bistro Poplar was recently named a finalist in the “Maryland’s Favorite Restaurant” category of the Restaurant Industry of Maryland’s annual “Star of the Industry” Awards. It was the only Eastern Shore restaurant among the five finalists.
“The Luck of the Irish” costs $50 per person, not including tax and gratuity. For reservations to or information about the event at 6 pm on Friday, March 19, call 410-228-4884. Bistro Poplar is located at 535 Poplar Street in downtown Cambridge.
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Caption: “Master of Whisky” John Heffernan will be sharing his knowledge of Irish history and libations during “The Luck of the Irish” dinner at Bistro Poplar on March 19.
Jumping into Social Media
by Cyndi Paxton Johnson
Every five to ten years the rules change - and we eventually change to accommodate them. Remember when we first discovered the internet? It started out as a way to chat with all kinds of people - and now it's THE primary mode of communication for most businesses. If you're in business - you need a website! It's also the FIRST source for information - about anything! (it's even faster to look up a word on dictionary.com than it is to dig out the actual dictionary!)
The last couple years have seen a HUGE influx into social networking - applications such as Digg, Facebook and Twitter. They also started out as a way to connect with friends (remember MySpace?) and are now being used by more and more businesses and non-profit groups!
It's all about connections.
On a purely personal level - social media helps me stay in touch with a wider range of friends, colleagues and community members. I've reconnected with childhood friends, old neighbors and fellow grad students through the wide net social media casts. I've also made new friends - many of whom I've never met in person - but we now share a relationship that includes mutual support and advice.
I primarily use Facebook and Twitter - and heartily recommend both! Many folks tell me they don't have time to add yet another item on their to-do list - but it doesn't have to take a lot of your time! (note - it can be addicting, especially at first. You have to be careful about the pure time-wasters [games, quizzes, etc], unless you have time to waste!)
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