Food

J&M Grill on South Potomac Street in Hagerstown opened in 1973 with Jack and MaeEtta McAfee aiming to provide good wholesome food. This week the restaurant celebrated its 40th year of dishing up meals to customers, many of them regulars. City, county and state officials attended a special event at J&M Grill on Tuesday to celebrate 40 years in business as one of Hagerstown's most popular restaurants. Mayor David S. Gysberts was in attendance and reminisced about eating at the restaurant as a youngster.

Chips. Wings. Brownies. Maybe a pot of chili. Is there anything more to know about Super Bowl food? No there is not. Yet here we are on the eve of the big game, and faster than you can say Barefoot Contessa, we are being snowed under with recipe books full of “imaginative” Super Bowl foodstuffs, most of which have no business coming anywhere near a football game. First of all, if we wanted imaginative, we wouldn't be watching football, we would be watching the St. Petersburg ballet.

Hagerstown Children's School held its annual food drive to help the Maryland Food Bank - Western Maryland Branch (formerly Food Resources Inc.). The children, on the first of four collection days, brought in a box of cereal and were permitted to wear their pajamas to school.  The staff said it is always a fun day and it creates awareness of the need to help others in the community. The students collected 79 boxes of cereal that day and will be collecting cans of vegetables, fruit and juice, as well.

Building for Hunger is a charity event involving local schools and area businesses. The event is a partnership with the local Washington County Hunger Group, Valley Mall, participating schools, sponsoring businesses, and of course, the local community supplying canned and boxed foods that will be donated to the Maryland Food Bank - Western Maryland Division (formerly Food Resources Inc. Donation bins for nonperishable boxed and canned food items...

As soon as the ribbon dropped Thursday morning, shoppers began cramming the aisles of the new ALDI's Food Market off Edwin Miller Boulevard. For many of them it was their first look at a different grocery shopping experience. The new 10,000-square-foot store at 32 Triamigas Drive joins the 1,200-store chain that stretches across 32 states from the East Coast to Kansas, said Katie Kowalczk, director of operations in the company's divisional headquarters in Frederick, Md. The company originated in Germany in the 1920s as Albrecht Discount.

Allegany Dental Care is holding its sixth annual food drive during January and February. It will accept donations of nonperishable food items at its three locations.  All food collected will be donated to the Maryland Food Bank - Western Maryland Branch (formerly Food Resources Inc.) The locations are 19418 Leitersburg Pike, 22109 Jefferson Blvd. and 17719 Virginia Ave. The offices are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Senior site Smithsburg senior site calendar: Wednesday - Nutrition Education, 10 a.m.   Friday - Birthday luncheon, 11:30 a.m.   Monday - Cards, dominoes or games, 10 a.m. Ballroom dance Clare Domer's ballroom dance will be Thursday from 7 to 10 p.m. at Morris Frock Post 42 American Legion on Northern Avenue in Hagerstown.  Admission costs $5 per person.

High School basketball fans will get a chance to save $1 while contributing to a service project that honors the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Spectators who bring one canned good or other nonperishable item to the Greencastle-Antrim High School home game against Shippensburg (Pa.) Area Senior High School on Friday, Jan. 25, will receive $1 off game admission. The items will be donated to King's Kettle in Shippensburg, Pa., and the Greencastle Food Pantry. The drive is sponsored by Greencastle-Antrim High School civics students and the National and Spanish honor societies, according to a news release from Greencastle-Antrim High School.

Over the past few years, farmers and small business owners have come to realize that they need to systematically look “down the road” and strategize for success rather than simply take “each day as it comes,” by writing and using a business plan.  “Your Future in Focus” is an eight-evening Penn State Extension workshop series designed to teach farmers and food business owners the necessary steps of setting the goals and objectives for...

Laila's Kitchen in downtown Hagerstown changed hands last month, but the new owners said they plan to continue preparing Afghan cuisine - while adding a little soul to the menu. Perry White and his fiancee, Brenda Franklin, said they purchased the restaurant from former owners Laila and Sharif Basharyar in November with the promise that they would carry on grilling the Afghan kabobs that made the restaurant at 4 E. Franklin St. a hot dining spot since 2007. White said Sharif Basharyar stayed around for several weeks after the restaurant was sold to help him learn the art of preparing Afghan food.

Antietam Cable Television partnered with the Maryland Food Bank in October and November to provide food to low-income families in the community. The effort raised more than 3,250 pounds of food to be distributed to residents in Washington County. Antietam Cable also donated more than $20,000 in advertising and other services. In addition, the company donated all food proceeds from a promotion it offered that provides free installation of services to new and existing customers in exchange for food donations at the time of the service.