Teams of amateur and professional chefs will battle it out in the kitchen for cash and prizes during the 19th annual Summer Festival and Chili Cook-off noon to 5 p.m., July 4, at Mitchell Park, 600 East Meadow Drive in Palo Alto.
The event will feature gallons of chili, children’s activities and music by Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers.
Judges will award prizes for best chili, best spirit, best booth and people’s choice.
Admission is free. Chili-tasting kits are available for a nominal price.
The Palo Alto Recreation Foundation, Palo Alto Weekly, Piazza’s Fine Foods and Palo Alto’s Bayshore Rotary will sponsor the event.
For more information, call 329-2121.
Le Boulanger offers online ordering
Le Boulanger bakery went online last month. Customers may now order from the bakery via www.food.com.
To order an item, enter your address on the site to view the bakery’s menu, point and click on the desired items and specify the pick-up time. Pick-up items include salads, gourmet soups and specialty sandwiches. The site also features a catering menu. Items on the catering menu may be ordered up to 90 days in advance.
The Los Altos Le Boulanger is located at 301 Main St.
Starbucks sends kids to summer camp
Starbucks Coffee Company and The Salvation Army will join forces this month to sponsor a new fund-raising program geared at sending local at-risk children, ages 7-18, to summer camp.
The Happy Campers program is scheduled to begin Thursday and to run through June 18.
To participate in the program, customers may purchase a $1, $5 or $20 donation “tent” tag from an in-store banner.
Donations will be tax-exempt. All funds raised will go toward various camping activities such as scouting lessons and music and theater activities.
Local Starbucks are located in Rancho Shopping Center and on the corner of Main and Second streets in Los Altos, and at 1037 El Monte Ave. in Mountain View.
Candy shop opens on First Street
George and Irene Preston brought their handmade chocolates to downtown Los Altos last month with the opening of Preston’s Candy & Ice Cream at 235 First St., the former location of Suzanne’s Muffins.
The old-fashioned candy shop features more than 100 handmade types of candies, including English toffees, peanut brittle and hand-wrapped caramel as well as ice cream.
Preston’s first opened in Burlingame 43 years ago. Founders Art and Corinne Preston sold their business to George and Irene Preston in 1997.
For more information, go to www.prestonscandy.com or call 344-3254.
Una Mas adds bar to Stanford location
Una Mas Restaurants Inc. recently remodeled its flagship restaurant at Stanford Shopping Center to include a full-service bar. The restaurant reopened in mid-April under the name Una Mas Playa Bar & Grill. The Playa Bar features margaritas, peña coladas and other specialty drinks.
Company officials said they hope the expansion will bring the taqueria genre to a whole new level. If successful, the company could expand the playa concept to other sites, such as the Los Altos restaurant on State Street.
Wine and Jazz at Mirassou Winery
The Mirassou Winery will hold its sixth annual All-American Wine & Jazz Celebration noon to 4 p.m., July 1, at 3000 Aborn Road in San Jose.
The event will feature wine tasting and live jazz, including the Anton Schwartz and Magnolia jazz bands.
Admission, which includes wine tasting and a souvenir glass, is $18.50. Tickets are available in advance only.
For more information, call (408) 274-4000.
Food lecture at Wild Oats
Wild Oats community market, 1265 S. Mary St. in Sunnyvale, will host three events this month. The market will provide free coffee samples and live music, featuring acoustic guitarist Mark Adele during “Jazz & Java” day 1-3 p.m., June 17; Leigh Wunce is scheduled to present the free lecture, “Create Well-being through your Body Wisdom,” 7-9 p.m., June 20; and the store will donate 5 percent of these sales on June 21 to the Cupertino Co-op Nursery School.
For more information, call (408) 454-4911.
Montalvo holds summer luncheons
Villa Montalvo will hold its summer luncheon series every Wednesday July 5 through Aug. 23 on the terrace of Senator Phelan’s former summer home. A fashion show will be featured with each lunch.
Seatings are at noon, 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. The first luncheon date will feature poached Atlantic salmon and fashions from Smith Alder. Reservations are required. For more information, call (408) 961-5821.
