Nov. 18 to 20 is the Niagara Wine Trail's "Share the Bounty" event.

Knights of Columbus Council 14622 sponsors its fourth annual pasta dinner, to be served at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, 1023 Swann Road, Lewiston. The event runs from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19, the opening of the shrine's 21st annual Festival of Lights.

From long waits to short tempers, undercooked food to over-sauced fare, there's nothing worse than poor service at a restaurant. Fortunately, most of Western New York's restaurants excel at pairing exceptional cuisine with outstanding service.

Why bake for the holidays when the Fiores will do it for you?

That's Michael Fiore's thought, anyway. He and his wife, Lindsay, are the new owners of the Village Bake Shoppe at 417 Center St., Lewiston. On Thursday morning, the store will reopen with a new look, newly painted walls, the previous staff ... and original owner Bridget Schroeder's from-scratch recipes.

Michael, who has known Bridget for several years, says her no-mix, original cakes, pies, cookies and brownies "can't be easily duplicated."

Pairing high-end products with a fresh décor, he says his plan is to develop the Village Bake Shoppe into "more of an attraction."

"I want this place to be a destination," Michael says.

Old Falls Street, Global Spectrum, the Pine Avenue Business Association and The Como Restaurant are teaming up to put on the second annual night of Italian fare, family, wine, and a good time on Thursday Nov. 17. "Italian Feast Night" will be presented from 6 until 10 p.m. at The Conference Center Niagara Falls, 101 Old Falls St., Niagara Falls.

"Italian Feast Night" is catered by The Como Restaurant and The Conference Center of Niagara Falls. Guests can enjoy an Italian buffet of traditional dishes, including pasta, Italian delights and a variety of delectable desserts. Additionally, the celebration will have music by The Formula Band to set the Italian mood.

Italians have a long tradition in the area of Niagara Falls. This feast is a fundraiser for the Pine Avenue Business Association, which continues to preserve culture and traditions in the area.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door, and include a complementary beverage. Tickets can be purchased in advance from The Conference Center Niagara Falls, the Como Restaurant (on Pine Avenue), and The Pine Avenue Business Association.

St. Peter's Lutheran School, 6168 Walmore Road, Sanborn, will hold a Chiavetta's "Drive-Thru" chicken barbecue from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, at the school.

The cost is $8 and includes half a chicken, baked potato, corn, dinner roll with butter and a brownie, along with condiments and utensils so you're ready to eat.

The fundraiser is sponsored by the seventh- and eighth-grade classes to raise funds for their New York City trip in the spring. This is a long running tradition at St. Peter's for the upperclassmen to take a bigger "field trip" away every other year.

As Halloween approaches, Dunkin' Donuts has brewed a bewitching selection of wickedly good treats to help guests and ghosts alike celebrate the season. Whether you're haunting a Halloween party or trick-or-treating with your favorite ghouls and goblins, Dunkin' Donuts can make the scary holiday much sweeter.

Wheatfield residents are invited to a free pancake breakfast on Sunday, Oct. 30.

Healthy and Halloween are not often used in the same sentence. Halloween is usually seen as a time to get dressed up, gather sugary treats, and enjoy the spookiness of the season. TOPS Club Inc. provides tips to stock the kids' bags with better treats, host a healthy party, and more.

It's inevitable that kids will receive candy, so parents should take steps to limit sugar consumption. Feeding children a nutritious meal before trick-or-treating will help curb their urge to snack on sweets. Once the candy is home, adults can let kids pick out their favorite pieces and decide how much to have each day.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Brennan's Irish Pub, 418 Main St., Youngstown.

Lewiston's Hops-N-Vines is hosting its first-ever pumpkin-carving contest.

America's favorite pies are now available. Just in time for Thanksgiving, the "little old church ladies" at the Island Presbyterian Church on Huth Road are busy baking their famous homemade pies once again.

Their pies are 9-inch, deep pan pies, all made from scratch with hand-rolled crusts. Bakers peel and slice apples, add the spices and top each apple pie with another hand-rolled and crimped crust.

Holy Ghost Lutheran School will host a Chiavetta's chicken barbecue starting at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16, at the Bergholz Firehall, 2470 Niagara Road, Wheatfield.

Niagara County customers purchased 2,353 "Opportunities Unlimited Donuts" in August during a special promotion created by the Niagara County-area Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop restaurant owners. At the Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop located at 8500 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls, restaurant owner Bob Burns presented a check for $2,000 to Connie S. Brown, executive director of Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara.

Niagara University is now accepting reservations for this fall's edition of its highly popular "Student Chef Series," which showcases the culinary skills of student managers in the university's College of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Tawse in Vineland has been named Canada's 2011 Winery of the Year.

Assemblyman John Ceretto has been welcomed as a member of the Farm Bureau's "Circle of Friends" for his support of New York state farmers during the 2011 Legislative Session. The award is given annually to state legislators who demonstrate strong support and diligent work on behalf of the agricultural community in New York.

If you're desperately clinging to every last piece of summer, it is probable that a delicious cone of custard is one of those things. Hibbard's Custard in Lewiston is serving up its delectable homemade ice cream until the end of October.

Dan Wilke of Buffalo, a barrel organ hobbyist, will be the special guest at the Harvest Dinner of the Historical Society of North German Settlements in WNY at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15. The event will be held in the St. James Lutheran Hall, Rohr Street (near Niagara Road) in Bergholz.

Fall means it's time for Adams Volunteer Fire Co. to start its farmers breakfasts. The first of six monthly all-you-can-eat food fests is Sunday Oct. 9 at 7113 Nash Road (one quarter mile north of Niagara Falls Boulevard), Wheatfield.

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center celebrated the grand opening of a new Tim Hortons Café and Bake Shop at the downtown hospital during a ribbon-cutting ceremony held Monday. Participating were, from left, Tim Hortons storeowner Bob Burns, Jason Burns, District Manager Rich Sabins and Memorial President & CEO Joseph A. Ruffolo.

The Niagara USA Chamber hosts a networking event on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. at the Hard Rock Café Niagara Falls USA, 333 Prospect St., Niagara Falls.

St. Paul's United Church of Christ-Shawnee is hosting its annual chowder sale and flu shot clinic from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at 3921 Mapleton Road, Wheatfield.

The Town of Newfane Historical Society will hold its annual Apple Harvest Festival on Sunday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the museum site located on West Creek and Ide roads in Newfane.

With weeks of warm weather and the residual buzz from a "Man v. Food" taping, The Silo Restaurant had a great summer. In fact, "We've had a landmark season," Manager Alan Hastings said. "We weren't really expecting this much business."

A Gust of Sun Winery & Vineyard, located at 4515 Bear Road, Ransomville, will host a grand opening celebration today, Saturday, Sept. 17, from noon to 6 p.m.

The First Volunteer Fire Co. of Bergholz, 2470 Niagara Road, will hold its annual Chiavetta's chicken barbecue from noon until sold out on Sunday, Sept. 18.

While actor and musician Dan Aykroyd isn't a god, that didn't stop legions of fans from telling the "Ghostbusters" and "The Blues Brothers" star "We're not worthy!" when meeting the iconic performer Saturday at Supermarket Liquors in Niagara Falls.

Lewiston Fire Co. No. 2 will be the site of "September Sizzler," a fundraiser for Community Missions of the Niagara Frontier. Barbecue chicken and barbecue ribs will be sold (eat-in or takeout) beginning at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15, at the firehall, 1705 Saunders Settlement Road.

Buffalo Bisons Manager Tim Teufel joined Dunkin' Donuts franchisees Thursday night to donate 312 pounds of coffee to the Food Bank of Western New York. The donation - the equivalent of 15,600 cups of coffee - was fueled by a season-long partnership between the team and Dunkin' Donuts.

Home brewing is becoming more popular than ever. Right now there are 1,595 breweries that operate in the U.S. alone.

Expect outlandish celebrations and can't-miss costumes when the Lewiston Village Pub hosts the following events in September:

Opportunities Unlimited held its 14th annual "Celebrity Bartending Night" on Wednesday at The Brickyard Pub & BBQ. Sports stars, entertainers and local dignitaries took turns behind the bars serving drinks to friends and guests.

The Kiwanis Club of Lewiston will host a Peach Recipe Contest Taste-Off during the upcoming Niagara County Peach Festival, Sept. 9 to 11 at Academy Park in the Village of Lewiston.

It was a dream weekend for barbecue lovers at the Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival at Gateway Harbor of the Tonawandas. (photos by Kevin and Dawn Cobello, www.kdactionphoto.com)

Brickyard Pub & BBQ, 432 Center St., Lewiston, hosts the 14th annual "Celebrity Bartending Night" on Wednesday (new this year), Aug. 24, from 5 to 9 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara Foundation.

So ... incredibly ... tasty!

Community Missions of Niagara Frontier will hold its first "Lobsterfest" on Thursday, Aug. 18, at the LaSalle Yacht Club, 73 S. 68th St., Niagara Falls.