The Village Inn and Serene Gardens were winners Sunday at the third annual Buffalo Soup Fest, held at the Hearthstone Manor in Depew. Village Inn owner Mike Carr and Sarah Mallare took home the Best Chili award at the event for their Mayan Chocolate Chili, while Satomi and Dr. Joshua Smith of Serene Gardens took home an award for Best Kept Secret.

For the sixth year in a row, Dunkin' Donuts and the American Red Cross are teaming up for the "Give a Pint, Get a Pound" campaign, which provides a coupon for a free pound of Dunkin' Donuts coffee* to all presenting donors at Red Cross blood drives in the greater Buffalo area during the month of January.

Christmas is just around the corner, and it's time to get into the holiday spirit.

While the calendar may say the start of winter, preparations for one of the region's favorite summer events is well under way. The Taste of Buffalo presented by Tops is now accepting applications from restaurants, food trucks and wineries interested in participating in the 2013 event, set for July 13 and 14 in downtown Buffalo.

VIDEO: Seneca Gaming Corp. upped the ante on casino dining Thursday with the unveiling of the new Thunder Falls Buffet at Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls USA.

Kim's International Café is serving up "from scratch" cuisine from American classics to Italian and traditional Asian dishes.

Batter up, breakfast lovers! IHOP, one of America's most popular family-friendly restaurants, known for "everything you love about breakfast," will once again invite guests to enjoy free pancakes during National Pancake Day on Feb. 5, 2013, while celebrating Children's Miracle Network Hospitals' 30th anniversary.

Imagine a place where Gatsby, Sinatra and Bourdain would all feel at home.

Now imagine such a place on the corner of 19th and Ferry in downtown Niagara Falls.

Jonathan "J.B." Boas could imagine such a place.

PHOTO GALLERY: There's a reason professional chefs on television steer clear of baking: It's not easy.

Dunkin' Donuts, America's all-day, every-day stop for coffee and baked goods, will show its support for one of America's most iconic holiday toy collection drives this November through a first-time partnership in Western New York with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves' Toys for Tots program.

The Historical Association of Lewiston has announced tickets are on sale for its eighth annual Tour of Homes, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 1 and 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at select addresses in Lewiston.

Niagara Frontier Publications' Skip Mazenauer, publisher of the Sentinel, poses with Casa Antica manager Robert Herman, chef Charlie Soldano and the "Casa Girls" outside of the Italian restaurant.

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce held a "Business Blender" Thursday at Town Hall, the Village of Lewiston's newest Center Street restaurant.

Famed culinary experts Ludo Lefebvre and Brian Malarkey are confirmed to join no-holds-barred chef Anthony Bourdain and British food star Nigella Lawson as mentors on eight episodes of ABC's innovative new cooking competition show, "The Taste." The new one-hour alternative series will premiere in 2013 on the ABC Television Network.

With its first chicken barbecue fundraiser last Saturday, Island Presbyterian Church hoped to provide not just tasty Krolick's chicken, but food for the soul too.

Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams has introduced his very own cereal just in time for the new NFL season. The cereal is called "MariO's" and is available exclusively at Western New York-area Tops stores.

"MariO's" is a honey-nut toasted oats cereal packaged in a 14-ounce collector's box featuring the newest member of the Buffalo Bills defensive line. The cereal is available exclusively at Western New York Tops stores and online at www.plbsports.com. "MariO's" is the latest athlete endorsed product from PLB Sports, which has created products for some of Buffalo's most famous athletes, including Ryan Miller, Terrell Owens, Michael Peca and Doug Flutie.

The award-winning motor-sports themed restaurant Quaker Steak & Lube added another award to its ever growing list of honors when it took home the 2012 Festival Favorite at the National Buffalo Wing Festival. The two day event took place on Sept. 1 and 2 at Coca Cola Field in Buffalo. Approximately 40,000 people attended the event.

"We are extremely satisfied that the excellence of our sauces is recognized by so many chicken wing fans in the Buffalo-Niagara Region," said Nick Scott Sr., president of Scott Enterprises Inc.

Dunkin' Donuts has announced plans for sustained growth and expansion in Western New York during the grand opening of a new restaurant in Tonawanda.

It was another beautiful summer evening, Thursday, Aug. 16, when four civic groups met at Five Senses Park on Ward Road to enjoy Wheatfield Lions Club's annual steak roast.

The Brickyard Pub & BBQ, 432 Center St., in Lewiston, is hosting its 15th annual Celebrity Bartending Night from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Aug 23.

Attendance was down a bit this year due to intermittent rain, but organizers of the Smokin' Eagles International BBQ Festival reported a lot of happy customers last weekend at Gateway Harbor in Tonawanda.

There's nothing like a barbecue festival to set your taste buds on alert.

This weekend, wander down to Gateway Harbor in Tonawanda and take a deep breath of sauce, spices and grilling meat - the Smokin' Eagles International Barbecue Festival is back.

Friday on "LIVE! with Kelly," host Kelly Ripa and guest co-host Nick Lachey announced that actress and author Marilu Henner is the winner of "LIVE's" summer-long "Grilling with the Stars" competition, and the recipient of the coveted Golden Grill trophy, plus $25,000 for her charity of choice, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Sean Conlin, a former Niagara County 4-Her from Lockport, recently took third place in the Chuck Wagon Challenge to benefit the Double H Ranch in Lake Luzerne, N.Y.

Corpus Christi Church is once again looking for Buffalo's best pierogi. This historic east side church is hosting its fifth annual "Buffalo's Best Pierogi" contest on Saturday, Aug. 18. It begins at 4:30 p.m., and is open to all amateur cooks and businesses.

Santa Fe was named "Best for Food" in the 2012 Rand McNally/USA Today "Best of the Road" competition. The New Mexico town topped five other destinations - including Lewiston - to take the title. The official announcement was made Tuesday afternoon as part of the Destination Marketing Association International annual convention in Seattle.

Casa Antica, 490 Center St., is offering all of your favorite menu items on the patio before each "Tuesday in the Park" concert at Artpark.

The "Road Bros," the "Best for Food" travel judging team of Mike Shubic and Brian Cox, have posted a video of their time in Lewiston. Check it out:

Residents and local volunteers welcomed Mike Shubic and Brian Cox to Lewiston at The Silo Restaurant Wednesday night.

Travel judges Mike Shubic and Brian Cox, better known as the "Road Bros," visited Lewiston this week to see if the 30-restaurant-village has what it takes to become "Best for Food" in the Rand McNally/USA Today "Best of the Road" contest.

Sandy Hays Mies, event coordinator for the Lewiston Region Tour of Kitchens, has announced the winners of the 2012 People's Choice Awards.

"Best for Food" judges Mike Shubic and Brian Cox are in for a treat when they visit Lewiston on Wednesday. The "Road Bros," one of Rand McNally/USA Today's Best Small Towns in America travel teams, will receive a police escort down Center Street to a gathering at The Silo Restaurant. There, they'll find a "rousing welcome."

Judges coming to Lewiston for national contest; Travel Channel will be in Lewiston accompanying judges; public reception scheduled for Wednesday at The Silo Restaurant. Watch the preview video.

Lewiston is finalist in USA Today/Rand McNally "Best for Food" contest.

Ashker's Juice Bar, Bistro and Gallery opened this past week in the Village of Lewiston. The popular Center Street eatery was a little later opening this season due, in part, to the opening of a third Ashker's location (1002 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo).

Grand Island is home to a new gasoline convenience store brand with the opening of the long-awaited Dino-Mart at the corner of Ransom and Stony Point roads.

Nominated for USA Today's "Best of the Road, 2012 Best Small Towns in America"; Lewiston fans urged to vote and write quick reviews.

Can you help promote Lewiston to a national audience? Do you have a couple of minutes to sing Lewiston's praises?

It's a Friday night and, despite the numerous best pizza and chicken wings awards on the walls of Roman Café, a hungry gaggle of people has one thing in mind: fish.

The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce, Village of Lewiston and The Silo Restaurant, in cooperation with the Niagara River Anglers, will celebrate one of the region's most famous natural resources as they host the Lewiston Smelt Festival.

Congratulations goes out to Sanborn's Roger Drake, who won the recent www.wnypapers.com "Best Fish Fry" contest and received a $25 gift certificate to an area restaurant. He entered by voting for the restaurant he considered "king of the sea-food."

The Silo Restaurant will open for the season on Monday. Proprietor Alan Hastings has completely renovated the kitchen with all new, well, everything, he said. The goal is to accelerate the ordering process.