While I was out and about . . .
It’s foaling season at Winbak Farm in Chesapeake City.
Joe and JoAnn Thomson, owners of the 2,000-acre-plus Standardbred horse farm, announced the birth of their first foal of the 2013 season Friday.
About 20 more foals were born between Friday and Tuesday, said Elizabeth Lewis-House, public relations director at Winbak Farm.
The farm management team expects to welcome about 400 new foals by the time foaling season ends in June.
Take a drive along Yearling Row to get a glimpse of the foals outside with their mothers in the next few weeks. It’s a sure sign spring is on its way.
For those of you who may not know much about Winbak Farms and its operation, it is the Standardbred industry’s largest single-family-owned breeding farm in the country.
Its horses have won more than $184 million in harness racing purses in more than 19,500 races since 1998. Here’s a little horse education 101: Standardbred horses, not Thoroughbred horses, participate in harness racing, which is done on certain tracks like Rosecroft in Maryland.
Also, noteworthy is: Winbak Farm will be receiving a major award March 6 ? stay tuned for more to come on that topic.
***
I learned this week that (I know I’m a little slow sometimes at finding things out.) Chef Bob (Steele), owner of Backfin Blues, a restaurant and bar in Port Deposit, is devoting 100 percent of his work life to the restaurant these days.
That’s because he quit his full-time day job in late spring to concentrate on the restaurant that he loves.
He was only open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but added Wednesday hours in September.
“It struggles a bit on Wednesday, but I recall we struggled a bit on Thursdays when I added that to our schedule,” Steele said.
He bought the place in 2007 and was only open three days a week at first.
“People have to get used to it,” he said.
Always coming up with new ideas and creative events to attract new customers and keep the old customers coming, Steele does a “Chef’s menu” in addition to the regular menu on Wednesdays.
That gives him a chance to feature special items that are in season, or available fresh for his guests.
Steele also features monthly special events, some are by reservation only, like a wine dinner, or a murder mystery night.