The line forms fast wherever Derek Luhowiak pulls up his food truck, Local SixFortySeven. At farmers markets and wineries, customers swoon over the chicken and biscuits, grass-fed beef burgers and apple cardamom pie. There's one constituency, however, that he just can't seem to win over: Virginia...

This has been the Year of the Aerator. Winery tasting rooms, wine festivals and retail stores are touting nifty little gizmos that promise to take the guesswork out of when to drink your wine. No more decanting hours before dinner to let a wine "breathe": Aerators promise instant gratification and,...

-- FOOD ART: The Zenith Community Arts Foundation presents the fifth annual "Food Glorious Food" calendar art show. Calendar launch party $75. Calendars featuring the art will be sold for $20 (free with launch party ticket). 6-10 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Capital Area Food Bank. Woolly Mammoth...

When the former manager of Heritage India opened a place of his own in Tenleytown this fall, he recruited the top chef from his former employer in Glover Park to cook for him.

When it comes to pizza crust, partisanship can be fierce. Thin-crust aficionados favor the crisp-edged, slightly charred pizza cultivated in New York and Naples, Italy. Dennis Sharoky, co-owner of Coal Fire Pizza in Ellicott City, became a fan after his first taste two years ago at the Phat Pug, now...

An edited excerpt from the Going Out Gurus blog, http://voices.washingtonpost.com/goingoutgurus :

This installment of Make It, Freeze It, Take It recipes is inspired by the guide to freezing foods in this issue (see Page E8). Weeknight cooks can stay two steps ahead of the what's-for-dinner game by having sauces in the freezer, ready to go. For the accompanying recipes, store flat in...

"I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer. The future's uncertain and the end is always near," crooned Jim Morrison and the Doors in the song "Roadhouse Blues." Nowadays, an increasing number of brewers are adding coffee to their porters and stouts to produce beer that you might actually want...

Prices are approximate. Check Winesearcher.com to verify availability, or ask a favorite wine store to order through a distributor.