Sabor de Cuba, a restaurant that offers authentic Cuban food, opens today at 9 E. Patrick St., former location of the Ethiopian restaurant in downtown Frederick. The restaurant’s owners, Irieska Caetano and Angel Gattorno, gave us a rundown on the business.

You can check out the menu and get their hours on their website and follow them on Facebook.

Anyone try Sabor de Cuba out yet? If so let us know how it was in the comments.

• You can now register for the 4th annual New Media & Technology Conference presented by the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce
• The interior of Brewer’s Alley was remodeled, photos and details from Frederick & Food.
• Thinking Out Loud took a trip to Lucky Corner and brought a camera. Looks good.
• The Frederick police have released data showing a drop in crime over the last year.
• Wee Man from Jackass was spotted in Frederick.

 follows six diverse community acupuncture patients and shows the impact of affordable acupuncture on their lives and communities. Lindstrom tells the story of the community acupuncture movement: how a small group of loud-mouthed, over-educated, under-employed activists and a massive group of ordinary people with average incomes revolutionized healthcare services by using large empty rooms, old recliner chairs, and two-cent needles.

All the information can be found here.  Tickets are $10 and the stub can be redeemed at the Turning Point clinic for one free acupuncture session.

Doors at MDL Holiday Cinemas will open at 6:00 pm on January 30th, with the screening beginning at 6:30.  Tickets for the documentary are $10 and are redeemable for one free acupuncture session at The Turning Point.  Tickets can be purchased in advance at The Turning Point, 243 W Patrick Street in downtown Frederick.  They will also be available in advance and at the door at MDL Holiday Cinemas.

There is also a very nice article in the FNP today about Jessica, the clinic and the documentary.  I can’t think why I would need it but in the interest of full disclosure, I have been a patient at The Turning Point for a while now and was in the clinic the day the camera crew was filming scenes for the documentary, although I don’t think the camera ever made it over to me.

This is a great opportunity to support a local business owner and to perhaps learn about and try something new!

The Entrepreneur Council of Frederick County, in partnership with the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, will launch the Emerging Entrepreneur Breakfast Club in February. The new forum will allow local business owners to share ideas, solve common problems, and improve their operations.

The new Breakfast Club will meet on the third Tuesday of each month, from 7:30 to 9 a.m., beginning in February. Meetings will be held at the Frederick Chamber’s office at 8420-B Gas House Pike, Frederick. Space is limited to 15 participants. Interested business owners must apply by January 25, 2012, and will be notified of acceptance by the end of January.

More information about the program, including the application to join, can be found on the Chamber’s website.

• Frederick County is launching a new emergency notification system. The alerts will ” … contain only vital information such as flash flood warnings, Amber Alerts, the status of county government, road closures and other notices.”
• You can have birthday parties at the Catoctin Creek Park. Related, the still popular post, Where to Have a Kid’s Birthday Party.
• Food and Frederick, a new blog covering ” … delicious photos & commentary on the social and culinary scenes that exist in the great little corner of the world that is Frederick, MD.” Give them a follow.
• Top 5 Events, Attractions and Commemorations for Visitors to Frederick County in 2012, some upcoming Frederick fun to keep in mind courtesy of Frederick Tourism.
• This shot of Sweet Angela’s Cupcakery makes me a bit hungry, anyone try them yet?
• Frederick Works is an initiative to encourage businesses in Frederick County to be a part of the unemployment solution, by creating and/or filling at least one new job in 2012. You can also follow them on Twitter.
• “The U.S. General Services Administration has awarded a $191,596,000 contract for the Social Security Administration’s new national data facility in Urbana … ” according to the FNP.

Seven underperforming Bloom stores will close including the Bloom in Walkersville located on Woodsboro Pike. The store closed its doors for business last night.

That’s the third grocery store to close in Frederick in the past year, right? The Giant on 40, the Superfresh by Ballenger Creek, any others?

The new 90-seat restaurant will be a modern take on the classic American diner, Voltaggio said, with an industrial, stainless steel look and food to match. Favorites including meatloaf and french fries will be brought up-to-date with new spices and combinations.

“It won’t be hash on a plate. … I’m not going to serve you a $1.99 platter from Denny’s,” Voltaggio said. “It will be the same style as Volt, but with much simpler food.”

Food prices will not mimic those of Volt — the milkshakes will be kept reasonable — but the use of local agricultural products and high-quality ingredients will be reflected in the prices, he said.

The diner will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, he said, and aim to attract a wide variety of customers, from Fredericktonians to visitors passing through along I-70 and I-270.

The Washingtonian reports the current target date for the diner to open is April.

P.S. I tried the Lunchbox this week. I had the Cuban, a cup of soup, and a Mexican Coke for a total cost of about 10 bucks.  The line was long even though it was a rainy day, but it moved pretty quick.

Orases, a Frederick-based Web agency specializing in interactive business and technology solutions, announced the acquisition of FNP Interactive, a leading local provider of website development and hosting services.
“We like to partner with, build and grow business, and this acquisition combines FNPI’s client base with a locally award-winning firm, uniquely positioned to help develop distinct competitive advantages through the use of interactive technology,” said Nicholas Damoulakis, co-founder and president of Orases.

Randall Family LLC, the parent company of FNP Interactive, is leaving the Web development and hosting business to focus on its core print and online publications associated with The Frederick News-Post.

“Our top priority was finding a good home for our FNP Interactive clients,” said Geordie Wilson, publisher of The News-Post. “As a local company with cutting-edge technical capabilities and a commitment to customer service and the community, Orases stood out from the pack.”

Today brings news that the chef and co-owner of the destination restaurant Volt in Frederick is also preparing to open a soup-and-sandwich concept on the city’s Carroll Creek Promenade within a matter of weeks. Voltaggio is calling the casual 30-seat restaurant Lunchbox and promising “fast food done right.”

It will be located in the old La Dolce Vita spot on Carroll Creek.

But wait there’s more:

Voltaggio also has an idea for a diner, yet to be named, that he wants to open on E St. in Frederick in what used to be a car dealership. The restaurant’s due date: March or April.

And what of the North Market Kitchen?

Plans for the $2 million North Market Kitchen, once on hold , are going forward after Frederick’s mayor and Board of Aldermen recently changed the city’s code to allow businesses to break up hefty water and sewage fees into four equal installments. “The first project is becoming the last project” to launch, says Voltaggio, who now hopes to introduce North Market Kitchen in fall or winter of next year.