North Shore Food Buzz: National Ice Cream For Breakfast Day and Beachside Fro-Yo

When you're looking for a night out and a break from cooking, you might want to know what's new not only where you live, but also in other North Shore communities.

Here's our round up of the area's latest food news:

Valentine's Day Specials

In several of our Patch towns and cities we've gathered lists of restaurants' and businesses' Valentine's Day specials. Here they are: Beverly, North Andover, Peabody and Salem.

North Andover

Taste of ______ (Fill in the Blank) events are among my favorites. You get to sample an entire community's culinary offerings, all in one room and usually for a worthy cause. That's the case for this year's Taste of North Andover, which will be in March and feature at least 18 restaurants and food businesses.

Andover

New Englanders consistently rate among the highest per-capita ice cream eaters in the nation. Come March, we'll have another way to feed our need: Mad Maggie's Downtown opens in Andover Village, offering house-made ice cream.

Danvers

Speaking of ice cream, you are of course aware that Saturday is National Ice Cream For Breakfast Day, right? And Cherry Farm Creamery is throwing a celebration/fundraiser from 8 a.m. to noon. Proceeds benefit the Danvers Dog Park. Plus, you get to have ice cream for breakfast. Did I mention that?

Peabody

If you're a fan of train-shaped pancakes (and who isn't?) then you'll be happy to know that an iconic but tiny spot in Peabody Square, the Little Depot Diner, is open with new owners. Hat tip to the Salem News for highlighting this story.

Salem

Patrons of Brodie's Seaport Cafe are celebrating that venue's success in getting a seasonal all-alcohol license. The Derby Street spot already had a beer and wine permit. The new license lets them serve the hard stuff between April 1 and Jan. 15.

Marblehead

As if do-it-yourself frozen yogurt wasn't enough of a draw for the younger set, the Orange Leaf in Marblehead has started offering free arts and crafts from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day.

Swampscott

Beachside frozen yogurt and waffles? Check. O-YO Frozen Yogurt could open as soon as the end of February.

Wenham

There's a new dinner option as Wenham Tea House has started "Friday Night Dinners." Executive Chef Peter Capalbo puts together new food and wine pairings each week. This Friday's menu features olive oil poached rabbit with polenta and shrimp puttanesca, among other options.