Citizens of Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex, King & Queen, King William and of course everywhere else not mentioned: Mark your calendar now for the upcoming Toast of the Middle Peninsula on Saturday, Feb. 16, 5:30-10:30 p.m. to be held at the Gloucester Moose Lodge.

It’s Bull & Oyster Roast Buffet time, a feast that will make your winter doldrums fade away.

With music by The Country Stew Band, this evening of elegant dining begins with appetizers in abundance, and ticket holders not only get to taste them all but also get to vote on the best entry for this part of the evening, the Restaurant Appetizer Competition. Eleven chefs and perhaps more will be competing for the top award, so you can just imagine how good they are all going to taste, making your final decision not an easy one.

Chef James Washington and his staff will be in the kitchen making final preparations for a menu calling for raw, grilled and fried oysters, steamship round of beef, Swedish meatballs a...