BONNY DOON DINNER: 6:30 p.m. Thur., the Silver Cricket, 1923 Ringling Blvd., downtown Sarasota. Six-course wine dinner features famed winemaker Randall Graham pairing six varieties with a menu of panko-breaded and fried cold-smoked oysters with corn relish; cassoulet of lotus seeds with grilled quail; wild boar, duck; chocolate tart with caramel ice cream: $100, inclusive. Call (941) 955-9179 to reserve.

CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL: Thur.-Sun., Michael's on East, 1212 East Ave., Sarasota. Three chocolate-filled days of fun and food feature the creations of New York chocolatiers and pastry chefs Andrew Shotts and Patrick Coston. Event prices $35-$125; proceeds benefit United Cerebral Palsy. Call (941) 957-3599 for more information.

ITALIAN RENDEVOUS: noon March 9, Maggiano's Little Italy, 203 West Shore Blvd., Tampa. Sample Northern Italian cuisine at this month's meeting of the Tampa Bay Culinary Club; members invite those interested to attend. Cost: $10. Call Jeanne at (727) 789-2605 to RSVP (required).

TASTE OF BACCHUS: 4-6 p.m. March 10, Alfano's, 1702 Clearwater-Largo Road, Clearwater. Four-course dinner sampling of regional food and wine pairings: $65, must RSVP by Fri.. Call (727) 712-2795.

GREAT CHEFS: 6-9 p.m. March 16, residence at 1455 Oceanview Drive, Tierra Verde, St. Petersburg. Sample culinary creations of area "celebrity" chefs and bid on silent auction items at the fourth annual Great Chefs of Tampa Bay. Tickets: $125, proceeds benefit Family Resources. Call (727) 550-4011.

ABILITIES TASTING: 7-9:30 p.m. March 16, Tropicana Field, First Avenue and 16th Street S, St. Petersburg. "Planet of the Grapes" is theme, with more than 300 California and imported wines and menu items from 35 restaurants; silent auction of wine vacations and Harley Davidson motorcycle. Tickets: $60, $70 at door; proceeds benefit the Abilities Foundation. Call (727) 538-7370, ext. 345.

Wine and beer tastings/classes

BENESSERE WINES AND "TERROIR": J.D. Ford Fine Wines, 1925 S Osprey Ave., Sarasota. Sampling from boutique Napa winery, Benessere, with zinfandel, other Italian varietals, 5-7 p.m. today, $5; tasting 6 p.m. March 6 explores the French term, "terroir" that includes the vineyard's microclimate, growing areas and the subtle differences produced, $25. To reserve either tasting, call: (941) 362-9463.

ABC WINES: 5-7 p.m. Thur., ABC Fine Wines and Spirits, 6398 Ninth St. N, St. Petersburg. Sample 12 wines, plus hors d'oeuvres: $2. Call (727) 527-1579.

PATRON'S CHOICE: 7:30 p.m. March 9, A Taste For Wine, 241 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Taste several bottles for the price of one. Cost varies with wine selection. Call (727) 895-1623.

THE REDS OF MEDOC: 6:30 p.m. Mon., SideBern's, 2208 W Morrison Ave., Tampa. Bern's wine experts David Black and Ken Collura lead spring class on wines from the Medoc region of France, the heart of Bordeaux: $25. Limited seating. Call (813) 250-9463 to reserve.

PIC PAC TASTING: 5-7 p.m. Fri., Pic Pac Fine Wine and Spirits, 6609 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Free weekly tasting: (727) 347-0743.

MAZZARO'S TASTING: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat., Mazzaro's Italian Market, 2909 22nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg. Free tasting: (727) 321-2400.

Cooking classes

WINTER MENU, MILLET: Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa, offers free classes on winter-themed vegetarian dishes, 7 p.m. today, 10 a.m. Thur., and how to use grains like millet in cooking, 7 p.m. March 6, 10 a.m. March 7: free. Call (813) 873-7428.

ROASTING, DONE WELL: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sat., La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. High-temperature roasting technique is the focus of this handson class: menu includes roast capon; mesclun, pear, walnut and Parmesan salad withe raspberry vinaigrette; fudge cake: $35. Call (727) 736-3070.

FANCY CAKES: 6:30-8:30 p.m. beginning Tue., Michael's Crafts, 2010 34th St. N, St. Petersburg. Four-week beginner's cake-decorating course lets you bring a friend at no charge: $25 for course; call (727) 323-4333.

BREAD BAKING: 6:30-9 p.m. March 6, La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Basil-tomato corn muffins, brioche, oatmeal sandwich loaf are among breads made in this handson class: $35. Call (727) 736-3070.

OYSTERCATCHER'S CLASS: noon March 9, Oystercatcher's Restaurant at Hyatt Westshore, 6200 Courtney Campbell Causeway, Tampa. Oystercatcher's Chef leads class from preparation to presentation; three-course meal complemented with Champagne and beverages. Cost: $50 (includes tax and gratuity). Limited seating, call: (813) 207-6815.

Contest

EGGARAMA: Love to decorate eggs? Eggarama contest judges 12 categories, from Faberge-style to sugar eggs, beaded and painted or dyed. Eggs are awarded prizes up to $300 and displayed in show after the contest deadline, March 9. Contest applications are available at the St. Petersburg Main Library, 3745 Ninth Ave. N and all St. Petersburg branch libraries and recreation centers or call (727) 399-2784. The proceeds benefit the Coalition of Opera Lovers and Friends of St. Petersburg Library.

- Send news of coming events at least two weeks in advance of the publication date to Food File, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.

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