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© St. Petersburg Times, published July 24, 2002
Special events and food tastings
FESTIVAL DEL MAIZE: 6-10 p.m. Thur., Viva La Frida, 5901 N Florida Ave., Tampa. Celebrate corn in four-course dinner, "live art" performance by the chef follows; $30, plus tax and gratuity. Call (813) 231-9199
"COME TOGETHER" PARTY: 5:30-8 p.m. Fri., Mise en Place, 442 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. Culinary artists, winemakers, artists, musicians and special guest Louise Harrison, sister of Beatle George Harrison, converge for evening of wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres plus a talk by Harrison: "Earth Charter: A Declaration of Interdependence"; $35 inclusive, call (813) 254-8454 to RSVP.
TASTE OF CASABLANCA:beginning 5 p.m. Sat., at Rosita's Rumpelstiltskin's Gallery, 70 Sixth St. S, downtown Largo. Stroll from course to course as Casablanca-themed progressive dinner takes participants on a Moroccan feast to five bay area restaurants; Participants encouraged to dress in Casablanca movie attire. Tickets: $18, limited availability day of event. Call (727) 518-8442.
ALL ABOUT ALE: all evening Fri. and Sat., Kelly's For Just About Anything, 319 Main St., Dunedin. Four-course dinner paired with beer, beer and more beer; menu includes Jamaican jerk shrimp with mango vinaigrette, brined and smoked pork tenderloin with pink peppercorn passion fruit sauce, peach and strawberry shortcake; $32.50. Call (727) 736-5284.
TROPICAL FRUITS & FOOD EXPO: 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Sat., Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Activities Center, 811 S Palm Ave., Sarasota. Tastings, cooking and growing seminars on tropical fruits including citrus, to mangoes, carambola and more. Free with garden admission: $10 adults, $5 kids 6-11, under 6 free; reserve box lunch ($6) by calling (941) 366-5731, ext. 239; for more information, visit www.selby.org.
DINE WITH THE DEVIL RAYS: 6 p.m. Sun., Grill at Feather Sound, 2325 Ulmerton Road, Clearwater. Devil Rays players, wives and coaches serve dinner to guests, live and silent auctions; proceeds benefit Florida Chapter ALS Association, aiding those with Lou Gehrig's disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Tickets: $125, RSVP required. Call (813) 874-2122.
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' DINNER: 6:30 p.m. Tues., Roy's, 4342 W Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa. Five-course wine dinner prepared by chef Rand Packer features California wines including Benessere Napa Valley sangiovese and 1998 Justin Paso Robles "Obtuse" dessert wine; $75, plus tax and gratuity; (813) 873-7697.
ERIC'S ITALIAN WINE FEAST: 7 p.m. Aug. 1, Eric's New World Bistro, 1026 Florida Ave., Palm Harbor. Wines such as Struzziero Greco di Tufo and a Tuscan 1997 Carpineto Chanti Classico Riserva pair with five courses that include porcini crusted sea bass on arugula salad, polenta stuffed quail wrapped in prosciutto, veal roulade with gorgonzola and truffled peach tiramisu; $60 plus tax and gratuity. Call (727) 787-7734.
GERMAN WINES: 6:30 p.m. Fri., Uncorked Fine Wines and Accessories, 2706 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. German wines from rieslings to spatburgunders; $10, includes souvenir tasting glass; portion of proceeds benefits American Diabetes Association; (727) 892-9463.
INDEPENDENT MINDED: 7-9 p.m. Fri., Vintage Wine Cellars, 3629 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. Off the beaten path wines with an independent spirit; Willamette 1998 pinot noir, Cape Indaba 2000 cabernet sauvignon and Hop Kiln 2000 "Thousand Flowers;" $10. Call (813) 879-2931.
WASHINGTON STATE WINES: 6 p.m. Sat., A Taste For Wine, 241 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Sample a selection of bold cabernets and lush syrahs from Washington state; $18. Call (727) 895-1623.
FRESH MARKET AND FLORIDA WINES: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat., Florida Estates Winery, four miles west of I-75 on State Road 52 near Land O'Lakes. Sample the winery's nine locally produced varieties, plus food samples, fresh market, music and carriage rides on the winery's 3,600 acres. Call (813) 996-2113 for information.
TAMPA BAY WINERY: 5-7 p.m. Fri. and Sat., Tampa Bay Winery, 1350 Main St., Dunedin. Sample from 28 handcrafted wines including ice wine, barolo, sauvignon blanc, peach chardonnay and more from newly-opened winery; free, but reservations needed: (727) 733-8000.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST: 6:30 p.m. Mon., SideBern's, 2208 W Morrison Ave., Tampa. Oregon's pinot noirs and pinot gris, Washington's merlots, rieslings and cabernet sauvignons are at the heart of Pacific Northwest Wines class led by Ken Collura, head sommelier at Bern's Steak House; $25. Call (813) 250-9463 to reserve.
THE AMAZING AVOCADO: 7 p.m. today, 10 a.m. Thur., Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Learn to make amazing avocado dishes in free vegetarian class with chef Debby DeGraaff. Call (813) 873-7428.
TEMPTING TAMALES: 6-10 p.m. Tues., Viva La Frida, 5901 N Florida Ave., Tampa. Make fresh Aztec-style tamales, class enjoys light dinner and each makes a dozen tamales to take home; $50. Call (813) 231-9199.
TEEN SURVIVAL SNACKS: 6:30 p.m. Mon., Apron's Cooking School at Publix Supermarket Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway, Tampa. Class teaches teens ages 12-16 snack survival tips; menu includes pizza bread, cordon bleu bites, mini egg rolls and tiny pies; $25. Limited class size, call (813) 926-4465.
START WITH THE BASICS: 6:30-9 p.m. July 31, La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. First in a series of three classes, this hands-on class designed for beginning cooks focuses on cutlery skills and appetizers; menu includes salmon cakes with ginger aioli, grilled chicken with dried fruit and toasted coconut salsa and fruit fritters with caramel sauce; $59.99 or $164.99 for all three classes. Call (727) 736-3070.
CHEFS, DON YOUR APRONS!: 6:30 p.m. Aug. 1, Apron's Cooking School at Publix Supermarket Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway, Tampa. Chef Thomas McKinney-Steh of Oystercatchers and chef Parker Stafford of Splash! Ocean Grill square off in competition to create the best menu with six ingredients: shrimp, monkfish, beets, plantains, tomatilloes and peaches; $50, (813) 926-4465.
- 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.