SIDEBERN'S WINE DINNER: 6:30 p.m. today, SideBern's, 1002 S Howard Ave., Tampa. Chef Jeannie Pierola pairs courses with wines from California's Barnett Vineyards; $100.01 per person, tax and gratuity extra. Limited seating. Call (813) 258-2233 to reserve.
DUNEDIN DOES DESSERTS: 7-9 p.m. Fri., Schiller University Garden Room, 453 Edgewater Drive, Dunedin. Dunedin Youth Guild hosts desserts-only event, with free recipe book; $15. Call (727) 734-0394.
STONE CRAB BALL: 6 p.m. Sat., Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, 600 Klosterman Road, Tarpon Springs. Celebrate the start of stone crab season; stone crabs, shrimp, Greek salad, more, kids activities. Tickets: $50, kids under 14 free with paid adult. Call (727) 712-5762.
TAMPA BAY VEGETARIANS: 7 p.m. Oct. 28, Mirage Restaurant, 2284 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd., Clearwater. Tabouli, Greek salad, stuffed grape leaves, hummus and baba ghanouj, eggplant, baklava and more are on menu at meeting of the Tampa Bay Vegetarians; talk on detoxification follows; $14, additional $2 for nonmembers, includes tax and gratuity. To reserve, call (727) 392-0268 by 5 p.m. Oct. 24.
EPCOT FOOD AND WINE: Beginning Sat. through Nov. 16, Epcot's World Showcase at Walt Disney World; leave I-4 at Exit 64, west of Orlando. Oktoberfest; daily wine tastings, seminars and culinary demonstrations, wine dinners. Epcot admission required. Call (407) 824-4321.
STONE CRAB, SEAFOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL: Oct. 30-Nov. 2, Colony Beach & Tennis Resort, 1620 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key. Guest chefs pair cuisine that features Florida stone crab and seafood with wines from around the world at annual festival heralding the start of stone crab season; chef demonstrations, food and wine tastings, gala dinner; single event prices vary, package price: $1,765 per couple. Call toll-free 1-800-426-5669 or visit www.colonybeachresort.com and click on Special Events.
RADIO MYSTERY TEA: Noon and 2:30 p.m. seatings Sun., Davis and Daughters Tea Cottage, 530 Alt. U.S. 19 N, Palm Harbor. Old Time Radio Mystery Tea includes autumn harvest quiche, tea sandwiches, scones, pumpkin cream tea; $15.95. Call (727) 785-7790 to RSVP.
Wine and beer tastings/classes
CHAMPAGNE CLASS: 6:30-9 p.m. today, Vintage Wine Cellars, 3629 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. Expand your champagne expertise at sparkling wine class; $25. Call (813) 879-2931 to reserve.
AUTUMN IN VIRGINIA: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Fri., Got Wine and Cigars, 1006 Broadway (Alt. U.S. 19), Dunedin. Sample red and white wines from Virginia, also white Bordeaux, merlot and shiraz produced by family operated vineyards in France; hors d'oeuvres; free. Call (727) 736-4077.
GERMAN WINES: 6:30 p.m. Sat., Apron's Cooking School, Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway, Tampa. White wines, light and fruity red wines from Germany, paired with menu that includes wiener schnitzel, spaetzle, poached pears; $35. Call (813) 926-4465 to RSVP.
AMERICAN PINOT NOIRS: 6:30-8 p.m. Mon., Bern's Fine Wine and Spirits, 2008 W Morrison Ave., Tampa. Ken Collura leads class on American pinot noir wines from California and Oregon; $30. RSVP required: (813) 250-9463.
CALIFORNIA CRUISING: 5:30-8 p.m. Tue., Mystic Fish, 3253 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor. Pepperwood Groves pinot noir, Bonny Doon Big House Red, Fetzer white zinfandel are among wines at free tasting. Call (727) 771-1800.
ARMANI'S AUSTRALIAN TASTING: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Oct. 22, Armani's (at Hyatt Regency Westshore), 6200 Courtney Campbell Parkway, Tampa. Taste Lindeman's reserve chardonnay, Wynns Connawarra riesling, Rosemount shiraz, Penfolds Bin No. 2 shiraz mourvedre, $10; stay for dinner and tasting fee is waived. Call (813) 207-6800; RSVP required.
CALIFORNIA WINE FESTIVAL: 6-9 p.m. Oct. 24, Vintage Wine Cellars, 3629 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. Celebration of California's newest bottlings and releases from Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara counties and more; more than 30 wines include Zaca Mesa, Iron Horse, Beaulieu Vineyards; $15, includes coupon for wine purchase. Call (813) 879-2931 to reserve.
HEAVENLY WINES II: 7-9:30 p.m. Oct. 25, Church of the Holy Spirit, 601 Phillippe Parkway, Safety Harbor. Caribbean-themed wine tasting with varieties from around the world, presented by Ed's Fine Wines; hors d'oeuvres, steel drum music; $15. Call (727) 796-4220.
Cooking classes
HEALTHY BREAKFASTS, LUNCH: La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin, offers nutrition-approved classes: breakfasts, with no-Hollandaise eggs benedict, oatmeal French toast, 6:30-8 p.m. today, $25, plus tax; or healthy lunch menu, Asian beef salad, no noodle chicken lasagna, black and white bean salad, salmon cakes, noon-1:30 p.m. or 6:30-8 p.m. Oct. 22, $25. Call (727) 736-3070 to RSVP either class.
LOW CARB MENU, EASY ASIAN PARTY: Sugar Free Desserts, 2660 Bayshore Blvd., Causeway Plaza, Dunedin, offers classes: low-carbohydrate cooking with chicken casserole, vanilla cream pie (gluten free, sugar free), 6:30-8:30 p.m. Fri., $45; or Easy Asian Fare with spicy lemongrass rice noodles, tofu puffs, salmon with spicy peanut butter sauce, pumpkin pie (gluten free, sugar free), 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sat., $45. Call (727) 738-9525.
SEAFOOD AT ROY'S: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Tue., Roy's, 4342 W Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa. Executive chef Rand G. Packer prepares steamed blue crab and shrimp rangoon, roasted pumpkin and Parmesan calamari salad, mahi mahi with Vietnamese sambal butter; $45 includes lunch and recipe booklet. Registration required. Call (813) 873-7697.
APRON'S CLASSES: Apron's Cooking School, Publix Supermarket at Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway, Tampa, offers: Cooking for the Week, 6 p.m. Mon., $60; French Techniques, three-class series begins 6-10 p.m. Oct. 22 (also Oct. 29, Nov. 5), $150; visit from Helen Chen, daughter of Chinese cooking expert Joyce Chen, with Asian menu, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 24, $50; Call (813) 926-4465 to RSVP.
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.
