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Food File

A look at what's happening around the bay area.

By PEGGY ANDERS
Published June 15, 2005

Special events and food tastings

OLD WORLD, NEW TASTES: 7 p.m. today, Columbia Restaurant, 2117 E Seventh Ave., Ybor City. Miguel Torres, fifth-generation winemaker at Torres Winery, presents varieties to pair with courses from Columbia's chefs during wine dinner; $50. RSVP required; call (813) 248-4961.

FATHER'S DAY TEA: noon, 2:30 p.m. seatings, Sun., Davis and Daughters Tea Cottage, 530 Alt. U.S. 19 N, Palm Harbor. Treat dad to tea; menu includes baked-potato soup, roast beef sandwiches, apple crisp; $15.95 adults; RSVP required; call (727) 785-7790.

HARVEST FESTIVAL: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards, U.S. 27, 3 miles south of Florida Turnpike Exit 285, near Clermont. Annual Harvest Festival with food and wine available for purchase, grape-stamping, tastings, guided winery tours, arts and crafts, live music. Admission: $2 donation to Hospice Foundation. Call toll-free 1-800-768-9463, 352 394-8627 or visit www.lakeridgewinery.com

BELLINI AND BANFI: 6:30 p.m. June 23, Bellini Restaurant, 487 Main St., Dunedin. Banfi Vintners pair merlot Mandrielle, Principessa Gavi, San Angelo pinto grigio and more with five-course Italian dinner; $100 per person. Call (727) 733-5449 to RSVP.

MELTING POT TASTING: 6:30-8 p.m. today, Melting Pot, 25822 U.S. 19 N, Clearwater. Wine tasting includes Louis Martini and Ravenswood cabernet sauvignon, McWilliams shiraz and chardonnay, Bridgeview Blue Moon riesling, Chateau St. Jean Gewurztraminer; $10 donation, benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Call (727) 797-4426 to RSVP.

VIP TASTING FOR DAD: 6-8 p.m. today, Pic Pac Fine Wine, 6609 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Tasting of wines, both domestic and global, paired with hors d'oeuvres from O Bistro; $25, portion of proceeds benefits Abilities Foundation. Call (727) 347-0743.

"DOWNTOWN AFTER SIX': 6-10 p.m. Thur.; pick up map to downtown Tampa locations for wine specials at Jerk Hut, 207 E Twiggs St. and Spain Restaurant, 513 Tampa St.; $3 donation. Tampa Bay Uncorked event. Visit www.tampabayuncorked.org for tickets or for more information.

ABC TASTING: 5-7 p.m. Thur., ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, 204 107th Ave., Treasure Island. Neighborhood tasting features more than a dozen wines, plus light hors d'oeuvres; $5, includes coupon for wine purchase and souvenir logo glass. Call (727) 360-6153.

GLOBAL TASTING: 6-8 p.m. Fri., American Spirits, 280 Third St. S, St. Petersburg. Taste wines and rums from around the world in free, informative sampling. Call (727) 895-8700.

TRINITY TASTING: 5-8 p.m. Fri., Trinity Spirits & Wine, Mitchell Ranch Plaza, 3208 Little Road, New Port Richey. Try Chateau St. Michelle wines from Washington state; free. Call (727) 372-5655.

SAVORING SUMMER WINES: 7-8:30 Fri., Got Wine, 662 Main St., Dunedin. Try wines suited for summer, including Kangaroo Ridge shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, Geyser Peak reserve Alexander meritage, Mondavi fume blanc reserve, sparkling peach bellinis and other wines from around the world in free sampling. Call (727) 736-4077.

"WHO'S YOUR DADDY?" TASTING: 7-9 p.m. Fri., Vintage Wine Cellars, 3629 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. Father's Day tasting samples wines made from grapes grown in the Old World, then New World versions of the same grape, including Drouhin pouilly fuisse 2003, Witness Tree 2003 Willamette pinot noir, Davis Bynum 2004 Russian River fume blanc; $25. Call (813) 879-2931 to RSVP.

PORTUGAL PLEASURES: 6:30 p.m. Fri., Uncorked Fine Wines and Accessories, 2706 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. This week's tasting features wines from Portugal; $10. Proceeds benefit the St. Petersburg Free Clinic. Call (727) 892-9463.

SPANISH FIESTA: 7:30 p.m. Fri., Charlie's Wine Bar, 533 S Howard Ave., Tampa. Spanish wine and food pairing features wines from Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Rias Baixas, La Tierra Manchuela, served with Spanish treats; $12 advance, $15 at door. Call 813 250-1967 or visit www.charlieswine.com

GRAND TASTING: 7-9 p.m. Fri., The Grand, 6238 Grand Blvd., downtown New Port Richey. Enjoy "grand" evening of fine-wine tasting and jazz; $15. Call (727) 848-7098.

TASTE OF ITALY: 3-6 p.m. Sun., B-21 Fine Wine & Spirits, 43380 U.S. 19 N, Tarpon Springs. Taste tour of the wine regions of Italy; try wines from Tuscany, Sicily, Umbria, Piedmont and more at Taste of Italy sampling; $20 before Fri., then $25, if available. Call 727 937-5049, ext. 210, or visit www.b-21.com to reserve.

GREAT GRAPE TYPES: 6:30-8 p.m. Mon., Brick Room at SideBern's, 1002 S Howard Ave., Tampa. Summer tasting classes kick off with introduction to and exploration of premier grape types, from riesling to pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon, led by David Black; $25. RSVP required; call (813) 250-9463.

SUPERB SICILIANS: Any time between 6-8 p.m. Tue., A Taste for Wine, 241 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Wines from Sicily; $12. To RSVP, call (727) 895-1623.

PROSE AND PINOT: 6-8 p.m. June 22, Raymond James Community Room, Salvador Dali Museum, 1000 Third St. S, St. Petersburg. Dali's "Wine & Song" series presents poetry readings and seated wine tasting with light snacks; $15, $5 for Dali members. Call (727) 823-3767, ext. 3024, to RSVP.

"ZIGNATURE" WINE TASTING: 5-8 p.m. June 26, St. Bart's Island House, 1502 S Howard Ave., Tampa. Krewe of Zingaro presents benefit tasting of wines from around the world, food samplings, silent auction, all to benefit Children's Cancer Research Group at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital; $35 advance, $40 at door. Call 813 831-1011 or visit www.uncorkthecure.org

GOURMET SALADS: Nature's Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater. Main Dish Salads class with Kerrie and Robert Broe; spinach salad with honey pecans, mandarin oranges and smoky tempeh strips, or a "chocolate" salad with chocolate dressing, 6:30 p.m. today; free. Call (727) 443-6703.

DINNER FOR DAD: 7-8 p.m. today, 10-11 a.m. Thur., Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Learn to make a healthful, tasty Father's Day dinner for dad in free vegetarian cooking class with Chef Debby DeGraaff. Call (813) 873-7428.

LIVING FOODS: 11 a.m. Sat., Nature's Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater. Chef Joseph Custer makes nori rolls and Asian salad in Living Foods Made Easy demonstration; free. Call (727) 443-6703.

PIES WITH PANACHE: Let Them Eat Cake, 3805 S West Shore Blvd., Tampa. Advanced Pie class, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun.; $100. Class includes supplies, RSVP required; call (813) 837-6888.

VERSATILE VINAIGRETTES: 7-8 p.m. June 22, 10-11 a.m. June 23, Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Learn how to add new flavors to salads as Chef Debby DeGraaff makes versatile vinaigrettes in free vegetarian class. Call (813) 873-7428.

SAUCEMAKING, COUPLES COOKING: La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Mastering the Art of Saucemaking class with bechamel, lyonnaise, mousseline, apple mayonnaise, tarragon cream sauces, 6:30-9 p.m. June 22, $60; or Couples Cooking class makes flatbread pizza, macadamia crusted whitefish with papaya salsa, strip steak with mascarpone creamed spinach, chocolate chip macaroons, 6:30-9 p.m. June 24, $95 a couple or $49.50 a person. Call (727) 736-3070 to RSVP.

APRON'S CLASSES: Apron's Cooking School at Publix Supermarket at Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway, Tampa. Father/Child Catch of the Day class, making such seafood dishes together as whole grilled snapper Provencale, grouper with dill cream sauce, grilled seafood pizza, 11 a.m. Sun.; $35 for father/child pair; or learn new ways to prepare shrimp in All About Shrimp class; menu includes riesling-marinated shrimp and zucchini salad with roasted garlic dressing, apricot-ginger shrimp, 6:30 p.m. June 24, $35. Call (813) 926-4465 to RSVP.

MARTINI MANUAL: For a free CD with thousands of martini recipes that can be searched by category holiday, cream, low-carb, summer, etc., visit the Van Gogh Vodka Web site at www.vangoghvodka.com and sign up for the Martini Club, or call (888) 539-3361.

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.

[Last modified June 14, 2005, 08:53:13]