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Food File

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

By PEGGY ANDERS
Published January 31, 2007

SPECIAL EVENTS

Tampa Bay Culinary Club: 1 p.m. Sat., Ponte's Tuscan Grill, 2544 N McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. Tampa Bay Culinary Club members meet for demonstration of signature dishes by chef Tim Thompson; $10. Registration required by today. Advance payment required for new attendees. Call (727) 789-2605.

Einstein on Wine: 6-9 p.m. Sat., Museum of Science and Industry, 4801 E Fowler Ave., Tampa. Annual wine tasting benefit with 80 vintners, culinary treats from more than 20 restaurants, silent auction; $70 advance, $60 members, $80 at door if available. Call (813) 987-6000.

Wine, Art & Heart: 7 p.m. Fri. winemaker dinner at Hospice of Florida Suncoast, 3050 First Ave. S, St. Petersburg, 7-10 p.m. Sat.; wine and food pairing at Salvador Dali Museum, 1000 Third St. S, St. Petersburg. Guests can attend dinner pairing four courses with Fritz Winery wines Fri., or enjoy food and small vineyard wine pairings, desserts and museum tours Sat.; $120 dinner only, $60 Dali event only, $150 both events, benefits Hospice and King of Peace Church. Call Cile at (727) 560-4300 or go to wineartandheart.org.

Swanson Style: 6:30 p.m. Tue., Maritana Grille, Don CeSar Beach Resort, 3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. Swanson's meritage, semillion, chardonnay pair with chef Eric Neri's five courses, which include squab, lobster tail salad, asiago gnocchi; $125. Call (727) 360-1881, ext. 2601.

Beers of the World: 5-9 p.m. Feb. 8, Cafe Alma, 260 First Ave. S, St. Petersburg. Handcrafted beers, including Three Philosophers and Rogue Chocolate Stout, and crab cakes, duck, more; $35, $45 day of event; benefits Abilities Foundation. Call (727) 502-5002 or (727) 538-7370, ext. 349.

Evening Extraordinaire: 6-9 p.m. Feb. 8, Safety Harbor Resort & Spa, 105 N Bayshore Drive. Fine wine and food sampling event, tastes from Aunt Chilada's, Blue Heron, Mystic Fish, domestic, international wines; $30 advance, $35 at door. Call (727) 784-4287.

Best Teen Chef Competition: High school seniors can compete to win culinary scholarships in Art Institute of Tampa's Best Teen Chef Competition, with local and national cookoffs. Apply by Feb. 9. Call (813) 393-5330.

WINE TASTINGS/CLASSES

The Rhone Road: 6-8 p.m. today, Tastings, A Wine Experience, 149 First Ave. N, St. Petersburg. Experience diverse flavors of France's Rhone region in tasting of red, white wines; $10. Call (727) 894-2255.

ABC Samplings: ABC Fine Wine & Spirits tastings include:

- More than a dozen wines, plus hors d'oeuvres, 5-7 p.m. today, 204 107th Ave., Treasure Island; $5. Call (727) 360-6153.

- Dozen wines, along with hors d'oeuvres, 5-7 p.m. Thur., 6398 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N, St. Petersburg; $5. Call (727) 527-1579.

- 70 wines from around the world, hors d'oeuvres, cigar, whiskey sampling, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 7, 1603 Missouri Ave., Largo; $10. Call (727) 581-4642.

Harr's Valentine Tasting: 7-9 p.m. Thur., Harr's Surf & Turf Market, 3235 Tampa Road, Shoppes at Cloverplace, Palm Harbor. Find the perfect wine for a special Valentine from among 50 varieties, paired with hors d'oeuvres; $15. Call (727) 785-8873.

Red, White and Global: 6-8 p.m. Fri., Pic Pac Fine Wine, 6609 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Super Bowl sampling of red and white wines from around the world; $5. Call (727) 347-0743.

South American Sampling: 7:30 p.m. Fri., Charlie's Wine Bar, 533 S Howard Ave., Tampa. Sample South America's signature carmenere and malbec varieties from Argentina, Chile, paired with tapas; $15 advance, $20 at door. Call (813) 250-1967 or go to www.charlieswine.com.

Super Sampling: 5-8 p.m. Fri., 1-4 p.m. Sat., A & L Fine Wines, Palm Harbor Plaza, 35249 U.S. 19 N. Wines, from petite syrah, pinot noir, cabernet and more; free. Call (727) 781-4760.

Napa Wine & Dine: 7:30-9 p.m. Sat., Charlie's Wine Bar, 533 S Howard Ave., Tampa. Napa/Sonoma Wine, Dine & Learn pairs wine lesson, wines from California with four-course dinner; $35, advance registration required. Call (813) 250-1967.

WineStyles Benefit: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 7, WineStyles Belleair Bluffs, 2800 West Bay Drive, Belleair Bluffs. Wine tasting, appetizers, silent auction to benefit American Cancer Society Relay for Life; free, but donations accepted. Call (727) 518-9463.

Sinfully Good Zins: 6-8 p.m. Feb. 7, Lincoln Heights Bistro, 603 Elm St., Safety Harbor. Alexander Valley Vineyards' Temptation Zin and Sin Zin among varieties in valentine tasting; $12. Call (727) 726-4210 to register.

Stogie and Stouts: 7-11 p.m. Feb. 8, Dunedin Brewery, 937 Douglas Ave. More than 20 stouts, porters, ales for sampling, plus cigar, sampling glass; $20 advance, $25 at door. Buy tickets at dunedinbrewersguild.com or call (727) 736-0606.

California Dreamin': 5-8 p.m. Feb. 8, VINO 100, 5056 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Free sampling includes Zynthesis 2002 zinfandel, Prospero 2002 syrah. Call (727) 522-8466

VIP Valentine Sampling: 6-8 p.m. Feb. 9, Pic Pac Fine Wine, 6609 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. VIP sampling of international fine wines and champagnes for Valentine's Day; $10, part of proceeds benefit Abilities Foundation. Call (727) 347-0743.

Valentine Benefit Sampling: 5-8 p.m. Feb. 9, Pasadena Liquors & Fine Wines, 1100 Pasadena Ave. S, South Pasadena. More than 60 wines, including sparkling, port and dessert varieties, spirits and hors d'oeuvres; $20, benefits Clearwater Chargers Girls soccer club. Call (727) 347-9607.

Spain, South America: 3-6 p.m. Feb. 11, B-21 Fine Wine & Spirits, 43380 U.S. 19 N, Tarpon Springs. Spanish and South American Grand Wine Tasting; $25, reservations required by Feb. 9. Visit b-21.com (click on "Wine Tastings") or call (727) 937-5049 and press 1.

COOKING CLASSES

Winter Wonders: 11 a.m. Sat., Nature's Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater. Winter Wonders class makes stuffed and baked winter squash, vegetable stew; free. Call (727) 443-6703.

Everything Italian: Create "la cucina Italiana" at home with four-week class on Italian language, cuisine and culture, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesdays, begins Tue., Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium, 2080 Badlands Drive, Brandon; $185, includes dinner, materials. Advance registration required. Call (727) 866-6892 or go to www.learnalanguage.us.

SuperBowl Bash: 11 a.m. Sat., Apron's Cooking School at Publix Supermarket at Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway, Tampa. Teen class makes Super Bowl favorites, including Tex-Mex five-layer dip, party muffaletta, pizza rolls; $25. Call (813) 926-4465 or go to publix.com/aprons/schools.

Bistro Cuisine, Brunch Basics: La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin, presents:

- Hands-on class makes French bistro cuisine, including rack of lamb Persilade, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sat.; $50.

- Sweet n' spicy bacon, brie tart among brunch dishes demonstrated, noon-2:30 p.m. Sun.; $50.

Call (727) 736-3070.

Sweetheart Dinner: noon-1 p.m. Feb. 8, Clearwater Main Library, 100 N Osceola Ave. Chef Bil Mitchell of Apron's Cooking School shows how to prepare a romantic Valentine's Day dinner; free. Call (727) 562-4970, ext. 5284.

Cake Decorating, Artisan Cheeses: Rolling Pin, 2080 Badlands Drive, Brandon, presents:

- Cake Decorating class that makes flowers from fat-free royal icing, 6:30-9 p.m. Feb. 8; $40.

- Make steak and blue cheese bruschetta, other dishes using artisan cheese, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 9; $40.

Call (813) 653-2418, then press 3, to register.

Armani Cuisine Creations: noon-3 p.m. Feb. 10, Armani's (at Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay), 2900 Bayport Drive, Tampa. Class explores chef Patrick Rene Schaefer's favorites from the Armani menu; $75, includes wine, cookbook. Call (813) 207-6800 to register or go to www.armanisrestaurant.com.

WORTH SENDING FOR:

Celebrity Cookbook: Favorite pasta recipes from Harrison Ford, Pierce Brosnan, Mario Batali, others, in Celebrity Pasta Lovers' Cookbook, available by free online download at CelebrityPasta Lovers.com. For every cookbook downloaded, Barilla Pasta will donate $1 (up to $100,000) to Second Harvest organization to help fight hunger.

Compiled by Peggy Anders of the Times. Send news of coming events at least two weeks in advance to Food File, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.

[Last modified January 30, 2007, 12:00:35]