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Food file

By TIMES WIRES
Published February 21, 2007

SPECIAL EVENTS

DeLoach Dinner: 7 p.m. Thur., Cabana Grill & Bar, 1590 Gulf Blvd., Clearwater Beach. DeLoach Vineyards presents its pinot noir, cabernet, more at dinner; $75. Call (727) 595-1807.

Fiesta Day: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat., at Ybor City's Saturday Market in Centennial Park, Eighth Avenue and 19th Street. Ethnic foods, marketplace, judged Flan Fest (11 a.m.-4 p.m.), black bean Iron Chef-style competition (11 a.m.-noon, amateurs; 2-3 p.m. for professionals); free admission, charge for flan samplings. Call (813) 248-0721, or (813) 241-2442 for Flan Fest contest.

Tampa Bay Vegetarians: 7 p.m. Tue., Lincoln Heights Bistro, 603 Elm St., Safety Harbor. Tampa Bay Vegetarians invite guests to meal, including vegan paella, plus talk on the Energetics of Food; $13, plus extra $2 for nonmembers, reserve by Sat.. Visit www.tampabayvegetarians.org or call (727) 432-3327 or (813) 269-4665.

Winefest: 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 Winefest with winery tours and tastings, music, food and wine available for purchase; donation: $2. Call toll-free 1-800-768-9463, or (352) 394-8627, or www.lakeridgewinery.com.

Strawberry Festival: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thur., 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun., March 1-11, at Plant City Fairgrounds off U.S. 92, Plant City. Strawberry shortcake, cobbler, milkshakes and ice cream among treats at annual festival. Food available, entertainment, midway, exhibits; $9 ages 13 and up, $5 ages 6-12, 5 and under free with paid adult. Call (813) 752-9194 or flstrawberryfestival.com.

Bern's Winefest: Tickets for Bern's Winefest, April 27-30, now available at bernswinefest.com; popular events ($95-$250) sell out quickly and include Saturday Soiree, Grand Tasting, Winemaker Dinner; Bern's Fine Wine & Spirits, 1002 S Howard Ave., Tampa.

WINE TASTINGS/CLASSES

Wines from the World: 5:30-7:30 p.m. today, ABC Fine Wines & Spirits, 3110 W Gandy Blvd., Tampa. More than 70 international and domestic wines to try, plus hors d'oeuvres, cigar and whiskey sampling. Call (813) 839-7167.

Wine & Gelato Tasting: 7-9:30 p.m. Thur., La Casa Dolce Cafe, 406 S Howard Ave., Tampa. Try five flavors of frozen sorbets and gelatos paired with wines; $10. Call (813) 259-0002.

Wine Favorites: These VINO 100 locations present free sampling of the wine staff's favorite picks:

- 5-8 p.m. Thur., 5056 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg; (727) 522-8466.

- 4-7 p.m. Fri., 1038 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico; (813) 654-8466.

All From California: 1-5 p.m. Fri., 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat., Mazzaro's Italian Market, 2909 22nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg. Explore California wines from cabernets to chardonnays; free. Call (727) 321-2400.

Wine, Bubblies and Beer: 7:30 p.m. Fri., Charlie's Wine Bar, 533 S Howard Ave., Tampa. Try wines from Australia to France, sparkling wines, European and domestic beers; $15 advance, $20 at door. Call (813) 250-1967 or charlieswine.com.

Red Carpet Reds: 7 p.m. aperitif, 7:30 p.m. tasting Fri., Vintage Wine Cellars, 3629 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. Reds sampled include Far Niente 2000 cabernet sauvignon, John Duval 2004 Plexus; $25. Call (813) 879-2931.

Value Vintages: 6-8 p.m. Fri., Pic Pac Fine Wine, 6609 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Sample wines from around the world with big flavors, small prices; $5. Call (727) 347-0743.

Fiesta Friday: 5-9 p.m. Fri., Florida Estates Winery of St. Petersburg, 3101 37th Ave. N (one mile west of I-275), St. Petersburg. Sampling of winery's varieties includes light snacks; $6. Call (727) 526-2113.

WineStyle Samplings: WineStyles Belleair Bluffs, 2800 West Bay Drive:

- Under the Tuscan Sun tasting of Italian favorites, 7 p.m. Fri., free.

- Count Collato, owner/winemaker of Collato Wines, one of oldest wineries in Italy's Veneto region, presents organic varieties, 5-8 p.m. March 5, free. Call (727) 518-9463.

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

Brewer's Ball: noon-4:30 p.m. Sun., Skipper's Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Road, Tampa. Tasting and awards for best microbrewed beers in Florida, plus music; $20 advance, $25 at door. Call (813) 971-0666.

Benefit Tasting: 6-8 p.m. March 2, 3613 S Beach Drive, Tampa. Fine Wine & Spirits Warehouse offers more than 60 wines including Justin, Sonoma-Cutrer, St. Francis, plus cheeses; $15 per person or $25 per couple, benefits United Nations Association. Call (813) 837-8941.

COOKING CLASSES

Conversational Cuisine: Four-week class on Italian language, cuisine and culture, 6-8 p.m. Thursdays, beginning Thur., Castellano & Pizzo Italian Gourmet Foods, 4200 S Henderson Blvd., Tampa; $195; or five-week Italian class 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays beginning Feb. 28, Bacco's Tuscan Cuisine, 23 N Lemon Ave., Sarasota, $255. Registration required, call toll-free 1-888-386-5764 or www.Learnalanguage.us.

Easy Eastern Flavors, Fast Pasta: Williams-Sonoma at Westfield Citrus Park, 8066 Citrus Park Towne Center, Tampa, (813) 920-6939, presents:

- Easy Asian Fare class makes pad Thai, beef salad, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Sun., $35.

- Food Made Fast: Pasta makes spaghetti carbonara, pappardelle with mushrooms, 6-8 p.m. Tue., $35.

Asian Tea Ceremony: 10 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. or 1-2:30 p.m. Mondays beginning Mon.-March 26, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute program class at Eckerd College, 4200 54th Ave. S, St. Petersburg. Korean-style tea ceremony taught by Eunkyung Na; $69, $49 members. Call (727) 864-7600 to register.

Perfect Pastries: 6:30 p.m. Tue., Apron's Cooking School at Publix Supermarket at Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway, Tampa. Former executive pastry chef to Windows on the World, Nick Malgieri, shows how to create banana walnut tart, other cakes, tarts and pastries; $50. Call (813) 926-4465 or publix.com/aprons/schools.

"Mommy & Me," Tyler Florence Recipes: Rolling Pin, 2080 Badlands Drive, Brandon:

- Mommy & Me: International Lunches for moms and kids ages 4-6 builds skills together, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. March 1, $25.

- Tyler Florence's Recipes from a Real Kitchen class makes the Food Network's chef's easy recipes, 6:30-9 p.m. March 1, $45.

To register, call (813) 653-2418, then press 3.

Heart-Healthy: 5:30 p.m. March 5, auditorium, St. Anthony's Hospital, 1200 Seventh Ave. N, St. Petersburg. Renaissance Vinoy Chef Nathan Rich and registered dieticians prepare heart-healthy meal. Cost: $18, includes dinner, recipes, nutritional information; must reserve by March 1. Call (727) 820-7910.

Better Diet, Better Health: 2-3:30 p.m. Fridays beginning March 2-April 13, St. Bernard's Catholic Church, 248 South Harbor Drive, Holmes Beach. Cancer prevention diet class topics include low-fat, vegetarian and whole-grain cooking techniques, planning healthy meals, immune-boosting and fiber-rich foods; free. Limited seating, call (941) 778-1908 to register by March 1.

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 February 20, 2007, 21:38:22]