4/30: Taste of Asbury Park, sponsored by the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce, will be held along Cookman Ave. Some of the participating restaurants are Bond Street Bar, Belmonte’s, Brick Wall, Fish, Lailia’s, Munch, Old Man Rafferty’s, Stella Marina, and Synaxis. 11 AM to 5 PM; $5. Restaurant samplings are $3 to $5 each. Beer, wine, and nonalcoholic beverages will also be available. For more information, visit www.asburyparkchamber.com/festivals.asp. Rain date: May 1.
4/30: The Third Annual Spring Craft Beer Fest by High Street Grill, Mount Holly, will be held at the Historic Burlington County Prison Museum, with more than 50 beers, lots of food, live music, and tours of the prison. 1 to 5 PM; $35. For ticket information, call 609-265-9199.
4/30: A Hoppy Belgian Brews class will be taught by John Hoyos of Hunterdon Brewing at Amanti Vino, 30 Church St, Montclair. 4 PM; $30. To reserve a seat, call 973-509-9463.
4/30: Allison Fishman, author of You Can Trust a Skinny Cook, will hold a book signing at Watchung Booksellers, 54 Fairfield St, Montclair, from 1 to 2 PM. For more information, call 973-744-7177.
5/1: Fill, temper, and roll your own personalized truffles at a class taught by master chocolatier Pascal A. Lemaire at Greek Taverna, 175 Rock Rd, Glen Rock. Attendees will take home a one-pound box (about 30 pieces), which is a perfect gift for Mother’s Day. 1 to 5 PM; $29. For reservations, call 201-857-4528.
5/2: A Cooking for Kids: Gourmet Fare event to benefit St Joseph’s Children’s Hospital will be held at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel, East Rutherford. Guest of Honor Lidia Bastianich will be signing copies of Lidia Cooks From the Heart of Italy and Nonna Tell Me a Story. Restaurant critic Teresa Politano, author of Celebrity Chefs of New Jersey, will be in attendance, along with Dina Manzo from Real Housewives of New Jersey, former Giants quarterback Phil Simms, media personalities Lori Stokes and Steve Adubato, and the staff from Carlo’s Bakery, featured in TLC’s Cake Boss. The 50 participating chefs include Scott Anderson of Elements in Princeton; Humberto Campos of Restaurant Lorena in Maplewood; Scott Cutaneo, official chef for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games; Ryan DePersio of Fascino in Montclair and Bar Cara in Bloomfield; Michael Carrino from Restaurant Passionné in Montclair; John Benjamin of Restaurant Latour at Crystal Springs in Hamburg; and Ariane Duarte of CulinAriane in Monclair. 6 to 7 PM VIP champagne tasting preview $250, 6:30 to 9:30 PM general admission $175. For tickets, call 973-754-4408.
5/2: A dinner sponsored by the Epicurean Society of Southern New Jersey will be held at the Laguna Grill Martini Bar, 1400 Ocean Ave, Brigantine Beach. 6:30 PM; $40, members $25. For reservations, call 609-645-3330.
5/2: A Wines of Cantina Terlano From Trentino seminar, tasting, and dinner will be held at Undici Taverna Rustica, 11 West River Rd, Rumson. 6:30 PM; $75 all-inclusive. For reservations, call 732-842-3880.
5/2: A Cooking for Kids: Gourmet Fare event to benefit the St Joseph’s Children’s Hospital will be held at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel, East Rutherford. 6 to 7 PM VIP champagne tasting preview $250, regular admission from 6:30 to 9:30 PM $175. For tickets, call 973-754-4408.
5/3: A Taste of Southern Ocean Hunger Relief Dinner to benefit local food banks will be held at the Sea Oaks Country Club, 99 Golf View Dr, Little Egg Harbor. 5:30 PM; $125. For tickets, call 609-494-7211.
5/3: A Full-Moon Dinner Buffet hosted by the American Vegan Society will be held at Careme’s Restaurant at Atlantic Cape Community College’s Academy of Culinary Arts, 5100 Black Horse Pike, Mays Landing; 6:30 PM. For price info and reservations, contact the American Vegan Society at 856-694-2887.
5/4: An evening of traditional Spanish cuisine with Ines Oro of Terra Nostra Wines will be held at Mediterra Restaurant, 29 Hulfish St, Princeton. 6 to 8 PM; $55 plus tax and gratuity. For reservations, call 609-252-9680.
5/4: A Wine Exploration and Appreciation Class: Central California Coast will be held at High Street Grill, 64 High St, Mount Holly. 6:30 to 9:30 PM; $35. For reservations, call 609-265-9199.
5/5: A Chefs Gala will be held at the Alpine Country Club, 80 Anderson Ave, Demarest, to benefit Table to Table, whose mission is to collect prepared and perishable food that would otherwise be discarded and deliver it free to organizations that serve the hungry. Restaurateur and founder of Myriad Restaurant Group Drew Nieporent will be the guest of honor at the black-tie gala. Participating chefs who will be serving their signature dishes are Anita Lo from Annisa, David Burke from David Burke Townhouse and David Burke Fromagerie, Peter Kelly of Xaviars at Piermont, Ryan DePersio from Fascino, and Florian Bellanger from Mad Mac. 6:30 PM; regular tickets $400, VIP tickets $600 (includes a VIP reception with the chefs and other exclusive benefits). For tickets, call 201-444-5500.
5/6: A five-course Sixpoint Ale dinner will be held on the patio at Maritime Parc, 84 Audrey Zapp Dr, Liberty State Park, Jersey City; $60 plus tax and gratuity. For reservations and more information, call 201-413-0050.
5/6: A five-course Out of the Ordinary wine dinner will be held at the Mad Batter, 19 Jackson St, Cape May, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities. 7:30 PM; $75. For reservations, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278.
5/6: A five-course scotch tasting dinner with five scotches from Compass Box Whisky will be held at the Milford Oyster House, 92 Rt 519, Milford. 7 to 9:30 PM; $70. For reservations, call 908-995-9411.
5/6: A Long Meadow Ranch wine dinner with Chris Hall will be held at Stage Left, 5 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick. 7 PM; $139 plus tax and gratuity. For reservations, call 732-828-4444.
5/7: Allison Fishman, author of You Can Trust a Skinny Cook, will hold a book signing at Book Ends, 211 East Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, from 11 AM to noon. For more information, call 201-445-0726.
5/10: A Taste of Spring: Pinot, Pasta, Primavera with appetizers will be held at Eno Terra, 4484 Rt 27, Kingston. 6 to 8 PM; $49 plus tax and gratuity. For reservations, call 609-497-1777.
5/11: A Cajun, Creole, and French wine tasting and food pairing will be held at Trinity and the Pope, 649 Mattison Ave, Asbury Park, to benefit the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. For more information and reservations, call 732-807-3435.
5/12: A six-course David Arthur wine dinner will be held at Restaurant Nicholas, 160 Route 35 S, Middletown. 6:30 PM; $120. For reservations, call 732-345-9977.
5/14: A Buy-Rite & Super Buy-Rite Super Sampling, with food, will be held at the Harborside Financial Center, Plaza 1 Atrium, 34 Exchange Pl, Jersey City, to benefit the Sarala Bathena Cancer Fund and the Jersey City Police. 7 to 11 PM; $99. For tickets, call 201-239-1200.
5/14: An On the Grill cooking class will be held at Phillips Seafood Restaurant, Level 3 of Pier Shops at Caesars, Atlantic City. 11:30 AM; $65. For reservations, call 609-348-2273.
5/15: A Lilac Party with wines and hors d’oeuvres will be held at the Willowwood Arboretum, 300 Longview Rd, Chester, to benefit the Willowwood Foundation. 4 to 7 PM; $75. This is a tented event and will be held rain or shine. For more information, call 908-234-1815, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.willowwoodfoundation.org.
5/16: A wine tasting featuring selections by Antinori will be held at Undici Taverna Rustica, 11 West River Rd, Rumson. 6:30 PM; $85. For reservations, call 732-842-3880.
5/16: A Grand Tasting will be held at Pleasantdale Chateau, 757 Eagle Rock Ave, West Orange, to benefit the Jersey Battered Women’s Service. 6 to 9:30 PM; $350. For more information, contact development director Helen Le Frois at 973-267-7520 ext 123 or at [email protected].
5/17: A five-course Kunde Vineyards wine dinner with Jeff Kunde will be held at Halycon Brassierie, 114 Walnut St, Montclair. Doors open at 5 PM, pre-sip and hors d’oeuvres 6:15 PM; $80 plus tax and gratuity. For reservations, call 973-744-4450.
5/18: The Great Grill & Pig Out will be held at the Estate at Florentine Gardens, 97 Riverdale Rd, River Vale, to benefit Table to Table, whose mission is to collect prepared and perishable food that would otherwise be discarded and deliver it free to organizations that serve the hungry. Cookbook author and Emmy-winning TV personality Michael Chiarello will be the guest of honor. Along with wine, more than 30 restaurants will present tastings. Participants include the Capital Grille, Chakra, Picnic, Oceanos, Harvest Bistro, Esty Street, and Il Capriccio. 6:30 PM; regular tickets $250, VIP tickets $350 (include a VIP reception with the chefs and other exclusive benefits). For tickets, call 201-444-5500.
5/18: A Wines of South Africa dinner featuring wild game and seafood will be held at Rat’s Restaurant, 16 Fairgrounds Rd, Hamilton, at 6 PM. For price information and reservations, call 609-584-7800.
5/18: Conversations With the Chef, a series sponsored by the YJCC of Bergen County, will be held at Taverna Mykonos, 238 Broadway, Elmwood Park. 11:30 PM; $48, members $38; includes lunch. To register, call 201-666-6610 ext 222 or e-mail [email protected].
5/18: A Wines of Burgundy tasting with hors d’oeuvres will be held at One 53, 153 Washington St, Rocky Hill; $75. For time information and reservations, call 609-921-0153.
5/19: An Evening of Wine and Roses will be held at the Lackland Center at Centenary College, Hackettstown, to benefit the Newton Memorial Hospital Foundation. 5:30 to 9:30 PM; regular tickets $125, VIP tickets $200 (or $300 per couple). For tickets and more information, call 973-579-8309.
5/21: A Chili & Salsa Cook-Off will be held on Washington Street, Toms River. 11 AM to 5 PM; free admission and parking; tasting kits are $6 until May 20 at 4 PM and $7 on the day of event. For more information, log on to http://downtowntomsriver.com or call 732-946-2711.
5/21: A Grill Masters cooking class taught by executive chef Todd Villani will be held at the Park Avenue Bar & Grill, 3417 Park Ave, Union City. For time, cost, and reservations, call 201-617-7274.
5/22: Cherry Grove Farm, 3200 Lawrenceville Rd, Lawrenceville, will have a cookout sale with special guests, food, 40 percent off country ribs (all week long), and cooking demos at 1 and 3 PM with chef Marcia Willsie. 11 AM to 5 PM. For more information, call 609-219-0053.
5/23: St. George Church, Asbury Park, will host its fourth annual food and wine tasting event, A Taste of the Shore, at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, 1401 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park. The event will benefit the Church Building Fund. 6 to 10 PM; $60, $100 for two. For tickets, call 732-775-2777 or go to www.stgeorgeap.org.
5/24: A Penfolds wine dinner will be held at McCormick and Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant, 175 Riverside Sq, Hackensack. 7 to 10 PM; $60 plus tax and gratuity. For reservations, call 201-968-9410.
5/26: A Wine Gala will be held at the W Hotel, 225 River St, Hoboken, sponsored by Sparrow Wine Company and benefiting the Hoboken Charter School. There will be more than 250 varieties of wines to taste, along with hors d’oeuvres and live music. 7 to 10 AM; $100. For tickets, log on to www.hcs-pa.org or visit the Sparrow wine stores in Hoboken.
5/27 through 5/29: The Seventh Annual Opa! Big Fat Greek Festival, “A Taste of Greece in Hunterdon County,” will be held at Razberry’s Banquet Center, 834 Rt 12 E, Frenchtown, to benefit the church-building fund of the St. Anna Greek Orthodox Church. Greek food will be offered, along with Greek wine and beer. The event will also feature Greek music, folk dancing, children’s activities, vendors, handcrafted items, imported Greek specialties, wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, an art exhibit, door prizes, and dance contests. Free admission and parking. For more information and directions, visit www.stannagoc.org, e-mail [email protected], or call the St. Anna parish office at 908-782-9741.