LET’S GET COOKING (AND DRINKING)
On March 9, learn how to taste and pair Napa Valley wines at a Food and Wine Pairing: Napa Valley Style demo cooking class at the Viking Culinary Center, 4 Sperry Road, Fairfield. The following menu will be presented: artisanal California chèvre with fresh herbs on olive oil crostini (Sauvignon Blanc), pan-seared sea scallops with lemon brown butter (Chardonnay), wild mushrooms à la bourguignon (Pinot Noir), roasted rack of lamb (Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon), and phyllo chess tartlets (Napa Valley sparkling wine). 6 to 8:30 PM; $119. To enroll, log on to www.vikingcookingschool.com or call 973-244-1580.
Robert Ubhaus, chef/owner of Resto, 77 Main Street, Madison (973-377-0066), in conjunction with the Adult School of the Chathams, Madison, and Florham Park, will present two demonstration cooking classes/dinners at Resto; BYO. The menus are different for each night. The first class is Monday, March 12, at 6:30 PM, and the second class is Monday, April 16, at 6:30 PM. To register, call the Adult School at 973-443-9222 or visit www.ssreg.com/chatham. On the website, enter “Resto” in the category search box at the top right, view the menu for each session, and then follow the registration instructions. Register early, as seating is limited to 24 seats per class.
The following cooking classes will be taught at the Academy of Culinary Arts at Atlantic Cape Community College, 5100 Black Horse Pike, Mays Landing: March 13, Traditional Celtic Flavors; April 10, An Evening in Warsaw; May 8, An Evening in the Greek Isles. Each class will be held from 6 to 9 PM and costs $65. To register, call 609-343-4829 or visit www.atlantic.edu/conted.
It’s not too early to start thinking about what your teen will be doing this summer. If he or she loves to cook, there’s a Teens’ Summer Cooking Camp at Chef Central, 240 Route 17 North, Paramus. Students can enroll in classes on Basic & Advanced Cooking, Baking, or Italian Cuisine, which start the week of June 25 and end the week of August 31. Each camp costs $425 plus a $75 tool kit for first-time campers and operates Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 1 PM. For more information, call 201-576-0100.
A series of classes, the Great Wine Regions of Italy (Tuscany, Campania, Basilicata, Sicily, Piedmont, and the north), led by GM/wine director Jim Mullen, will be held at the Frog and the Peach, 29 Dennis Street, New Brunswick. The dates are March 16 (Tuscany), March 23 (Campania, Basilicata, and Sicily), and March 30 (Piedmont and the north). Each class is $55; all three are $130. A Grand Finale wine dinner will be held on April 14; the dinner and three classes are $235, and the dinner alone is $125. For more information and reservations, call 732-846-3216 ext 15 or e-mail [email protected].
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UPCOMING RESTAURANT WEEKS
Atlantic City Restaurant week will be held March 4 through 10 with more than 60 participating restaurants offering a three-course lunch for $15.12 and a three-course dinner for $33.12. For more information, log on to www.acrestaurantweek.com.
Bloomfield Restaurant Week will be held March 4 through 10 with participating restaurants offering a prix-fixe menu for $30 or less (not including drinks, tax, and tip). Restaurants include Bar Cara, Bloomfield Steak & Seafood, Bohemia Latin Cuisine, Brookside Thai Restaurant, Mes Reves, Senorita’s Mexican Grill, Spice Thai Cuisine, and Stamna Greek Taverna. For more information, log on to www.bloomfieldrestaurantweek.com.
Taste of Montclair will held on March 19 from 5:30 to 9 PM at the Grove, 691 Pompton Avenue, Cedar Grove, to benefit the Food Pantry, the Salvation Army Feeding Program, and Toni’s Kitchen. $40 before March 15, $50 thereafter. The event will kick off Montclair Restaurant Week, which will run from March 20 through April 1, with participating restaurants offering specially priced meals for $31 or less. For more information, log on to http://montclairrestaurantweek.com or call Diane Lilli at 973-868-9028.
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GARDEN STATE CAKE SHOW
On March 10 and 11, the Garden State Cake Show will be held at Burlington Township Middle School at Springside, 1600 Burlingon Bypass, Burlington, to benefit the Burlington Township Food Pantry. This two-day event will offer classes, cake competitions, vendors, demos and much more. Ages twelve and up: $10 for one day/$15 for both, or $5 plus two canned goods for one day/$10 plus four canned goods for both days. Ages four to eleven: $2 for one day/$3 for both days. Ages three and under are free. For more information, log on to www.gscakeshownj.com.
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THE GRAPE DEBATE CHARITY EVENT
On March 9, the Grape Debate will be held at the Basking Ridge Country Club, 185 Madisonville Road, Basking Ridge, to benefit Our House, which provides community housing, jobs, and recreational programs to more than 250 individuals with developmental disabilities. At the event, there will be passed appetizers and four culinary stations (pasta, sushi, prime rib, and desserts), along with a wide variety of wines and vodkas provided by Gary’s Wine and Marketplace. The evening will also include an interactive Tasting Tutorial presentation by advanced sommelier Jonathan Ross. 7 to 10 PM; $100. For tickets, log on to www.thegrapedebate.org.
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LOOKING AHEAD
From March 30 through April 1, the New Jersey Wine & Food Festival will be held at Crystal Springs Resort, Hardyston, to benefit the James Beard Foundation and the Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation. The events will include a grand tasting, wine cellar dinner with guest of honor Chef Thomas Keller, a Top Chefs & Top Wines dinner featuring five boutique wines, and seminars featuring winemakers and chefs. For more information, log on to www.njwinefoodfest.com or call 973-827-5996 ext 3.
On Wednesday, April 4, a Rites of Spring dinner with Chef Thomas Ciszak, owner of Blue Morel Restaurant and Wine Bar, Morristown, and Chakra Restaurant, Paramus, and Chef Kevin Takafuji of Blue Morel will be held at the James Beard House, 167 West 12th Street, NYC. 7 PM; $170, James Beard Foundation members $130. For reservations, call 212-627-2308.
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DINING DEALS
March Madness will be celebrated throughout the month at the Atlantic City Country Club, 1 Leo Fraser Drive, Northfield (609-236-4415), with happy hour pricing and a half-price bar menu from 11 AM to 5:30 PM daily.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 500 Route 73 North, Marlton (856-988-1351), has a “5 for $6 till 7” bar menu with new additions such as a white cosmo, sparkling Mas Fi cava from Spain, and baked Brie in puff pastry available daily in the bar from 5 to 7 PM.
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Please send press releases and restaurant news, including information on staff changes, wine tastings, and cooking classes, to [email protected].