FRIDAY, MAY 25
John Shields, formerly of Town House (Chilhowie, VA) and a recipient of Food & Wine’s Best New Chef award in 2010; Curtis Duffy, the chef at Grace in Chicago; and acclaimed chefs and authors Alex Talbot and Aki Kamozawa of Ideas in Food will be joining executive chef Scott Anderson at Elements, 163 Bayard Lane, Princeton, as part of the Guest Chef Summer Series. 6 PM, including a special cocktail party with the chefs followed by a seven-course tasting dinner; $145 (beverage pairings will be available for an additional $65). For more information and reservations, call 609-924-0078 or visit www.elementsprinceton.com.
SUNDAY, MAY 27
Food Truck Wars will be held at Monmouth Park, 175 Oceanport Ave, Oceanport. A panel of guest judges will evaluate the trucks’ food for taste, quality, and innovation, and attendees can cast their votes for People’s Choice Awards throughout the day. The event will also feature an array of crafters, vendors, and live music, as well as activities for children. Gates open at 11:30 AM, thoroughbred racing begins at 12:50 PM, festival hours are noon to 5 PM. Grandstand admission, which includes admission to the festival area, is $3. Children twelve and under enter free. Food prices vary. For more information, visit www.monmouthpark.com or call 732-747-4449.
TUESDAY, MAY 29
Iron Hill Brewery, 124 East Kings Hwy, Maple Shade, will host a five-course spring beer dinner. 7 to 9 PM; $70 including gratuities. Reservations are required; call 856-273-0300.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 30
The Great Grill & Pig Out, aka Swine & Wine, with guest of honor Anita Lo, executive chef/owner of Annisa in New York City and a winner on Iron Chef, will be held at the Estate at Florentine Gardens, 97 Rivervale Road, River Vale, to benefit Table to Table. Participating restaurants include Axia Taverna, Cafe Panache, Liberty House Restaurant, Nico/Fascino, Park West Tavern, Varka Estiatorio, and Village Green. 6:30 PM; $250. For tickets, call 201-444-5500.
THURSDAY, MAY 31
Create and sip cocktails at a Drinko de Mayo class at Liberty House, Liberty State Park, 78 Audrey Zapp Dr, Jersey City. 7 PM; $35. RSVP at 866-683-3586 and save $5.
FRIDAY, JUNE 1
A Weyerbacher beer dinner will be held at Salt Creek Grille, 1 Rockingham Row, Princeton Forrestal Village (Rt 1), Princeton; 7 PM. Call 609-419-4200 for reservations and more information.
FRIDAY, JUNE 1, TO SUNDAY, JUNE 3
Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest will be held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds, 37 Plains Rd, Augusta, featuring music, food, crafts, and camping. Menu items, which are $10 or under, include boiled crawfish, crawfish étouffée, boudin links, shrimp Creole, grilled alligator sausage, and po’ boys. For more information, log on to www.crawfishfest.com.