Celebrate 25 Years of the Washington Inn Wine School in Cape May

Plus: More events in Little Ferry, Morristown, Stone Harbor and beyond.

Photo courtesy of the Washington Inn

Wine School at the Washington Inn: 25th Anniversary
Friday, December 6

The Wine School at the Washington Inn in Cape May is celebrating its 25th year in operation with—you guessed it—an evening of good drinking. And the drinking will likely be very good, given the celebratory air yes but also the restaurant’s mammoth wine list. It’s not a dinner, FYI; wine and bubbly are the main event (what better way to celebrate), but chances are your $40 ticket price gets you a few nibbles, too. Call to reserve a ticket. The Washington Inn, 609-884-5697

Sicilian Wine Pairing Dinner at the Cake Lounge
Thursday, December 12

The Cake Lounge in Little Ferry definitely has a variety of sweeter (i.e. cake-inspired) martinis, if that’s more your style. But on Thursday, December 12, they’re paying homage to the very nuanced, supple, and sprinkles-free flavor profiles of Sicilian wine. Tickets to the wine pairing dinner are $47.99, and that gets you five courses and five Sicilian wines selected by the Cake Lounge’s wine educator, Kathryn Califano. Ticket prices also include tax and gratuity, so you can avoid doing tip calculations once the check comes and focus on the wines. The Cake Lounge, 389 Liberty Street, Little Ferry; 201-336-9819

BYO Seven Fishes Dinner at Spiaggetta in Stone Harbor
Saturday, December 14, 6:30–10pm

There’s a reason Friday’s dinner at Spiaggetta in Stone Harbor is scheduled to last two-and-a-half hours: the Feast of the Seven Fishes is a traditionally long (as in at least seven dishes-long) Italian-American Christmas Eve meal. Spiaggetta is doing this BYO Seven Fishes 10 days early, and even if you plan to host or attend your own, you’re in for a treat at the waterside restaurant, where seafood is the heart of the menu. The appetizers alone are close to seven fishes—there’s Baccala Salad, Little Neck Clams in White Wine Sauce, Broccoli Rabe and Anchovies Bruschetta. Larger dishes include Diver Scallops over creamy risotto, Branzino with an orange beurre blanc, and Calamarata with Paccheri Pasta (all pastas are house-made, and paccheri, FYI, are short wide tube shapes). The dinner is BYO (which helps with the price, only $69), but there is prosecco to start. Get your tickets online. Spiaggetta Italian Seafood Trattoria, 9800 Third Avenue, Stone Harbor; 609-368-9400

Winter Menu Preview at South + Pine
Sunday, December 15, 5–9pm

As announced on Instagram, South + Pine is hosting a quiet preview of its Winter Menu on December 15. It’s six courses for $66 dollars, and while the tasting itself doesn’t go four hours (that’s just a reservation window) we’re guessing you’ll be encouraged to linger over your food. It’s unclear whether some recent Instagram teases—Adobo-braised Lamb, Coriander-Crusted Long Island Duck Breast—are from the forthcoming menu or not, but they’re reason enough to come see what is in store from chef Leia Gaccione this winter. South + Pine, 90 South Street, Morristown; 862-260-9700

Bonus Holiday Gift Cards at the Red Store
Through Tuesday, December 17

From now through December 17, any $100 gift card you buy for the Red Store (and other Bread & Butter properties, including the Taco Shop and Quahog’s) will get you a free $20 bonus gift card. Which, yes, you’re more than welcome to add to your original gift card and really dig into Che Manteca’s 2020 menu (the restaurant is closed for the season). Or you can “pay it forward,” tip a mail carrier, surprise a coworker, treat yourself to a much-needed solo lunch. You can buy the cards online. Just buy before the 17th for that extra little bonus. The Red Store, 500 Cape Avenue, Cape May Point; 609-884-5757

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