Strutting the Year of the Rooster:
Molos on the Riverfront, 1 Pershing Road in Weehawken, will host a Chinese New Year celebration, Thursday, January 26, starting at 8 pm. A four-course fixed-price menu ($75, with multiple options for both appetizers and entrees) as well as a la carte selections will be offered. Fireworks over the Hudson River will add to the festivities. For more information visit molosrestaurant.com and for reservations call 201-223-1200.
Cheng Du 23, 6 Willowbrook Boulevard in Wayne, will usher in the Year of the Rooster with five specially selected dishes. Saturday, January 28 through February 13, the Sichuan restaurant will feature maple crispy duck; flounder filet with mushrooms in soybean paste sauce; steamed chicken with chili sauce and peanuts; Sichuan sausage with pearl mushrooms, leeks and green garlic; and tea-smoked bacon with garlic and leeks. For reservations and more information, call 973-812-2800.
For a Good Cause:
The Heldrich Hotel, 10 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, will host a Craft Beer & Spirits Festival, Saturday, January 28, from 4 to 8 pm in the hotel’s ballroom. The Justin Jones Trio will perform throughout the festival, which benefits Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Monmouth and Middlesex counties. Tickets are $40 per person if purchased in advance or $45 at the door. More than 25 craft beer and spirits vendors will be on hand. To purchase tickets or for more information, call 732-214-2206 or visit theheldrich.com.
Dearborn Market, 2170 Route 35 in Holmdel, will host the Meatball Cooking Challenge, Sunday, January 29, from noon to 2 pm at the market. The competition raises money for Bridges Outreach for the Homeless, an organization that brings food and clothing to the homeless and displaced. Contestants must register and bring their meatballs to the market to set up between 11 and 11:30 am the day of the competition. Judging starts promptly at noon. For more information and to register, visit dearbornmarket.com or call 732-264-0256.