Bell Market Beer Fest
Friday, March 6, 6–9pm
For some reason spring and fall seem to be prime craft beer time. This Friday, head to Bell Market’s Beer Fest in Holmdel, including tastes from breweries like Carton, Jughandle, Red Tank, Asbury Park Brewing, Icarus, and Kane. Food is promised but unspecified (and likely light fare, i.e. not dinner). Tickets are $40 and proceeds go to help Hops for Awareness, a beer industry-based non profit dedicated to providing assistance to children and adults with special needs. Bell Market, 101 Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel; 732-365-2500
Louis Martini Wine Dinner at Rat’s Restaurant
Thursday, March 19, 6pm
Rat’s Restaurant at the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton is hosting Joe Canal’s (liquor and wine store out of Lawrenceville) for this Louis Martini Winery dinner featuring wines from the Napa Valley. Ss of this writing, 33 seats out of 40 are left. The exclusivity isn’t a gimmick so much as a tool—fewer people means more focus per person from wine to wine (all of which are available for sale at Joe Canal’s). There will be four courses and six wines. Martini’s is an old winery—with roots in sacramental Prohibition-era wines, no less—and a major stake in the venerable Napa Cab game. Come prepared for big flavor, if you can score at ticket ($100 per person). Rat’s Restaurant, 16 Fair Grounds Road, Hamilton; 609-584-7800
“Chewdaism: A Taste of Montreal” and “Gefilte” in Cherry Hill
Tuesday, March 24, noon–3:30pm
Here’s a chance to get a documentary about Montreal food and gefilte fish under your culinary cultural belt. “Chewdaism” is a 2018 documentary about the rich and historic Montreal Jewish food scene from YidLife Crisis YouTube series creators Eli Batalion and Jamie Elman. And it looks a lot more fun than your average nonfiction take on religious culinary history (think: bagels, lox, some babka-induced skipping). “Gefilte” is a short and entirely unexpected film that turns one Detroit family’s Passover celebration into an elegy and ode to Jewish food and culture (and, yes, the art of gefilte). Tickets to the screening and luncheon (which begins at noon and includes gefilte) are $30 for non-members and $25 for members. Katz JCC, 1301 Springdale Road, Cherry Hill; 856-424-4444
Troegs Beer Dinner at Stone & Rail
Thursday, March 26, 8–11pm
Stone & Rail in Glen Rock is hosting some nearby talent for their beer dinner with Troegs Independent Brewing. Troegs is brewed in Hershey, Pennsylvania, but in the wide world of craft beer, that’s close to home for Jersey. The dinner is kind of a steal, with four (as yet undecided) courses paired with four (as yet unchosen) Troegs beers for just $44. Stone & Rail is known for their reliable gastropub-style food (kielbasa corn dog, lamb burger, shrimp and grits). Troegs does sturdy but also deeply nuanced beers, the kind of thing you want to drink against a backdrop of well-executed but not show-stealing fat and salt. Stone & Rail, 175 Rock Road, Glen Rock; 201-345-0709