BIG, FAT GREEK FESTIVAL
On May 3 and 4, the Fourth Annual Opa! Big, Fat Greek Festival sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Parish of Hunterdon County will be held at Razberry’s Banquet Center, Route 12 East, Flemington. Enjoy traditional Greek cuisine, including pasticcio, moussaka, spanakopita, souvlaki, and roasted lamb, as well as traditional pastries such as baklava (honey-nut strudel), koulourakia (butter cookies), kourabiedes (almond shortbread cookies), and loukoumades (honey-covered doughnuts), plus Greek coffees. Greek music, folk dancing, cultural exhibits, vendors, children’s rides, and amusements will add to the fun.
Additionally, noted sommelier and wine educator George Staikos will select a variety of wines representing the different regions of Greece, which can be paired with dishes served at the festival. Greek beer will also be available.
Saturday noon to 10 PM; Sunday noon to 8 PM; free admission and parking. For more information and directions call 908-782-9741 or visit www.go-church.org. Money raised at the event will go toward construction of a new Byzantine-style church.
SPRING FESTIVAL CHEFS’ DINE-AROUND
On May 1, enjoy a five-course dinner with wine accompanying each course at the Spring Festival Chefs’ Dine-Around in Cape May. Each course will be served in a different restaurant, and a trolley shuttle will be provided. 6 PM; $125. For more information and reservations call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278.
COOKIN’ COUNTRY
A Cookin’ Country class with Chef Jesse Jones will be held on May 7 at Kings Cooking Studio, Short Hills, and on May 13 at Kings Cooking Studio, Bedminster. To be demonstrated are country cornbread, “best” barbecued chicken, country-fried corn, creamy coleslaw, pickled beet salad, and fried apple pies. 6:30 to 9:30 PM; $55. To register call 973-463-6500.
LOVE MY CAKE
No need to run to the bakery for sweets, as Love My Cake, an online bakery and vintage boutique, will deliver orders exceeding $50 to Northern NJ and Manhattan. A delivery charge is assessed depending on the location. The product line includes red velvet cupcakes, dulce de leche cheesecake, chocolate cherry torte, cinnamon streusel loaf, cookies, and brownies. Owner Sonya Newton has been baking since she was a child and often refers to her mother’s recipes for inspiration. The boutique sells items such as aprons, tea towels, mugs, and dessert plates, making it easy to create a gift basket for any occasion. Find Love My Cake at www.lovemycakeboutique.com, and watch for a small store that will be opening in Montclair.
BUSINESS EXPRESS LUNCH
Restaurant David Drake, 1449 Irving Street, Rahway, is offering a two-course Business Express Lunch; Mondays through Fridays 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM; $19. For reservations call 732-388-6677.
FOOD EVENTS
4/25: A four-course Down Under wine dinner will be held at the Mad Batter, 19 Jackson St, Cape May. 7:30 PM; $70. For reservations call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278.
4/25: A four-course Simi wine dinner will be held at Pegasus Restaurant at the Meadowlands Racetrack, 50 Rt 120, East Rutherford. 6 to 10 PM; $80 plus tax and gratuity (including Pegasus admission, program, and betting voucher). For reservations call 201-843-2446.
4/25: Cocoa Vines Divine, a wine, chocolate, cheese, coffee, tea, “and more” tasting, will be held at Hamilton Farms, 1040 Pottersville Rd, Gladstone, to benefit Creative Heartwork, a nonprofit organization that uses the arts to help heal children who have experienced trauma, loss, serious illness, or disability. 7:30 to 10:30 PM; $60 up to ten days prior to the event; $75 thereafter. To purchase tickets call 973-889-0809.
4/26: A four-course Boulder Brewing Company beer lunch will be held at High Street Grill, 64 High St, Mount Holly. Noon to 2:30 PM; $45. For reservations call 609-265-9199.
4/26: A spring wine and food tasting will be held at the Hunterdon Museum of Art, 7 Lower Center St, Clinton. Pre-tasting wine seminar 2:30 to 3:30 PM; tasting 4 to 6 PM; $100 for seminar and tasting; $60 for tasting alone. For reservations call 908-735-8415.
4/26: A Chocolate Fantasy buffet will be presented at the Washington Inn, 801 Washington St, Cape May. 2 PM; $35. For more information and reservations call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278.
4/27: A three-course dinner with music will be held at the Mad Batter, 19 Jackson St, Cape May. 7:30 PM; $60. For reservations call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278.
4/28: A Chocolate Fantasy buffet will be presented at the Washington Inn, 801 Washington St, Cape May. 2 PM; $35. For more information and reservations call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278.
4/28: A five-course Jean-Luc Colombo Wines From the Rhone Valley dinner will be held at Restaurant Serenade, 6 Roosevelt Ave, Chatham. 7 PM; $150 all inclusive. For reservations call 973-701-0303.
4/28: A walk-around wine tasting with artisanal cheeses, a raw bar, and an assortment of passed hors d’oeuvres will be held at Restaurant Nicholas, 160 Rt 35 S, Middletown. 6 to 8:30 PM; $95 per person, $50 of which will go toward a wine purchase. Call 732-345-9977 to reserve your tickets.
4/28: A charity event, Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation, will be held at the Westin Princeton, Forrestal Village, Princeton, to benefit Share Our Strength, a nonprofit group that helps to end hunger in America and abroad. 6 PM; $85 in advance; $95 at the door (if available). For tickets call 877-26TASTE or visit www.princetontaste.org.
4/29: Taste of Weehawken will be held at Lincoln Harbor, 1200 Harbor Blvd, Weehawken. Preview 6:30 to 7:30 PM, $55 in advance, $65 at the door; general admission 7:30 to 9:30 PM, $30 in advance, $35 at the door. Advance tickets will be available at the Weehawken Library.
4/29: A World of Bubbles wine tasting will be held at City Vino, 33-35 Hudson St, Jersey City. 7 PM; $35. For more information and reservations call 201-333-5520.
4/30: A Beaulieu Vineyard winemaker’s dinner will be held at Catelli Restaurant, Plaza 1000 Main St, Voorhees. 6:30 to 9:30 PM; $65 plus tax and gratuity. For reservations call 856-751-6069.
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