Fall Cocktail Class at Summit House
Wednesday, October 23, noon – 2pm
The first of three “Lunch & Learn: Holiday Craft Cocktails” classes at Summit House, next Wednesday’s inaugural class is all about fall flavors. Not only does the class involve lunch (so you can fortify your stomach), but your teacher is Summit House bar manager Bobby Frascella. Frascella’s won his share of awards, and add that to his ambition with ice blocks, you’re in good hands. You’ll be learning two cocktails during class, one of which is bourbon-based with a spiced pear liqueur. Tickets are $50. If you can’t make this round, there are classes on November 6 and November 20. Summit House, 395 Springfield Avenue, Summit; 908-273-6000
Albert Bichot Burgundy Wine Dinner at Chez Catherine
Thursday, October 24, 6:30pm
If you were looking for a delicious way to toast fall in style, look to Burgundy (and a dinner like this). Burgundy wines (and not just the iconic red) are perfect for early fall—subtle, idiosyncratic, mysterious, playful—and next Thursday they’ll share center stage with seasonal French cuisine in a five-course pairing dinner at Chez Catherine. All of the night’s wines come from Domaine Albert Bichot, a longstanding family-run estate passed from one generation to the next (there’s an Albert currently at the helm). Among the pairings on the night’s menu are things like Scallops with Purple Potato Chowder and a Premiere Cru Burgundy from 2016, Grilled Quail with Wild Rice and Concord Grapes Gastrique with their Morgon “Les Charmes” 2017, and decadently creamy Burgundian Epoisse cheese with Sea Salt Crackers and Fennel and a brut rosé crémant. Tickets are $160 per person, excluding tax and a 20 percent gratuity. Chez Catherine, 431 North Avenue West, Westfield; 908-654-4011
Whiskey at the Beach in Long Branch
Friday, October 25, 7:30–11:30pm
Yes—darn it—summer’s over. But if there’s any way to be down the Shore in October and still feel all warm and loose, this is it. The New York and New Jersey events-based Whisky Guild is putting on a big tasting event at Ocean Place Spa & Resort in Long Branch, with over 100 whiskies for your official sipping pleasure. (Regions and styles range from Scotch, Irish, Canadian, and Japanese whiskies to every honeyed hue of American bourbon and beyond.) Tickets are $135 for General Admission and $185 for VIP Admission; both tickets include membership in the Whisky Guild, a complimentary Glencairn tasting glass (tulip-shaped, with a bulbous body and tighter nose to concentrate aromatics), and a gourmet dinner while the VIP ticket only gets you in at 6:30pm for a full hour of early access to the night’s whiskies. Ocean Place Resort & Spa, 1 Ocean Boulevard, Long Branch; 1-800-411-6493
Cooking Class for Kids
Sunday, October 27, 8:30–10:30am
More of a “young foodie” event than a serious culinary destination for parents, Sunday’s “Kid’s Cooking Class” at Maggiano’s in Cherry Hill still kills two birds with one stone: your little guy or gal gets to learn some new cooking skills and you get Halloween-themed weekend destination that doesn’t involve crowded parking lots or the need to “pick-your-own” anything. The menu for the day’s lesson revolves around Halloween treats and kids are welcome to wear Halloween costumes. Tickets are $30 and there will be a breakfast buffet for tots and light refreshments for parents. Maggiano’s Little Italy, 2000 Route 38, Cherry Hill; 856-792-4470
French Quarter Dinner at Pascal et Sabine
Wednesday, October 30, 7pm
The second installment in the Pascale & Sabine Dinner Series, Wednesday’s dinner features the flavors of New Orleans’s French Quarter. The six-course menu isn’t published just yet, but we know it’s a celebration of Creole flavors—i.e. the bedrock flavors of New Orleans proper, with a mix of French, Spanish, English, Portuguese, Native American, and African. Considering the typical admixture of fancy and fanciful cuisine at the restaurant, feel free to expect the unexpected. Dinner is $80 per person. Wine pairings are also available for each course for $45 extra. Pascal & Sabine, 601 Bangs Avenue, Asbury Park; 732-774-3395