NOTE: The health and safety of our readers is of the utmost importance. Given the current health-related state of emergency, restaurants we have heard from are taking special precautions to protect customers and employees. Many public events have been cancelled. We urge our readers to take all necessary precautions as advised by health experts. Please check before planning to attend any of the following events.
Whiskey Pairing Dinner at Avalon Brew Pub
Saturday, March 14, 7pm
Get your Irish vibe—and your Irish whiskey—on in relaxed, comfortable, Shore-chic environs on the Saturday prior to St. Patrick’s. It’s a three-course prix fixe, with dishes like Irish Whiskey-Cured Salmon, Corned Beef with Colcannon, and Grilled Lambchops with Shamrock Butter; and all the courses are paired with cocktails featuring Irish whiskey—Glendalough Double Barrel with Amaro Lucano in their take on an Old Fashioned, Jameson “Caskmates” line in the classic Presbyterian (whiskey cut with ginger ale and/or soda), and of course classic Jameson in the traditional Irish Coffee, which you can sip alongside Bread and Butter Pudding with Whiskey Hard Sauce, which literally sounds like the only reasonable solution to it being March. Tickets are $45, and can be reserved by phone. Avalon Brew Pub, 125 79th Street, Avalon; 609-967-2116
Fulcrum Wines Dinner at DRIFTHOUSE by David Burke
Friday, March 27, 6p–10pm
David Rossi, the winemaker and owner of Fulcrum Wines will be on hand to pour through this four-course wine pairing dinner at DRIFTHOUSE by David Burke. The dinner is a great intro for those unfamiliar with Fulcrum, a Sonoma-based winery founded in 2005 that’s known for its pinot noir wines. There will also be a 2018 sauvignon blanc on hand for the tasting as well as a couple pinot noirs. The night’s menu includes dishes like a Pretzel-crusted Crab Cake with Orange Marmalade, Beef Cheek Ragout with Celery Root and Truffles, and a Pear and Mascarpone Tart with Candied Orange. Tickets are $95 before tax and gratuity and will likely go quickly. DRIFTHOUSE by David Burke, 1485 Ocean Avenue, Sea Bright, 732-530-9760
Family-Style Casale del Giglio Wine Dinner at Sorellina
Tuesday, March 31, 7:30–10pm
Fifty kilometers south of Rome is the 50-plus-year-old Casale del Giglio, a winery that took after wineries in places like California and Bordeaux to pinpoint its ideal varieties for its Mediterranean-proximate climate. After years of experimenting, they’re putting out varietal bottles of sauvignon blanc, viognier, and petit manseng and reds of syrah and petit verdot (a blend of which, christened Mater Matuta, is their flagship label). That’s all the 101 you’ll need, or want, in advance of getting a much closer lesson on the March 31 at Sorellina in Hoboken, where a winery rep will be on hand to take you through five Casale del Griglio wines over the course of a family-style dinner. On the night’s shared menu are dishes like Caccio e Peppe Suppli (cheese-stuffed rice balls), Pizza Bianca, and ultra-classic Porchetta with Local Beans, which is a dish you should hoard and savor. Reservations are $75 per person; call to lock it in. Sorellina, 1036 Washington Street, Hoboken; 201-963-3333
Dining with the White House in Princeton
Tuesday, March 31, 10:30am
Here’s a political event the entire family can attend and (possibly?) leave together. Over the course of thirteen years at the White House, chef John Moeller cooked for three First Families (Republican and Democrat). He even wrote a cookbook about it, called—appropriately—Dining at the White House: From the President’s Table to Yours. And on March 31, you can hear Moeller discuss his cookbook and get a taste of his cooking at Tuesday’s gratis book discussion and luncheon. All you have to do to attend is register. Ovation at Riverwalk, 107 Main Street, Princeton; 609-208-8085