Friday Quickies #31: Wine sales, Eating the World, Food Events and Community Sponsored Agriculture.

Wine sales going, going . . .: In case you missed out on Wally's Tent Sale last weekend, there's still a chance for you grab some great finds at the Last Chance Web-Only sale. Or you can check out the other ongoing bargain, BevMo's buy one get one for five-cent special expiring this Sunday! Cheers!

Eating the world, one country at a time: Thanks to Eater LA for pointing my attention to Man Bites World, written by an ambitious local (or loco?) foodblogger who's aiming to eat a different country's food every single day. Home cooking and shipped orders don't count either, so it'll be mostly LA and occasionally Vegas that he'll be dining. Are our cuisines THAT worldly? Guess we'll find out. He's about two weeks in and crossed off common finds of Mexico, Vietnam and Thailand -- but has also explored the likes of North Korea, Trinidad & Tobago and Serbia. I'm definitely having fun checking out his local-global tour and inspired to try out for more ethnic eats myself!

Beer vs. Wine Dinner: Not exactly LA-OC (it's in San Diego) but a fun enough concept to be worth mentioning (and thanks to Urbandaddy for the heads-up) - El Bizcocho in the Rancho Bernardo Inn is hosting a six-course beer versus wine dinner on October 17 (a rematch, apparently, from the same event last year), with beer from Stone Brewing Co. facing off against wine from Trinchero Family Estates. So will it be the grapes or the hops? Have both and decide!

As for my own events schedule: Tomorrow I'm checking out my The LobsterFest at Port of Los Angeles (my first lobster festival ever!) Here's hoping for short lines and delicious shellfish. Just to refresh memories, admission is $8 ($2 discount if you print the coupon off their Web site) and the meal is $17 for one 1.25 pound lobster, or $31 for two.

On Sunday, I've been invited to check out Savor the Season (I guess their PR folks noticed my enthusiasm after my initial post on the event). From what they sent me, it sounds like a lot of delicious fun. Here's the breakdown of the participating businesses/chefs and what they'll be serving:
Boneyard Bistro, Aaron Robins
Fried Mac n' Cheese Fritters
Fire-roasted Albacore Salad on Heirloom Tomatoes with Caper Aioli
brix@1601, Michael McDonald & Renee Ward
Duck Confit Spring Rolls
Truffle Lollipops
Catering By Field, Lisa Field & Corinna Conti
Chilled Avocado Bisque
Tandoori Chicken Croquette
The Edison, Andrew Meieran
English Afterthought
The Green Fairy and Absinthe Cart
The Edison Specialty Drinks
El Cholo, Gerardo Ochoa
Green Corn Tamales
El Cholo Flan
Geoffrey's Malibu, Bijan Shokatfard
Lobster Salad in Filo Cups
Chocolate Crunch Bites
Jer-ne at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey, Chad Minton
Mayan Chocolate and Caramel Fleur de Sel Truffle Pops
MAX & The Oinkster, André Guerrero & Jan Purdy
Firecracker Shrimp Spring Rolls
Mini Pastrami Sandwiches
Assorted Pastries
Salt Creek Grille, Scott Floyd
Stuffed Shrimp with Chipotle Honey Glaze
All-natural Brandt Beef with Port Demi Glaze
Tanzore, Gautam Chaudhry
Lotus Root Chips with Tuna Tartare
Chocolate Cardamom Cake
Tasca Wine Bar, Nano Crespo
Arancini
Jamon Serrano & Burratta Toast

There is also a VIP Tasting Garden where various food purveyors and experts will be doing tastings of their specialties, including the Saltistry's flavored salts, Madame Chocolat's bon bons and truffles, Faerie's Finest's flavor-infused sugars and oils, assorted caviar from Beverly Hills Caviar and artisanal cheeses from the recently opened Andrew's Cheese Shop.

And of course, it benefits a great cause (Break the Cycle) so both your conscience and your tastebuds will be very happy. Takes place at the Vibiana (downtown) from 6 to 9 p.m. - tickets are $100 for regular admission, $250 for VIP.

Community-Sponsored Agriculture comes to San Marino: For adventurous cooks around Pasadena who support the Slow Food movement, Julienne's will be lending its space as a drop-off / pick-up point for community-sponsored agriculture. You pledge a certain amount of money, and get in return a regular supply of seasonal produce. It's a surprise every time and no picking-and-choosing, but you will get a recipe card on how to prepare them.

Gin-food pairings and end-of-summer dinner: If you're a gin lover with no plans tonight, Campanile is doing a twist on its usual Friday Night Flights, and featuring three gin drinks paired with small plate dishes: curried shrimp / plymouth gin basil martini; scallop ceviche with mango relish / bluecoat gin aviation; grilled halibut and cucumber salad / junipero gin martinez (wine lovers don't need to worry, they still have two wine-food flights that night). Their upcoming chef's dinner looks pretty interesting too, commemorating the end of summer with six-courses of light and refreshing dishes such as clear tomato broth with ginger, leeks and carrots; eggplant and crab gnocchi; grilled tuna with tomato-basil vinaigrette and vanilla panna cotta with balsamic sauteéd strawberries. Friday night flight is $38/person, the chef's tasting is $85 ($35 for wine pairings).