Event details are subject to change without notice. Please confirm directly before heading out!
THIS WEEKEND:
March 13: Blue Morel welcomes winery O. Fournier’s founder, Jose Manuel Ortega Fournier, for a wine dinner at 7 p.m. O. Fournier produces wines in Mendoza (Argentina), Maule (Chile) and Ribera del Duero (Spain). Chef Kevin Takafuji will present a four-course menu including slow roasted Berkshire pork belly, tea-smoked duck breast and Korean-style beef sirloin, to be paired with the wines. Fournier will introduce his wines, including including the 2006 Alpha Spiga Tempranillo and 2009 Alpha Crux Malbec. $79/person (plus tax and gratuity). Call 973-451-2619 for reservations. Click here for full menu. Blue Morel, 2 Whippany Road, Morristown.
March 13: Tonight is the night for Atlantic Cape Community College’s 31st Annual Restaurant Gala at Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel and Casino. With the theme of “The Greatest Gala on Earth,” the event will celebrate food with hors d’oeuvres prepared by students at the Academy of Culinary Arts and the house specialties of 40 of the area’s best restaurants at a progressive dining experience. An elegant dessert reception, co-organized by Chef Deborah Pellegrino of Caesars Entertainment and Chef Tree McCann of the Academy of Culinary Arts, will complete the evening’s festivities. Live music will include Don’t Call Me Francis, The FM Band and Lenny Mitchell. Performance ice sculptor Peter Slavin, an Academy of Culinary Arts graduate and owner of Fear No Ice Philly, will take the stage during the cocktail reception. The event has raised nearly $3 million for scholarships since 1984. All proceeds form the gala benefit student scholarships at the Academy of Culinary Arts at Atlantic Cape Community College and Atlantic Cape Foundation operations. For more information, contact Torrina Bennett-Michael at (609) 463-4672 or tbennett@atlantic.edu. Or visit www.atlantic.edu/gala. Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel and Casino, 1901 Boardwalk, Atlantic City.
March 14 and 16: In honor of National Nutrition Month, Kings Food Markets and nutritionist Shari Bilt Boockvar, MS, RD, are working together to help people improve their health. Stop by the Morristown Kings to learn about how to transition into a healthier diet and receive a personalized plan. Earthbound Farms will be on hand with prepared salad bowls for sampling. (Boockvar will also be visiting other Kings Food Market locations, including Gillette on March 21 and 22 and Short Hills on March 28 and 29. Kings Food Markets, 191 South Street Morristown, 973-898-4512.
March 16: If you’re in the Princeton area and you love Trader Joe’s, head over to Barnes & Noble for a meet-and-greet with author and registered dietician Susan Greeley, who will be signing copies of her cookbook, Cooking with Trader Joe’s: Lighten Up! Signing is at 1 p.m. Princeton/Market Fair Barnes & Noble, 3535 Route 1, Princeton.
March 16: Tune in to HLN at 7 p.m. to watch the CulinAriane’s own Ariane Duarte compete for $50,000 in the semifinals of Cook Your Ass Off. Click here for a sneak peek! (This is the former HeadLine News channel/channel 101 on Verizon Fios, channel 58 on Comcast, andchannel 59 on Cablevision.)
March 16 through 21: SJ Hot Chefs Spring Restaurant Week includes more than 30 South Jersey restaurants. The Restaurant Week features four-course menus for $35. Click here for a list of participating restaurants and to make reservations online.
AND BEYOND:
March 22: The third annual Beers on the Boards is a craft beer festival featuring a cider tasting car and beer from brand-name New Jersey breweries. Included in the $55 entrance fee is a gourmet buffet. Designated drivers can purchase $20 tickets, which include access to the buffet and alternate beverages. Click here to purchase tickets. 732-892-0131. Martell’s Tiki Bar, 308 Boardwalk, Point Pleasant Beach.
March 24: A Taste of Morristown is the 12th annual fundraising event showcasing the fine and diverse dining available in the Morristown area, with samples from more than 30 area restaurants plus wine and spirit tasting courtesy of Gary’s Wines and Marketplace. Presented by the Morristown Rotary Club and benefiting local and international service projects. Live music and silent auction. Hanover Marriott Hotel Ballroom, 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets $60 per person.
March 26: Di Paolo’s Italian Restaurant is hosting a “Wine of the World” Wine Dinner. For $65, guests will enjoy a six-course meal with wine pairings. Courses include lobster bisque, sweet chicken marsala, four-cheese spinach lasagna with braised short rib ragu and more. Di Paolo’s Italian Restaurant. 856-299-4645, 28 South Broad Street, Penns Grove.
March 28: Hudson County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) hosts its 8th Annual Wine Tasting, with more than 90 world-class wines to taste and delicious foods and desserts. Bottles of wine ranging in value from $25 to $300 can be won with purchase of a “cork” for the cork pull. Live and silent auctions will offer attendees the opportunity to bid on getaways, local experiences and services, sports memorabilia, luxury gift baskets and much more. The event will be held at the Atrium at Harborside Financial Center in Jersey City from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Free parking is available. To purchase tickets and for more information about this event, please visit www.hudsoncountycasa.org.
March 28 to 30: The New Jersey Food and Wine Festival is a three-day event celebrating the world’s finest wines and renowned chefs. The festival will benefit the James Beard Foundation, which aims to celebrate, nurture and honor America’s diverse culinary heritage through inspirational programming. Events include a champagne reception, “Battle of the NJ Sous Chefs” and “The Art of Blending Bourbon,” among many others. Tickets are available here, and prices vary depending on the event. Crystal Springs Resort, Rt 94 & 2 Chamonix Drive, Vernon Township.
March 30: The High Street Grill will host a Beer and Cheese Tasting from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. For $30, guests can attend this educational and delicious event with local, farm-fresh cheese. The High Street Grill. 609-265-9199. 64 High Street, Mt. Holly.
Through April 1: Enjoy a match of up to $5 dollars in Uber or cab fare at the Funbars Hoboken spot, Little Town, New Jersey. Also, first-time Uber users can get $20 off their first Uber ride with promo code “FUNBARS.” Whether it’s an Uber ride, or you just hopped in a taxi or yellow cab, remember your receipt and show it to your server or bartender. Once inside, present your receipt to your server or bartender, who will start your tab with a credit for the same amount as your fare, or more details, venue locations, hours and events, please visit the Funbars website. Blackout days, such as March 17, apply.
April 4 and 5: Attend “The Celebration of the Suds” at the Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival. Over 100 different breweries from around the corner and across the country will showcase their unique libations. The focus of the Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival is the promotion of craft beers and the brewers who create them. This event is the perfect opportunity for beer aficionados, beer lovers and the casual beer drinker to speak to company representatives and brewers responsible for some of their favorite brews. Click here to buy tickets for $55. Atlantic City Convention Center, 1 Miss America Way, Atlantic City.
April 5: Grow it Green, a Morristown-based non-profit that aims to build community through projects centered around food, education and outdoor spaces, is hosting “Diamonds for Kale,” their 2nd annual fundraising gala. The gala, which wil take place from 7 to 10 p.m., will offer dancing, fine wine, beer, signature drinks and artisan appetizers from Chef Thomas Donohoe of End of Elm. Tickets are $125 and are available here. The Kellogg Club, 25 Colles Avenue, Morristown.
May 10: Pay a visit to America’s Grow-a-Row’s Farm-to-Fork Fundraiser at the Life Camp in Pottersville. Former Governor Christine Todd Whitman will make an appearance as the guest speaker. This unique fundraiser features local food artisans, a farm-fresh dinner and fine auctions. To participate or attend, visit americasgrowarow.org. LifeCamp, 67 McCann Mill Road, Pottersville.
