FOOD
Fais Do Do It's Cajun party time, as the Cajun Cafe, 8101 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park, kicks into gear with its fourth annual Crawfish Festival. Enjoy delicious Cajun foods, everything from good-as-it-gets gumbo to crawfish etoufee, and stomp your feet to lively Cajun, zydeco and blues bands. Cajun Cafe was Weekly Planet's 2000 Best Fais Do Do winner. Tickets are $8 per day, or $15 for a three-day pass. April 6-8. For additional information, call Cajun Cafe at 727-546-6732 or surf to http://cajuncafeonthebayou.olm.net.
Kids Can Cook Easter Treats Kids 4-7 years old will have the time of their lives learning to make Easter goodies like Springtime cupcakes, fruit smoothies and baskets of decorated eggs in this hands-on class. $25 per child. 9-10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 7, at Home Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. 727-736-6400. www.homegourmet.cc
Eat Yourself Healthy Chef Bret and licensed nutritionist Kristen Hope will teach you to lose the fat and calories but keep the flavor in dishes like cumin-seared duck breast with spicy sweet orange glaze, raspberry jam filled chocolate cake with white chocolate syrup and more. $35. 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, at Home Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. 727-736-6400. www.homegourmet.cc.
Get Ready For The Grill Make your reservations now for a wonderful wine dinner, featuring George Foote of Beaulieu Vineyard. Five courses of food and wine pairings will include juniper peppercorn seared boneless duck breast with roasted shallot and merlot demi-glace paired with Beauliue Merlot Napa '98, char-grilled tornadoes of beef with wild mushroom ragout paired with Beaulieu Tapestry reserve '97 and much more. $90 per person plus tax and tip. 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 17. The Grill at Feather Sound, 2325 Ulmerton Road. Reservations requested. Call 727-571-3400.
WINE
Drink With The Purple Pelican Enjoy a casual tasting of wines and appetizers, accompanied by live music at The Purple Pelican, 14705 Gulf Blvd. Madeira Beach. From 6-8 p.m. on Saturday, March 31. 410 per person with part of the proceeds benefiting the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary. For info, call 727-394-0944.
Berning To Learn Join the wine experts at Bern's for a wine class at SideBern's Restaurant. Learn about the great white wines of Alsace and Germany, 6:30-8 p.m. Monday, April 2. $30 per person with reservations a must. Call Peter at 813-250-9463.
Ole! Learn all about the evolution of Spanish wines, from early French influences to the current renaissance. $50 pp. 6-8 p.m. Thursday, April 5, at Wines By Morrell Florida, 2009 N. 22nd St., Tampa. Call 813-241-8587.
Wine Down The Work Week Finish out Friday at Grand Cru Wine Cellar, tasting the best in beer, wines and imported artisan cheeses. $12 per person with a $5 coupon toward any purchase. Grand Cru Wine Cellar is at 11724 N. Dale Mabry, inside Main Street Shopping Center, Tampa. 813-269-8463.
Save the Everglades Tell the folks at Native Seafood Co. you want to save the Everglades, and they'll give you a free bottle of wine! Native Seafood will serve a free bottle of Banrock Station chardonnay or merlot with every order for two dinner entrees, any Monday through Thursday until May 31. Banrock Station will donate a portion of it's sales to the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation to promote and restore Florida's historic river of grass. Native Seafood is at 5901 Sun Blvd. Inside the Shopping Village of Isla Del Sol. Open for dinner only 4-9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 4-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Call 727-866-8772.
This article appears in Mar 29 – Apr 4, 2001.