LUSCIOUS LASAGNA Chef Debby DeGraaff discusses in her vegetarian cooking classes how to prepare the Italian favorite. Free. 7-8 p.m., Wed., April 2, and 10-11 a.m., Thu., April 3. Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N.MacDill Ave., Tampa. 813-873-7428.
ITALIAN FOOD FESTIVAL Experience Italian food, culture and cuisine during the sixth annual Festa Italiana, hosted by The Italian Club of Tampa. More than 30 restaurants and caterers are participating. Enjoy musical entertainment, grape stomping and homemade Italian cooking and baking, along with a petting zoo for the kids and a prize drawing at the end. Admission is $3 for adults, those 11 and younger enter free. 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Sun., April 13. Ybor City's Centennial Park, corner of Seventh Avenue and 18th Street. 813-342-3630. www.festaItalianaTampa.com.
DINE & DANCE Maggiano's Little Italy teams with Arthur Murray Dance Studios to kick off the first in a series of "Dinner and Dancing" events. Maggiano's Executive Chef Darrell Brown prepares a delectable, buffet-style meal, while Julia Meyerovich, of Arthur Murray, addresses tango, samba, swing or salsa dance steps. Vocalist Kimberly Kaye and her four-piece band provide the music. $40 per person. 7 p.m., Thu. April 3, Maggiano's Little Italy, 203 West Shore Plaza, West Shore Blvd., Tampa. 813-288-9000.
ROBERT MONDAVI WINE DINNER Sip fine Mondavi wines and dine upon apple-Gorgonzola crostini; salmon-dill mousse; sea scallops with citrus-butter; seared lamb loin; filet with haricots verts, carrots and roasted shallots; celery-root Duchess potatoes, and Key lime cheesecake for dessert. $70 per person. 6:30 p.m., Thu., April 3. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 4322 W. Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa. 813-874-9463. www.flemingssteakhouse.com.
CELEBRATE SPRING with a cooking class focusing on "Taste of the Mediterranean." Chef Paul Mattison, owner of Mattison's, An American Bistro and Catering Company, demonstrates how to prepare a menu typical of Tuscany. $40 per person, including dinner, wine, dessert, recipes and cooking demonstration. Reservations required. 6:30 p.m., Mon., April 21, Mattison's, an American Bistro and Catering Company, 111 Second Ave. N.E., St. Petersburg. 727-895-2200. www.mattisons.com.
FILM FEST FINALE Wrap up party for the Ybor Film Festival at a reception hosted by David Audet. $5 per person, $2 students, 7-9 p.m., Sat., April 5, Viva La Frida Cafe y Galería, 5901 N. Florida Ave., Tampa. 813-231-9199.
GREAT CHEFS FUNDRAISER The fifth annual benefit for Family Resources Inc., which operates youth shelters in Pinellas and Manatee counties, features chefs and prominent members of the community as "celebrity chefs." Enjoy culinary delights like tangy hot chicken wings, crab and corn chowder and "Hail Caesar salad," or bid during the silent auction. $125 per person. 6 p.m., April 5, 2131 Oceanview Drive, Tierra Verde. 727-550-4012, or www.family-resources.org.
This article appears in Apr 2-8, 2003.