Here's a rundown on the best weekend food and drink events happening on either side of the bay. Whiskey is involved.
• No need to book a trip to France. From 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club pop-up dining space, Fred's Cellar, will transport diners to the dreamy destination with a pair of French-Inspired Dinners. Plates like brie en croute, coq au vin and triple crème brûlée are paired with fine wines throughout the evening. For reservations, send an email to [email protected], or call the hotel. 501 Fifth Ave. NE, St. Petersburg. 727-824-8012.
• Pesky Pelican Brew Pub has teamed up with its fellow St. Pete beer maker, Cage Brewing, to create Caged Pelican. Released to the masses on Friday, this collaboration beer is a Baltic porter treated with two local ingredients: Pinellas Chocolate Company's cocoa nibs and coffee beans from Bandit Coffee Co. Added bonus? The addition of coconut. Go get you some from 6:29 to 10:59 p.m. Free, money for beer. 923 72nd St. N., St. Petersburg. 727-302-9600.
• The three-day Whisk(E)y Tampa Foxtrot — better known as, well, WTF — brings dinners and seminars led by industry experts to Hyde Park's Haven and Epicurean Hotel. That's on top of the grand tasting that highlights more than 200 whiskeys, including bourbon and Scotch, starting at 1 p.m. Saturday (noon if you're VIP). Rooster & the Till, Locale Market, Big Ray's Fish Camp, Buddy Brew Coffee and Élevage are among the participating food and drink purveyors. Tickets are available online. $60-$180. 2208 W. Morrison Ave., Tampa. 813-258-2233.
• Also on Saturday, get in on the St. Petersburg Plant Society's annual Fall Plant Swap at Northwest Park. To participate between 9:30 a.m. and noon, bring garden tools and decor, seeds, clippings, whole plants and pots. Door prizes are in store as well. Free. 5801 22nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg.
• To celebrate the culmination of Oktoberfest, Rapp Brewing Company wants to see those one-of-a-kind German steins of yours. The brewery plans to fill any stein with any of its German lagers from 2 p.m. to midnight Saturday, and the house stein contest awards the "Most Unique" beer mug with a prize. Helpings of Bavarian fare from the traveling Schnitzel Trailer round out the highlights. Free, money for beer and food. 10930 Endeavor Way, Seminole. 727-544-1752.
• Round out the weekend on Sunday at the first St. Pete Beach Oktoberfest. The celebration brings classic fare like smoked sausages, sauerkraut and pretzels to the downtown core, where big-ass pints of beer are also planned from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Alpine Doc & Fraulein Gretel's live tunes should keep the crowd busy, alongside performances from the Bavarian Folk Dance Club (aka Gulf Coast Enzianer Schuhplattler Verein). There's an arts and crafts marketplace, too. Free, money for goodies. Corey Avenue, St. Pete Beach.
