Top 3 Weekend Food Events: Trattoria Neapolis Cooking Class, PinotFest + "Back at Cafe du Monde..."

By Daina Beth Solomon Wed., Jan. 23 2013 at 8:00 AM

Categories: Eat & Drink Calendar

Anne Fishbein

baby octopus at Trattoria Neapolis

Trattoria Neapolis Cooking Class
Join Trattoria Neapolis chef Bryant Wigger to create Italian-inspired dishes described as "winter favorites": pumpkin soup, parmigiano sformato, ahi tuna, pasta carbonara (with black truffles), and a salad of squash, fregola and calamari. You'll sip wine and sample the dishes as you learn, and finish with house-made gelato. If only your own home had Trattoria Neapolis' opulent, grandiose ambience.
WHAT: Trattoria Neapolis Cooking Class
WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 26, 2-4 p.m.
WHERE: Trattoria Neapolis, 336 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena.
COST: $65, excluding tax and tip.

Pasadena PinotFest Kickoff Tasting
Wines can derive from numerous grape families, but this event celebrates just one: the pinot. Stop by Noir Food and Wine to sample varieties from around California. Later PinoFest events include a four-course dinner on Feb. 2 ($255) and a "grand tasting" featuring 200 pinot noirs on Feb. 9 ($89 or $119 for VIP). A portion of the proceeds benefit Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services.
WHAT: Pasadena PinotFest Kickoff Tasting
WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 26, 1-4:30 p.m.
WHERE: Noir Food and Wine, 40 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena.
COST: $29

"Meanwhile, Back at Café du Monde..." at Tom Bergin's Tavern
Sit back, relax (with Irish coffee and beignets) and enjoy the show -- a series of monologues that creator Peggy Sweeny-McDonald calls "life stories about food." The cast features actors and local food-industry folk including Brandon Boudet and Kat Witt (Tom Bergin's Tavern), Adam Milstein (South Santa Monica), Johnnie Handel (San Gennaro Cafe), Brigitte Pailet (Snookie's) and Theo Stephan (Global Gardens Olive Oil & Vinegar). Sweeny-McDonald recently published a book based on the show, and will present it at Surfas Costa Mesa on Jan. 26 from 12-2 p.m.
WHAT: "Meanwhile, Back at Café du Monde..." at Tom Bergin's Tavern
WHEN: Friday, Jan. 27, and Monday, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.)
WHERE: Tom Bergin's Tavern, 840 S. Fairfax Ave., L.A.
COST: $25, including beignets, coffee, tax and gratuity. (Full menu available too.) Call 323-936-7151 for a reservation.