WEDNESDAY January 11

Join Volunteer Park Cafe for its fifth birthday celebration during dinner service from 5:30 to 9. In honor of the anniversary, dessert will be on the house. Call 206-328-3155 or go to VPC’s site to make a reservation.

THURSDAY January 12

Head to Book Larder to learn how to make gluten-free Vietnamese-style roasted pork meatballs with nuoc cham sauce, mixed vegetable tempura pancakes, and other previously-off-limits foods with the help of Laura Russell and her new book The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen. Tickets are $20 and the event runs from 6:30 to 8.

SATURDAY January 14

Starting now, and continuing for the next month, a different Seattle chef will host a weekly tour of Pike Place Market. Simon Zatyrka of Cutters Bayhouse hosts the first tour, which runs 9 to 1 and costs $75 per person (register online in advance). Up to 14 people can sign up; the tour ends with a cooking demo and light meal at kitchen showroom SieMatic Seattle. The next tour is led by Franz Junga of Il Fornaio.

TUESDAY January 17

Mike Easton of Il Corvo brings his digestivo creation Amaro Vittoria to Artusi for a tasting with Spinasse’s Jason Stratton. For $90 per person, you sample amaro, tour Oola Distillery, snack at Artusi and cap it with dinner at Spinasse. Call 206-251-7673 to register.

Dubbed a rock-star chef by the New York Times, San Francisco’s cult meat hero Ryan Farr comes to Book Larder to teach Whole Beast Butchery, his book featuring 500 step-by-step photos, recipes, and instructions for meat handling. To make this scenario even more meaty, neighboring Dot’s Delicatessen is providing food; the event runs from 6:30 to 8 and costs $10 per person.

WEDNESDAY January 18

Cafe Lago continues their Doposcuola series, this time starring Seattle Met‘s own Laura Cassidy teaching you how to Shop Like an Italian. Join Laura at 7 for antipasti and prosecco and she’ll show you the best independent and specialty shops for new or established Italian designers.