MONDAY August 6

Spinasse Special Menus
In celebration of its fourth birthday, Spinasse will be introducing a new menu each Sunday throughout August. The menus will comprise classic dishes from the restaurant's past as well as new creations, giving guests a taste of what's to come in the future. Here's a glimpse at a few items off this week's menu: cured salmon with ozette potatoes and dill pollen, chanterelle-and-apricot lasagna, roasted lamb with braised olives, and bread salad with basil and cherry tomatoes.

WEDNESDAY August 8

Top Chef Masters Season 4 Viewing Party at Luc
After three episodes, Thierry Rautureau is still in the competition on Top Chef Masters Season 4. Will he survive the latest episode? Go find out at Luc, which is hosting viewing parties on Wednesday nights for anyone who wants to cheer on its behatted proprietor. Seating for the viewing parties begins at 9:30. Call 206-328-6645 to make a reservation.

NW Distillery and Cocktail Festival
This two-day classic cocktail party might as well be hosted by ol' Jay Gatsby at his mansion in West Egg. But instead it will be at Herban Feast's charming refurbished factory space. The lavish party will feature a heated cocktail competition at 6 with some of the city’s most serious bartenders, and a grand tasting the following evening at 7, offering samples from the Northwest's finest craft distilleries (Oola, Captive Spirits, Dark Moon) and restaurants (Ethan Stowell Restaurants, Bastille, Art of the Table). Tickets to the cocktail competition are $35 while tickets to the tasting are $45.

Burlesco DiVino: Wine in Rome
What's better than drinking wine and watching a burlesque show? Drinking wine and watching a burlesque show about wine. Now that makes sense. And that's exactly what Wild Ginger is hosting at the Triple Door as part of the restaurant’s summer of riesling. The five showings kick off Wednesday night and run through Friday, with 17-and-over and 21-and-over seatings. Tickets are $25-$35.

THURSDAY August 9

Terry Theise Austrian Riesling Dinner at Burlesco Divino
For $99 the first 20 guests will be able to watch Burlesco Divino from the Triple Door suites on Thursday at the 8 o'clock showing.

FRIDAY August 10

South Lake Union Block Party
The SLU block party is back, and this burgeoning restaurant zone has quite the roster of food vendors. The lineup includes a slew of neighborhood newcomers like Tom Douglas's Cuoco, Cactus, and brand-new La Toscanella Bakery, as well as veterans like 13 Coins and Venik Lounge. Plus, a few area restaurants will square off in a burger competition.

National S'mores Day at Hot Cakes
Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery in Ballard might be the best place in the world to celebrate National S'mores Day. Owner (and former Girl Scout) Autumn Martin will be debuting her organic marshmallows and selling original s'mores cookies, s'mores cookie sandwiches, s'mores molten chocolate cakes, s'more milkshakes, and a s'mores cooking kit featuring her marshmallows and house-smoked chocolate chips.

SUNDAY August 12

12th Avenue Neighborhood Festival
In case you doubted 12th Avenue's continued status as a major restaurant corridor, the third installment of its annual neighborhood festival will include $5-or-less food and/or drinks from Barrio, Bluebird Microcreamery, High 5 Pie, Osteria La Spiga, Plum Bistro, and Poquitos, as well as live music, family activities, and shopping.

BEYOND

August 25 Belle Clementine is all about fostering community, so it makes perfect sense that the Ballard restaurant is holding a barn dance and farm dinner at Local Roots Farm—a communal affair along the Snoqualmie River.

August 25 The American Lamb Board will fire up the grills in the park across the street from Bastille, so chefs Branden Karow of Staple and Fancy and Jason Stoneburner of Bastille, and butcher Russell Flint of Rain Shadow Meats can commence a meaty battle royale--the lamb throwdown.

August 26 Lark will host a 4pm benefit picnic in its backyard for the Central District nonprofit Green Plate Special, which supports the physical and nutritional health of low-income Seattle youth.

September 27 A Fish Tales and Pike Ales Educational Dinner will be presented by Les Dames d'Escoffier and hosted by Pike Pub. The aim: educate attendees on the virtues of wild seafood and the upside of using frozen products. The dinner includes seafood chowder, seafood salad and spicy wild salmon for $75.