Fishy Fishy So Delishy
The Monterey Bay Aquarium will once again be hosting Cooking For Solutions, a two-day celebration of sustainable food and wine, set this year for May 15 and 16. Purchase tickets for the gala (where you can sample food from over sixty different restaurants and fifty-five wineries) or for celebrity chef cooking demonstrations and luxe chef-led adventures. For the full schedule of events and to purchase tickets, visit cookingforsolutions.com

Beer Me
Tonight, May 13! One night only! Shmaltz Brewing Company is teaming up with Mission Beach Café for a beer dinner in celebration of American Craft Beer Week. Six beers, five courses, $60. A very fine deal, indeed. Call for a reservation right now—415-861-0198 x2. The event begins at 6 p.m.

Three Sheets to the Wind
Cocktail week is now underway, and if you haven’t gotten yourself to one of the booze-fueled events by now, you’re due. You have until May 18 to take full advantage of the offerings, which include classes, happy hours and bar crawls. You have the rest of the month to recover.

That’s a Spicy Meatball

For all the vegetarians who have felt left out of meatball mania, Hoss Zaré, chef-owner of Zaré at Fly Trap, comes to the rescue. Known for his giant, fanciful meatballs (including one legendary meatball that contained an entire baby lamb within), Zaré has now, after months of testing, debuted his all-vegetarian bean-and-grain “meat” ball, filled with wild mushrooms and roasted garlic. Curious? We thought so.

Masa Appeal
There are many things Masa’s is known for, but an inexpensive menu hasn’t historically been one of them—until now. The restaurant just started offering a three-course menu (with choices for the three courses) for $55, a much more affordable way to enjoy chef Gregory Short’s inspired California-French cuisine. The menu is available Tuesday through Friday nights from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., perfect for a post-work, pre-theatre bite.

It’s in the Sauce

If you’ve always wanted to ask Judy Rodgers for the secret to perfect roast chicken, espresso granita and balsamic Bloody Marys, here is your chance! On May 16 Rodgers, chef-owner of Zuni Café, will be at Omnivore Books discussing her career and her award-winning Zuni Café Cookbook. The event runs from 3 to 4 p.m. and is free.

Italian Stallion
Next Wednesday, May 20, Joe Bastianich—the ying to Mario Batali’s yang (and, yes, son of culinary legend Lydia)—will be at Spuntino di Ottimista. The winemaker for Bastianich and La Mozza wines, co-author of Vino Italiano and partner in NYC restaurants Babbo, Del Posto, Lupa and Otto (as well as B&B Ristorante and Pizzeria and Osteria La Mozza in L.A.), Bastianich will be in town for a talk, tasting and book signing. The event runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and costs $20.