Liquor! I hardly even…
You may want a wooden leg for this—once again, San Francisco Cocktail Week will be coming to town from May 11-18. The schedule for this seven day booze bonanza is packed with fabulous events, from cocktail classes taught by the city’s finest bartenders to historical bar crawls and cocktail receptions. Trust us, you want in on this. For the complete schedule (and to purchase tickets) visit sfcocktailweek.com

Half and Half
Who isn’t looking for a deal right now? Zinnia is getting on the bandwagon with “halfsy hour.” Weeknights from 5 to 7 p.m. grab a seat at the bar and sample your way through half-priced cocktails and half portions of Sean O’Brien’s signature dishes. That’s $5-6 drinks and dishes between $9 and $16 bucks. Get over there!

Sicilian Screening
On May 11, Sicilian cooking school director and culinary expert Fabrizia Lanza will be at the Italian Cultural Institute—join her for an interview with expert Italian baker Carol Field, followed by a screening of Lanza’s film, The Bread Altars of St. Joseph’s Day. The event is free, but please RSVP to 415-788-6389.

The Naked Chef’s Resident Wino
How’s this for an endorsement? Of Matt Skinner, Jamie Oliver says, “I have learned more about wine from him than anyone else.” Now here’s your chance! Skinner, wine director for the Naked Chef’s restaurant group, will be finishing his U.S. book tour here in SF at the Jug Shop (he’s an Aussie, mate!). He’ll be leading a tasting of fun Australian wine and signing copies of his book, Heard it Through the Grapevine: The Things You Should Know to Enjoy Wine. Need another reason? The folks from South will be preparing some snacks from Down Under to go with the wine. The discussion and tasting begins at 3 p.m. and only costs $10!

Thrill of the Grill
Ryan Farr, rogue butcher and the mastermind behind 4505 Meats addictive chicharrones, is at it again. Join him and Fatted Calf’s Taylor Boetticher for a live pig butchery demo and grilling extravaganza at Bloodhound on May 13, beginning at 5:30 p.m. For $25 you’ll get to sample pork every which way—from the rotisserie, off the grill—and get to try Farr’s addictive corndogs.

Greased Pig
On May 13 Laïola will be hosting a special Sciabica olive oil dinner. The four-course meal will highlight the delicious oil produced by the Sciabica family of Modesto and chef Ron Pei has planned a feast, from olive-oil-poached tuna conserva to braised pork shoulder with candied olives. Dessert will be an olive oil cake with lemon-rosemary ice cream. The meal is $75, which includes Spanish wine pairings for each course. To make a reservation for this one-night-only deal, call 415-346-5641.

An Affair to Remember
The 22nd annual Meals of Wheels Gala promises to be a superstar chef-studded affair, with a veritable who’s who of participants—from Charles Phan to Laurence Jossel—along with 75 wineries and a cocktail bar staffed by bartender luminaries like Daniel Hyatt of the Alembic and Steven Liles of Boulevard. The black-tie event begins with a cocktail reception, followed by a seated dinner and live auction, concluding with dessert and dancing. Tickets aren’t cheap—$400—but this is one of the best causes (and best events) of the year. For more information, visit mowsf.org.