1. Honk if you love cheeses
Celebrity chefs, local cheese experts, food, wine, beer… Sounds like our kind of party.  Join in the celebration: The Second Annual Artisan Cheese Festival in Petaluma invites cheese lovers to four days of programs, field trips and party favors.  Imagine dine-arounds, an artisan buttery tour, and connoisseurs like Tyler Florence, Nancy Oakes, Laura Werlin and Joey Altman giving talks, demos and tastings all in honor of glorious cheese.


2. Cream of the crop
To find out more about what we eat, two ambitious young filmmakers rolled up their sleeves for a year of Iowa farming.  In their new film, King Corn, the team shares their experience with farm life while tracing the number one American crop, corn, from kernel to dinner plate. A panel discussion on sustainability, food safety and agricultural politics will follow tonight’s screening at the SF Main Public Library.


3. Hogging all the fun
Fifty of the very best in wine and swine from favored regions in France, Australia and the US will all be under one tent at the Pigs & Pinot event in Healdsburg next Friday the 14th.  Master Sommelier-selected bottles from around the world (think Dutton Estate and Domaine de la Vougeraie) will be paired with pork-based comestibles from the likes of celeb chefs Charlie Palmer, David Burke, Philippe Rispoli, Luke Mangan and more. The event is a benefit for Share Our Strength.


4. Chef smackdown
Home team favorites, Mark Denham of Laïola and Mark Sullivan of Spruce will go head to head in an Iron Chef-style “Battle of the Chefs” in Macy’s Cellar this upcoming Monday, March 10th.  Given one secret ingredient, the two chefs will execute imaginative dishes, which a foodie-famed panel of judges, including our own Jessica Battilana, will assess to name a winner.  For $10, you can get in on the action.


5. Partido do Brasil
If you’re looking to shake it up Sunday night, head to Bossa Nova (include web address) for their brand new Sunday Brazil parties featuring live music performances, all of their to-die-for cocktails, zesty dishes, and, possibly some spontaneous booty-shaking.


6. The wine doctor is in
As if superlative German wine weren’t enticing enough, try it paired with creations from Bacar chef Robbie Lewis in a one of a kind wine dinner this evening.  While Lewis doles out dishes like pork tenderloin with porcini mushrooms, salsify and creamed nettles, visiting winemaker Dr. Ernst Loosen will pour eleven of his favorite wines from his 200-year-old estate.


7. Rhone on the Range
Taste California winemaker’s takes on some of the world’s most renowned wine varietals as they set up camp in the Presidio next weekend, the 15th & 16th, to raise money for Rhone Rangers scholarships. Expect dozens of reds and whites with food paired by the girl & the fig; you can choose from various tastings, seminars, auctions and dinners, or go to them all.