Festa Regionale at Il Fornaio
Il Fornaio in Palo Alto is celebrating the food and wine of Piemonte, a region in northwestern Italy, with a special menu created by chef-partner CJ Snyder. Piemonte is a well known wine-growing region; Piemonte-style cooking is marked by white truffles, risotto and polenta. The special menu will be available until Nov. 17. View it here.
Info: Il Fornaio, 520 Cowper St., Palo Alto; 650- 853-3888. www.ilfornaio.com
Tied House winter beers release
Tied House in Mountain View is releasing two seasonal beers for winter at an event on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 5 p.m. Brewed by San Jose-based Hermitage Brewing Company, the two beers, Ryetopia and Chinook, will be tapped for the first time that Thursday. After primary fermentation, Ryetopia was racked into whiskey barrels and aged for about a year, according to a press release. The Chinook is the latest in Hermitage Brewing's "Single Hop Series." It is the eighth single hop IPA the brewery has released since 2011.
Info: Tied House, 954 Villa St., Mountain View; 650-965-2739. www.tiedhouse.com
Le Beaujolais Nouveau at Left Bank
A special menu on Thursday, Nov. 21 will be offered at Left Bank in Menlo Park to celebrate Le Beaujolais Nouveau, a traditional French holiday that marks the release of Beaujolais Nouveau wine. The holiday is celebrated in France on the third Thursday of November every year. See the menu here.
Info: Left Bank, 635 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park; 650-473-6543. www.leftbank.com
Village Pub Thanksgiving cooking classes
Chef Dmitry Elpirin will give his annual Thanksgiving-inspired cooking classes at The Village Pub in Woodside from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on two Saturdays this month: Nov. 16 and 23. Chef Elpirin will guide the class through the step-by-step process for preparing a Thanksgiving feast, then everyone will sit down for a family-style meal including brined turkey, caramelized brussel sprouts and pecan pie, paired with special wines. Cost is $150. Reserve by calling 650-851-6844 or email events@thevillagepub.net. (People can also order a full Thanksgiving meal -- entrees, sides, dessert and wine -- from The Village Pub. Fill out this form and fax it to 650-779-4737 no later than Wednesday, Nov. 20.)
Info: The Village Pub, 2967 Woodside Road, Woodside. www.thevillagepub.net
Sunday coffee seminars at Starbucks
The Starbucks on California Avenue in Palo Alto hosts weekly coffee seminars on Sundays. Coffee is paired with La Boulange pastries. Call for times.
Info: Starbucks, 361 S. California Ave., Palo Alto; 650-324-2021
Holiday festival at Whole Foods
Whole Foods in Palo Alto is hosting a holiday festival on Nov. 17, 2-6 p.m., with special holiday samples in every department, a wine tasting ($1 per tasting), live music and kids activities. Attendees can also order a holiday meal during the festival for an "exclusive" deal. For more, go to the event's Facebook page.
Info: Whole Foods Market, 774 Emerson St., Palo Alto; 650-326-8676.
