Biscuit baker debuts on TV

Carolyn Redding, a Hardee's biscuit maker in Sanford, is having her television commercial debut this week. On Monday, Hardee's started airing the 15- and 30-second spots featuring Redding and several other biscuit makers. Redding, 59, earned the chance to become a television star after being named the best Hardee's biscuit maker among those at more than 300 restaurants.

Two Blu dinners

Durham's Blu Seafood and Bar is offering two interesting upcoming dinners:

At 7 p.m. July 14, the restaurant will offer a beer dinner in conjunction with neighboring Dain's Place. It will feature food and beer from Philadelphia, the hometown of Dain Phelan. Then diners will move across the street to Dain's Place for dessert. This dinner costs $25.

At 7 p.m. July 16, Blu will serve a North Carolina wine and food dinner. "Each month, we've taken our guests on a culinary tour around the world, and now we are pleased to announce a dinner featuring the merits of our local fare. A 'stay-cation,' if you will," writes general manager Eryk Pruitt. This dinner costs $45.

To make reservations for either event, call (919) 286-9777

For tomato lovers

Tomato fans may want to sign up for an upcoming four-course dinner at The Old Granary Restaurant in Fearrington Village. At 6 p.m. July 16, the restaurant will serve dishes made with heirloom, vine-ripened tomatoes from Flat River Farms in Durham. The courses include a tomato terrine, scallop ceviche and tomato "tartar," roasted beef rib-eye and braised short rib with tomato polenta and tomato, goat cheese and blackberry sorbet.

The meal costs $65 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. To make a reservation, call (919) 542-2121.

Sample Spanish wine

Durham's Six Plates Wine Bar is offering a Txakoli Fest on July 19 starting at noon.

For those who don't know (and that included me), Txakoli is an effervescent wine produced only in the Basque region of Spain. The restaurant also will be serving six different oysters on a half shell to go with the wines.

For more information about the event or the restaurant, go to www.sixplates.com or call (919) 321-0203.