Foodie events: Dinners, tours, festivals and more

The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill has kicked off its weekly Friday night concert series. Every Friday through Oct. 13, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. there will be live music and food trucks near the front porch. For a schedule of music and food trucks, go to carolinainn.com/about/chapel-hill-event-calendar.

Triangle Town Center & Commons in Raleigh holds free “Creekside Wined Down” events every other Thursday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the pavilion with live music, lawn games and beer and wine. Proceeds from beverage sales benefit Triangle nonprofit Saving Grace, an animal adoption organization dedicated to helping homeless animals find permanent homes. Wined Down events are June 8. All events are weather permitting. triangletowncenter.com

John T. Edge, director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, will talk about his book “The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South” with help from some Triangle restaurants. For more on the book and Edge, go to johntedge.com/potlikker-papers/.

▪ Wednesday, May 31: 7:30 p.m. Andrea Reusing of Lantern and The Durham restaurant will introduce Edge at Fullsteam Brewery, 726 Rigsbee Ave., Durham. Regulator Bookshop is host.

▪ Thursday, June 1: 7 p.m. With food from Crook’s Corner. Flyleaf Books, 752 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill

Chefs Steven Goff of BrineHaus Meats and Provisions and Chef Kabui of Organics and SoundsProceeds will prepare a meal June 1 at 6 p.m. at Pharmacy Cafe, 702 N. Person St., Raleigh, to benefit Raleigh Food Corridor. The meal will have contrasting dishes with chefs switching from course to course. $90. raleighfoodcorridor.org

The coffee company celebrates 10 years June 1 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the location at 1104-B Broad St., Durham. Gussy’s Greek Truck will serve food from 7 to 9 p.m., plus music and karaoke, dessert, beer, coffee and more. joevangogh.com

The Museum of Life and Science is hosting the Science of Eats for the 21-and-older set that explores the latest in food science research while offering food samples from area restaurants. The event is Thursday, June 1, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at 433 W. Murray Ave., Durham. Researchers from Duke, UNC and NC State will be at the museum alongside local chefs. There will be demonstrations to show what happens to your brain on sugar and how flavor perceptions can be affected by genes. There will be food trucks outside the museum, and exhibits will be open. Tickets are $30 for museum members and $35 for nonmembers.

A VIP ticket, which includes admission along with a special workshop, is $100. The workshop, which is 5 to 6:30 p.m., is titled Mozza-love with Pompieri Pizza. Seth Gross, chef-owner of the Durham pizza restaurant, will work with participants to make mozzarella cheese. The cheese can be customized with herbs and then taken home. The VIP session comes with a glass of wine. lifeandscience.org

Good Beer Hunting hosts an event June 2 from 7 to 10 p.m. that features a progressive tasting of coffees, beer and a resulting series of experimental coffee beers. The event features beer and small bites from Brewery Bhavana. The beer is Bhavana’s Single Origin Coffee Saison, made with Counter Culture Coffee. Tickets are $40. Proceeds will benefit the Frankie Lemmon School & Developmental Center. It will be held at Counter Culture Coffee Headquarters and Training Center, 812 Mallard Ave., Durham. facebook.com/counterculturecoffee/

More than 70 farms and restaurants will come together for the 10th annual Farm to Fork Picnic to celebrate the partnerships that have helped make the Triangle a food destination. The picnic will cap off the Farm to Fork Picnic Weekend, which includes the Sustainable Supper on June 2 and sold-out Five Chefs in Five Courses on June 3. There also will be a talk by culinary historian Michael Twitty.

The Farm to Fork Picnic Weekend is June 2 to 4. Proceeds will go to farmer training programs at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and the W.C. Breeze Family Farm Extension and Research Center. Tickets are available for the Sustainable Supper and the picnic at the Fearrington Village in Pittsboro. For details on events, go to farmtoforknc.com/.

Abundance Healing Arts in Chatham County hosts a “ramble,” where participants will learn to identify and preapre edible and medicinal plants, Saturday, June 3 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Town Lake Park in Pittsboro. Reservations are recommended but not required. A suggested donation of $10 to $25 can be made online or at the walk. The walk is for those 10 years and older. The event is held rain or shine. Bring water and a notebook. abundancehealingarts.com/events.html

A five-course meal will be served June 7 at 6 p.m. at Shaw University’s 1855 Rogers-Bagley-Daniels-Pegues House, 125 E. South St., Raleigh, to highlight the work of the Raleigh Food Corridor and their efforts to promote access to nutrition in diverse downtown Raleigh communities. The meal will be prepared by chefs Angela Salamanca of Centro and Ryan McGuire of the Chefs Academy and will unfold room by room. Erin White, of Raleigh’s Community Food Lab, will lead the tour. Proceeds will benefit the Raleigh Food Corridor. $90. bit.ly/2rrqX2r

More than 100 restaurants across the Triangle are expected to take part in the summer edition of Triangle Restaurant Week June 5 to 11. Restaurants offer fixed menus for lunch and dinner at set prices. For participating restaurants and menus, go to trirestaurantweek.com/.

Chef Patrick Cowden presents a five-course vegan dinner June 8 at 6 p.m. at Pharmacy Cafe, 702 N. Person St., Raleigh, with beer from Trophy Brewing and Raleigh-grown produce. $91. Proceeds benefit the Raleigh Food Corridor. raleighfoodcorridor.org

Olio & Aceto Cafe, 400-C S. Elliot Road in Chapel Hill, will host a dinner Friday, June 9, from 5 to 8 p.m. with a selection of French wines from Moulin de Gassac, an estate in the Languedoc founded by legendary winemaker Aimé Guibert. There will be a variety of small plates. Bottles of wine may be bought at a discount on the night of the tasting only. The tasting is $10 per person. olioandacetocafe.com

Alley Twenty-Six in Durham will host cider cocktail classes with Mattie Beason, owner of Black Twig Cider House. Each class will offer tastings of three cider cocktails and discussions with Beason, Alley Twenty-Six’s Shannon Healy, Rob Mariani of Alley Twenty-Six Tonic Syrup’s and North Carolina distillers. Following the class, Beason will be the guest bartender and will continue to serve cider cocktails. Classes are 4 to 5 p.m. June 17 (with TOPO Distillery) and Aug. 19 (with Fair Game Beverage Company). Classes are $25. Alley Twenty Six is at 320 East Chapel Hill St., Durham. ticketbase.com/events/cidercocktails

A fundraising dinner series from Families Moving Forward continues at The Rickhouse, 609 Foster St., Durham. A Durham chef will serve three or more courses at a ticketed dinner with proceeds benefiting the organization, which provides temporary homes to homeless families with children. The participating chefs are Seth Gross, Pompieri and Bull City Burger & Brewery, June 19; Billy Cotter, Toast and Dashi, Aug. 21; and John May, Piedmont, Oct. 16. There will be a finale gala Dec. 18. Tickets are $75 and include the meal, wine and beer. A limited number of series passes will be sold for all four events and gala. Gala tickets are $50. Tickets are sold in advance only. familiesmovingforwardnc.org/chefsforchange

Chef Ashley Christensen of Poole’s Diner is hosting a cookbook launch party June 20 at 6 p.m. at Bridge Club, 105 W. Hargett St., Raleigh, for Chef Joshua McFadden, of Ava Gene’s in Portland, Ore., to celebrate his new book, “Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables,” which has received praise from several food publications. Christensen and her team will prepare six recipes from the book, including Chilled Seafood Salad and Fried Cauliflower with Spicy Fish Sauce. The ticket includes beer, wine and a cocktail pairings from the bar. Christensen will host a brief Q&A with McFadden about his process writing the cookbook and his perspective on cooking. It will be followed by a book signing, during which McFadden will sign the book. Copies of the book are not included in the ticket price but are available to buy at the event through Quail Ridge Books. Tickets are $55. ac-restaurants.com

Tickets are on sale for October’s TerraVita Food & Drink Festival, which features award-winning chefs, journalists, authors and tastings along with a sustainable food message. The four-day festival, now in its eighth year, is Oct. 18-21 at various Chapel Hill venues. The festival features dinners, chef demos as well as the Sustainable Classroom – workshops and tastings with acclaimed speakers. This year’s festival also features a Seasoned in the Chef tribute dinner to honor Bill Smith of Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill. Chefs will prepare courses to recognize Smith’s legacy as a chef. Ticket prices vary per event. A limited number of four-day passes are $550. TerraVitaFest.com.

Abundance Healing Arts is hosting a series of sessions for participants to learn about edible and medicinal trees while walking through woods and fields in Chatham County. Participants will learn tree identification, safe and sustainable harvesting, as well as food and medicine preparation and uses. Participants also will create tree-inspired teas and edible treats. Classes are Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. June 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29. The cost is $165 per person. abundancehealingarts.com/events.html

Durham Spirits Co., 3222 Old Chapel Hill Rd., Durham, hosts a class on making Greek dishes June 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. Menu includes Shrimp Saganaki; Green Bean Salad with Dill and Feta; Moussaka with Lamb; Spinach Phyllo Tart; Greek Potatoes; Homemade Pitas; Tzetiki; Baklava. $59. durhamspiritscompany.com.

Learn proper grilling technique, marinades and timing of cooking at Durham Spirits Co., 3222 Old Chapel Hill Rd., Durham, June 4, from 1 to 3 p.m. Menu includes: Fire Roasted Ricotta Dip with Padron Peppers; Grilled Summer Vegetables; Grilled Flank Steak with Basil Mint Vinaigrette; Hickory Smoked Ribs and Tomatoes; Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad; Grilled Flatbread; Grilled Peaches with Pound Cake and Buttermilk Ice Cream. $59/person. durhamspiritscompany.com.

Learn how to make cold soups and salads at Sarah P. Duke Gardens June 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. Instructor Katie Coleman, chef and owner of Durham Spirits Company, is the instructor. Each class includes tastings. Participants will work in small groups to make recipes. $28 per session for garden members; $35 for nonmembers. The garden is at Erwin Road and Anderson Street, Durham. 919-684-3698, gardens.duke.edu.

Bites of Bull City, a food blog, hosts a walking tour in the Five Points area of downtown Durham, Saturday, June 17, from 2 to 5 p.m. The walking tour begins at 2 p.m. at the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau before heading to Counting House, inside 21c Museum Hotel. The tour continues to Pizzeria Toro, The Cupcake Bar, Bull McCabe’s and Viceroy. Spots are limited. There is only one tour per season. $48 per person. bitesofbullcity.com. Click on Foodie Events.

Taste Carolina offers a variety of food tours in Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh and Hillsborough, including tasting tours, Raleigh Roots Tour, Dinner and Drinks tours and a Speakeasies Cocktail Tour. For descriptions, dates and reservations, go to tastecarolina.net.

Tobacco Road Tours offers several tours in Raleigh and Durham. They include the Raleigh Walking Culinary & Cultural Tour, Raleigh Craft Cocktail Tour and the Raleigh Pub Crawl & Haunted Adventure Tour. For descriptions, dates and reservations, go to tobaccoroadtours.com.

Guided culinary walking tours are offered in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary on Saturday afternoons. Start times vary. Tickets are $45, plus service fee. Reservations must be made in advance. For descriptions, dates and reservations, go to trianglefoodtour.com

Tap the Triangle offers craft beer tours in Durham, Chapel Hill and Raleigh. TTT will offer a Friday night “hop on, hop off” shuttle connecting the breweries in Durham for a flat rate. The company has partnered with a dozen breweries and bottle shops and offers tours from $24.99 to $69.99. They package beer tastings with transportation. TapTheTriangle.com

Tour the facility in downtown Knightdale to see how Lassiter’s North Carolina Rum is made. Tours run 30-45 minutes and include a sample of rum for guests 21 and over. Lassiter Distilling Co., 319 N. First Ave., Knightdale. 919-295-0111, lassiterdistilling.com.

This story was originally published June 2, 2017 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Foodie events: Dinners, tours, festivals and more."