Tampa Bay’s food and drink calendar for Oct. 22-29 includes cooking classes, wine tastings, a Clearwater Greek festival and a barbecue-and-book event with author and television host Steven Raichlen.
Raichlen is scheduled to appear Friday, Oct. 23, at WEDU PBS in Tampa for a “Man on Fire” BBQ and book celebration. The event includes barbecue from Jimbo’s, drinks, fire and a book signing, according to Creative Loafing Tampa. All-inclusive tickets were listed at $87.21.
The five-time James Beard Award winner’s memoir, Man on Fire: Of Life, Love, Literature, and Really Good Barbecue, is due Oct. 20. Raichlen has hosted PBS programs including Barbecue University, Primal Grill, Project Smoke and Project Fire.
Other options around the region include the Clearwater Greek Festival, running Oct. 23-25 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church with no cover charge. Foodie Labs in St. Petersburg has multiple classes during the week, including a Greek mezze class on Oct. 22, a taco-party class on Oct. 23 and an Italian cooking class on Oct. 29.
For tasting-focused outings, Aspirations Winery in Clearwater hosts a charcuterie workshop and tasting on Oct. 25 for $40, while Chateau Cellars in Tampa plans a blind wine tasting on Oct. 28 for $85. Ro in Hyde Park is scheduled to offer an omakase dinner on Oct. 27, with seatings at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. listed at $150.
The calendar also includes the St. Pete Boos & Booze Halloween Bar Crawl on Oct. 24, the Haunted Room 27 Halloween speakeasy experience at Dunedin’s Fenway Hotel on select dates Oct. 26-30, and Lunch in the Gardens at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota on Oct. 29.
