Around town Lobster dinner: The Naked Oyster restaurant at the corner of Dundas and Talbot streets is holding a four-course lobster dinner tomorrow, featuring chilled gazpacho with soft-shell blue crab; roasted pepper and crab cheesecake, a 1 1/2 -pound steamed East Coast lobster with seasonal vegetable and potato and molten chocolate cake. The cost is $60 and reservations will be accepted for both the dining room and patio. Call 667-1337.
Chicken barbecue: Siloam United Church, 1240 Fanshawe Park Rd., is holding a chicken barbecue Saturday from 5-7 p.m. Dinner includes chicken, potato salad, baked beans and homemade pies. The cost is $12 for adults and $6 for children. Takeout orders are also available. Tickets must be purchased in advance from the church office. Call 455-9201.
Lobster nights: On Monday and Tuesday, David's Bistro, 432 Richmond St., is holding lobster nights with the following menu: Smoked salmon, corn and leek chowder; steamed 1 1/2 -pound East Coast lobster with fresh asparagus and new potatoes; marinated strawberries with caramel crunch ice cream and Malivoire Chardonnay 2000. The cost is $75. Call 667-0535 for reservations.
Cooking classes: Tonight from 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Upstairs at Loblaws, Fanshawe Market, caterers Tracy Jones and Jen Harrigan prepare six summer salads, including mesclun with champagne vinaigrette, roasted beet and marjoram, corn and cilantro, pasta with a maple vinaigrette and roasted red potato and chevre. The cost is $25. Call 673-6111 to register.
Cooking classes: Tonight from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Loblaws Wonderland Market, chef Mies Bervoets prepares Thai chicken and potato curry, tum yum soup, Vietnamese summer rolls and grilled fresh fruit kabobs with a berry coulis. The cost is $25. Tomorrow from 7-9:30 p.m., Gina Farrugia prepares gourmet seafood on the grill, including salade Nicoise with fresh grilled tuna, seafood skewers and bruschetta. The cost is $30. On Monday from 6:30-8:30 p.m., chef Richard Voigt prepares a special menu for Father's Day, including crispy carrot chips, cobb salad, pizza bread, Cajun chicken pasta and fresh apple-strawberry crisp. The cost is $20.
Cooking class: On Saturday from noon-3 p.m., the regional cooking of Tuscany will be featured in a class at the Cooking Studio at Murano, 392 Waterloo St. Featured dishes include: Focaccio alla uva (grapes), tortelli filled with potatoes with a butter and sage sauce, beef braised in Chianti classico and cantucci, a type of biscotti. All classes have a hands-on portion and include lunch. A materials fee of $15 is payable to the instructor before class. The cost is $55. Call 661-5575 to register.
Out of town
Food and art: Monet's, at the Village Inn, Sarnia, is holding Glorious Greek Night, its third art and food event, Friday, starting at 6 p.m. It will focus on the art of Ariel Lyons. A six-course modern Greek tasting menu will include soup, salad, sorbet, fish course, choice of rabbit, lamb or chicken, followed by fresh figs and a sour cherry clafoutis. Hors d'oeuvres and wine will be served during the reception to meet the artist. There will also be live music. The cost is $55.95, of which $5 will be donated to Gallery Lambton. Call (519) 344-1157 for reservations.
Chicken barbecue: Corunna United Church is holding a chicken barbecue Saturday from 4-7 p.m. in conjuntion with Corunna Firefighters Field Day. Dinner includes a half- or quarter-chicken, potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw and ice cream for $10 or $8. The charge is $5 for children six to 12 and no charge for children five and under. Take-out orders are also available. Advance tickets are not essential, but are available from the church office at 862-1052 and pick-up orders can be made at the same number.
Beef dinner: The Stratford-Perth Museum is holding its annual beef dinner and dance on Saturday from 6 p.m.-midnight at the Stratford Coliseum, with entertainment by the Royalaires. Takeout meals are available from 6:15-6:45 p.m. The cost is $25 for the dinner and dance or $12 for a takeout meal only. Call 271-5311.
Dessert gala: On Sunday from 1:30-4 p.m., the St. Marys Friendship Centre is holding Sweet Sensations, a dessert gala, at the St. Marys Golf & Country Club. Tickets are $10 in advance from the Friendship Centre, 217 Park St., St. Marys, or $12 at the door. Art and other auction items will also be available.
Spaghetti dinner: A spaghetti dinner to aid the Elgin County Railway Museum will be held Monday from 4-8 p.m. at the Talbot Station Steak House, Talbot St., St. Thomas. Dinner includes spaghetti with meat sauce, a small caesar salad and garlic bread. The price is $6 at the door.
New products
Bottled water: Esker Natural Spring Water is now available in grocery and mass retailers in Ontario. It is the world's first bottled water extracted from an esker, a rare geological formation located in the Abitibi region of Quebec. It has a suggested retail price of $1.49 for 1.5 litres, $6.49 for a multipack of 12 500-millilitre bottles and $5.99 for a multipack of six bottles of one litre each.
Meat alternatives: Boca Products, a division of Kraft Canada, is introducing three new meat alternatives -- Boca Ground Burger (simulated ground beef); Boca Chik'n Patties (simulated breaded chicken patties; and Boca Chik'n Nuggets (simulated chicken nuggets). All are made with soy protein and have the flavour of the traditional meat they represent, but less fat and fewer calories, says the firm. They are available at major grocery stores for a suggested retail price of $4.99 to $5.99.
