Aww, shucks — We can never remember when you're supposed to eat oysters: Is it in the months with or without an 'R' in them? According to some oyster festival organizers, the time is "right now." The First Annual Southeast Michigan Oyster Festival is holding a fundraiser to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Michigan chapter. The hosts promise Celtic music, Irish bands and dancers, a kids' zone and an oyster-eating contest. Noon-11 p.m., Oct. 13 at Gus O'Connors, 42875 Grand River Ave., Novi. To purchase tickets for this limited capacity event call Greg Miller at 734-465-9670; $10 per adult, $5 for kids 5-12; under 5 free.
Cookin' with class —Our local Williams-Sonoma store has some classes coming up, with professional chefs teaching cuisines from around the world, with demonstrations and samples of prepared dishes. Learn one-dish suppers (Oct. 14), tempting Halloween treats (Oct. 21) or the perfect autumn dinner party (Oct. 24). Class size limited, reservations requested. At Williams-Sonoma, Somerset Collection, Troy; 248-637-0672; Classes 6 to 8:30 p.m.; $40.
Hangin' around —The folks at Cass Cafe have long aimed to provide a good place to take in art with your nourishment. And they have a new show of art up, called Notorious. The show features a handful of larger, semi-abstract work up front from Chris Turner, but many will be drawn by the blend of mood, hipness and whimsy in almost two dozen paintings by Gwen Joy, which have such offbeat titles as "Angelina Jolie and the Mexican wrestlers" and "Ted Nugent being chased by a bear with Bill Bonds drinking scotch under a bridge."
Eat the Page
New York is a mecca for every kind of food on the planet. Arthur Schwartz, who has been chronicling the scene for years on the radio and now on his Web site — foodmaven.com — has assembled the ultimate collection of everything you need to know about the city's gastronomy. In New York City Food: An Opinionated History and More Than 100 Legendary Recipes (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, $45) he offers recipes, often with their origins and stories about the people who have made it a culinary destination.
A Tasty Beverage
Around this time every year, some six million people crowd a meadow in Munich, Germany, to consume massive amounts of food and beer. It's Oktoberfest! But you don't need to book a European vacation to join the fun. Grab a Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen. With a satisfying nose of baked bread and a mellow amber mouthful of malt that finishes clean with a mild hop bite, Paulaner transports you to a tent filled with a few thousand friends and an oompah band. Big-ass pretzel optional.
It Works
This thing really sucks. But, it's fun and it does work. It's as much puzzle as it a liquid transfer agent. You can mix drinks by constructing it with three ends — one for your mouth and two for the liquids. Add another end and share mixed drinks with your significant other. It includes 36 dishwasher-safe pieces: 20 flexible rubber connectors and 16 translucent straw pieces (10- to 5-inch strawz and 6- to 2.5-inch strawz). Find DIY Drinking Strawz at www.thinkgeek.com for $12.99.
Know of any new restaurants, special dinners or food-related events? Let us know. Send materials two weeks in advance to [email protected].
