TRINITY REP FUNDRAISER: JAN 25

Trinity Rep's fund raiser on Saturday, January 25 (7 p.m. to 11 p.m.) is a wine-tasting. The night is casual, dancing encouraged (Superchief Trio provides the music). Bottles Fine Wine (bottlesfinewine.com) runs the wine-tasting and the food is provided by Nicks on Broadway (nicksonbroadway.com/), Chez Pascal (chez-pascal.com), The Grange (providencegrange.com), Walrus and Carpenter Oyster (walrusandcarpenteroysters.com) and Russell Morin Fine Catering (morinsfinecatering.com). Good list.

Tickets are $75 

Call Trinity Rep (401-351-4242 ) or pick up at the box office (201 Washington Street)

BURGER UPDATE: DOHERTY'S EAST AVENUE

Doherty's Irish Pub (342 East Avenue, Pawtucket  401-725-1800). Maybe it was the broken seat spring but I don't think so. Revisiting Doherty's I found the burger and other semi-junk fun food selected worthy of a 3 on a 1 to 10 scale. Too bad. dohertys.com

PROVIDENCE RESTAURANT WEEKS: WINTER 2014

Starting today, January 5, running through Saturday, January 18, it's your civic duty to dine out.  Forget the fact that you have done nothing but eat for weeks. Get a Fitbit and walk giant loops from Blackstone Blvd to Hope to Wickenden and back again to the boulevard, or walk from the top of Wickenden to the top of Federal Hill and back (this is a fun route if you wind your way via Olga'a, shops on Westminster, over to the convention center and up Atwells Avenue - carry a backpack for purchases). Or do your atoning on a treadmill.

But stay in shape so you can enjoy good offerings guilt-free. Restaurants all over Providence (with the notable exception of the west of 95 clique), near Providence, and all the way to Matunuck are participating. The general deal: $14.95 for a three-course lunch, $29.95 for a three-course dinner. True, some restaurants offer slim pickings (menu-wise and in some cases, literally) but others are out to seduce you. And if you've ever had the urge to go to one of the famous steak houses (e.g. Capital Grille or Ruth's Chris) now's the time.

Here's one you shouldn't miss: Matunuck Oyster Bar (629 Succotash Road, Matunuck  401-783-4202 http://www.rhodyoysters.com/). Matunuck Oyster Bar is open all day, every day from 11:30 a.m. The restaurant week menu is comprehensive and the place is fun. Crowded too (that's an understatement), so choose your time.

The list of participating restaurants is good - take a look (http://www.goprovidence.com/RW/)

Osias Beert: Still Life with Oysters

CHEZ PASCAL HOUSE-MADE SAUSAGE FOR RETAIL SALE

If you love the house-made sausages and hot-dogs at Chez Pascal (960 Hope Street, Providence  401-421-4422) go pick up a four-pack of sausages ($8) and/or a six-pack of hot-dogs ($10). Sausage types vary (bratwurst, chorizo, etc.). Indulge.

www.chez-pascal.com

NEW RIVERS RHODY BEER DINNER - DECEMBER 18

New Rivers (7 Steeple Street, Providence  401-751-0350) is having a seafood and beer dinner in the upstairs private dining room on Wednesday, December 18 at 6:30 p.m. The dinner showcases Rhode Island beer, fish and shellfish (the lobster in the lobster/scallop gratin is foreign, from Maine). Cost is $80 per person before tax and tip. If this dinner is anything like the beer dinner I attended at New Rivers a year or so ago, it is worth every penny. The dinner I went to was terrific; some people came with friends others on their own, everybody talked. The age distribution ran from 30ish to retiree age.  Food was amazing!  www.newriversrestaurant.com

Wednesday, December 18    6:30 p.m.    Call 401-751-0350

APRICOTS FOR CHRISTMAS

Move your head away from chocolate gifts for a moment and consider apricots.

Lovers of glacéed apricots know that at Christmastime Williams Sonoma (www.williams-sonoma.com) is stocked up with boxes of delicious apricots, plain and chocolate-dipped. Very pricey ($42-$45) to be sure.  But know this: if you order chocolate-dipped from Williams Sonoma you will receive apricots in perfect shape, chocolate intact. That wasn't my experience when I ordered through Amazon - the California vendor sent good apricots but they arrived in a jumble with all the chocolate broken.

And take a look at this site: www.andysorchard.com for a good selection of luscious California apricots ($38 for two lbs). Andy Mariani runs Andy's Orchard in the Santa Clara Valley.

drying apricots in California 1905 - Orange County Archives

JOANNE CHANG AT BROWN FACULTY CLUB DECEMBER 10

Joanne Chang, owner of Flour Bakery + Café in Boston (www.flourbakery.com) will be talking about baking and discussing her new book, Flour, Too: Indispensable Recipes for the Café's Most Loved Sweets & Savories (long title, yes?) at the Brown Faculty Club on Tuesday, December 10 at 5:00 p.m. This is free (with a cash bar) and open to the public but best to call and reserve. Number is 401-863-3023

Brown Faculty Club     1 Magee Street     Providence