Always supporting the local community and wanting to inspire others to do great things, Bay Street Biergarten launched their inaugural Random Acts of Kindness Week on November 16 with local partners: the Charleston Riverdogs, South Carolina Stingrays, Woodhouse Spa, South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston Wine + Food Festival, North Charleston Coliseum, Elysium Salon, and Nobly.  During the week, Bay St Biergarten and area partners will do random acts of kindness both in the restaurant and throughout the city, and ask people to share their experiences and spread the kindness by doing something nice for someone else and sharing it with #ChsRakWeek

To get involved, simply go out and do something nice for someone you don’t know or contact boomer@thebecketagency.com to become a partner. Charleston RAK Week goes through Sunday November 23, 2015.

Virginia’s on King, a Southern-style restaurant in the heart of downtown Charleston, invites families and friends to drop the dishes and celebrate Thanksgiving with a special menu. Available only on Thursday, Nov. 26, the feast includes herb stuffed turkey, sweet potatoes, gravy and plenty of Virginia Bennett’s family recipes.

“By pairing Thanksgiving favorites with southern hospitality, we look forward to delivering a memorable experience for families, couples and foodies of all ages,” shares Eddie Wiles, executive chef of Virginia’s on King.

Menu highlights include:

• Traditional Turkey Plate with herbed stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce ($19.99)
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with candied pecans and cranberry crema (cup $4.99, bowl $6.99)
• Bacon-Wrapped Pork Chop stuffed with spinach, cornbread and cranberries, served with roasted cauliflower, whipped sweet potatoes and apple-shallot gravy ($21.99)
• Oyster and Spinach Salad with fried oysters, cherry tomatoes, baby spinach and maple horseradish vinaigrette ($10.99)

Virginia’s on King’s Thanksgiving Day menu will be served on Nov. 26 during regular restaurant hours of 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

On Friday, November 20, Studio 300–an annual nominee for Best Party of the Year by the Charleston City Paper–returns in all its epic glory!

I hope you can join me as I celebrate The Alley’s 3rd anniversary with beats by DJ Natty Heavy, premium cocktails and beers, complimentary appetizers, the famous roller girls, free bowling, free arcade game play, and more over-the-top surprises (Alley has had a aerialists, women on horseback, fire breathers, and snake charmers at previous Studio 300 parties).

Attendees are strongly encouraged to dress in their best disco outfits (I love me a good costume party) as the Alley will transform into one big nightclub inspired by the legendary Studio 54… And as always, expect the unexpected!

Regular admission tickets will be available at $60. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Doors open at 9pm. A portion of proceeds will benefit local education charity Be A Mentor.

ABOUT THE ALLEY CHARLESTON:
Located in the popular Upper King St corridor of Charleston, SC, The Alley Charleston offers an entertainment experience unlike anything in the southeast. In addition to eight lanes of retro bowling and old school arcade games galore, the retrofitted warehouse features a 40ft signature bar made of a reclaimed bowling lane, a 150 seat restaurant, a mezzanine space with lounge area and a 17ft bar, and outside seating.

ABOUT BE A MENTOR:
Through targeted and sustainable youth mentoring programs, Be a Mentor strives to enable youth to develop positive relationships with caring adults, build long-lasting community connections and enhance the development of character and leadership skills in order to lay the foundation for success and empower youth to reach their full potential.

This November, Tavern & Table, will be hosting a month long digital pay-it-forward event to help the hungry locally by donating a lunch to the area’s leading hunger-relief charity, LowCountry Food Bank, for every Tavern & Table lunch that guests Instagram using hashtag #lunch4alunch.

WHEN: Monday – Friday Lunch (11am – 3pm) November 2015
WHERE: 100 Church St, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464

One in four children experiences hunger in the Lowcountry. About 15% of people in our community don’t always know where their lunch will come from. Half of the people served by the LCFB are children and seniors. The LCFB serves 200,000 people each year along the SC coast.

Last year’s Food Film Festival was one of the coolest, most fun events I’ve been to in a really long time. So I bought my tickets to this year’s event as soon as they went on sale. But I understand if some of you are slackers and haven’t gotten around to it yet. Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.

Dinner and a movie all in one! Photo by Noah Fecks

I’m giving away 2 pairs of VIP tickets to 2 lucky winners, one pair to the Edible Adventures party on Thursday 11/12 and one pair for the Food Porn Party on Friday 11/13. All you have to do to enter is fill out the Rafflecopter form below and comment below with which film you’re most excited to see. For extra entries, you can like Queen of the Food Age and the Food Film Festival on Facebook or Twitter.

That is some delicious looking corn on the cob. Photo by Noah Fecks

The winners will be announced on Monday 11/9. For those of you who don’t want to wait, you can save 15% on your tickets using the promo code QUEEN15 at checkout!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck & see you there!

So excited! Photo by Noah Fecks

Charleston sports bar The Alley, has partnered with the local tee company, Flooded Streets, to release 150 limited edition t-shirts of The Alley’s iconic PBR mural by Lucky Boy artist, David Boatwright, at their Alley Mural T-shirt Release Party on Friday Nov. 6 at 7pm.

Throughout his career, David Boatwright’s famous works have been featured throughout Charleston on murals such as the exterior of Hank’s Seafood and Hominy Grill, or the side of the GrowFood Carolina building.  However the release of the limited edition PBR mural shirt is Boatwright’s first time having any of his 20+ murals presented on a t-shirt.

The party will also have live music by Minimum Wage, and Beach Tiger (formerly the Tartans) plus $1 PBR cans while supplies last, and PBR collectables.

WHO:  The Alley, Flooded Streets, Lucky Boy Art (Charleston muralist David Boatwright), and PBR.

WHAT: 150 limited edition Flooded Streets t-shirts of their iconic PBR mural by Lucky Boy artist, David Boatwright.

WHEN: Friday Nov. 6, 2015 7pm – 1am

WHERE:  The Alley Charleston 131 Columbus St. Charleston, S.C. 29403

NOTES: Limited release of only 150 shirts – $25 each.

Halloween in Charleston is a revelation. There’s really nothing like it anywhere else in the country. Or probably there is, but I never want to leave Charleston during Halloween to find out.

I love this city!

Here are some fun things happening around the (haunted) holy city this weekend:

Friday 10/30

Warehouse

Night 1 of Warehouse’s 3rd annual Halloween bash. Starts at 10 pm. Features music from DJ Rehab. There will also be a COAST Brewing Company Tap Takeover, Cocktails from High Wire Distilling Co. & Cannonborough Beverage Co., and Spooky Eats from Chef Emily Hahn!

Joe Riley Park

6 pm: Come out to Joe Riley Park on Friday, October 30th to watch the Disney phenomenon, Frozen. Gates open at 6pm with the movie starting at 7pm. Hair braiding, snowcones, crafts, and photo ops with Anna and Elsa! Tickets are $5, children 3 & under are FREE!

Saturday 10/31

Persimmon Cafe

4 pm – 9 pm: Pregame in costume at Persimmon and receive a “scarewich” plus a beer or wine for only $10!

Crave Kitchen & Cocktails

5:30 pm – until: Crave is teaming up with Charleston’s Pepper Palace for a 3-course Halloween-themed feast fit for diners who DARE. The special menu will feature three courses of deliciously painful dishes! Tickets for the 3-course food menu are available for pre-sale at $30 each ($35 per person the night of).

Cocktail Club

6 pm – 2 am: The Cocktail Club is hosting “The Side Show” Halloween Party adorned with all things creepy carnival and circus. Needless to say, there will be plenty of bearded ladies and clowns to go around during this free event that is open to the public. Drink specials will be available and prizes will be awarded for best dressed guest.

Taco Boy

6 pm – until: Costume contest to take home $1,000 for best individual costume and $500 gift card for best group costume! Winners will be announced at 11PM. The Green Thieves play from 2 pm – 5 pm. 21+ after 6 pm (don’t forget your IDs). $5 cover. DJ Natty Heavy at 8 pm.

Craft Conundrum

6 pm – until: Halloween costume contest with grand prize of a $300 bar tab – so bring your A game! They’ll have awesome, fun, crazy, barbaric, and insane #LiveMusic from Blackstone. The gigantic candy bowl will be ready. Food Truck TBA. Don’t miss out!

Charleston City Jail

7 pm – 11 pm: Come out and experience the greatest Halloween event in Downtown Charleston! Food, open bar, haunted house, laser light show, multiple lounge areas, multiple DJ’s. VIP Available. 21 and up. Tickets: General Admission – $80, VIP – $150

O-Ku

9 pm – until: Celebrate the spookiest day of the year with the team at O-Ku at their annual Halloween Party. Spend the evening dancing to a DJ and don’t forget to participate in the costume contest for cash prizes and giveaways.

Bar Mash

9 pm – 2 am: Join newly opened Bar Mash on Halloween for their American Horror Story Whiskey Ward Halloween party. The event is free and open to the public for those brave enough to face the Whiskey Ward. Enjoy drink specials and dress your best as a prize will be awarded to the patron with the best costume.

Tattooed Moose

9 pm – until: Halloween dance party featuring gravy chugging contest, $5 perfect storm cocktails (made with Kraken Spiced Rum + Megan’s Homemade Ginger Beer), DJ Klev Starr, prizes, and fun! No cover.

Warehouse

10 pm – until: Night 2 of Warehouse’s 3rd annual Halloween bash, featuring music from DJ Rehab. There will also be a COAST Brewing Company Tap Takeover, Cocktails from High Wire Distilling Co. & Cannonborough Beverage Co., and Spooky Eats from Chef Emily Hahn!

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Got an event that I missed? Let me know in the comments!

Executive Chef Robert Carter continues Barony Tavern’s successful monthly wine dinner series and again invites guests to join for a dinner perfectly paired with wines from Pietra Santa Winery on Monday, Oct. 19. Pietra Santa Winery is a renowned producer of Italian varieties of wine, including Cabernet, Merlot and Zinfandel from California’s Central Coast region. A representative from the Pietra Santa winery, Alicia Seay, will visit diners tableside to explain the characteristics of each wine and the methodology of the food pairing.

I like wine and I like dinner. Good combo!

Patrons are welcome to make reservations any time between 6:30-8:30 p.m. to enjoy an expertly-prepared four-course meal paired with a selection of Pietra Santa wines.

“Pietra Santa is a family-run estate producing wonderful artisanal wines made only from the finest grapes and sustainable farming methods,” says Carter. “Guests will be treated to these exceptional wine offerings alongside a menu of meat and seafood dishes specifically created to compliment each wine’s distinguished flavor profile.”

Please see below for the complete Barony Tavern Pietra Santa Wine Dinner menu.

1^st Course:

Pistachio Crusted Local Grouper: Orzo with Spinach and Black Olives, Tomato Broth
* Pietra Santa Chardonnay

2^nd Course:

Grilled Norwegian Salmon: Mushroom Risotto, Red Wine Braised Collard Greens, Wild Berry Jus
*Pietra Santa Pinot Noir 

3^rd Course:

Prime Rib of Beef: Blue Cheese Potato Cake, Grilled Asparagus, Dried Cherry Compote
*Pietra Santa Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

4^th Course:

Chocolate-Cherry Bombe: Vanilla Anglaise

Price is $65/person. Reservations are recommended but walk-ins are welcome. To make a reservation, please call 843.297.4246. For more information on Barony Tavern, please visitwww.baronytavern.com.