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Taste of the South: Chef Sean Brock of McCrady's hosts "A Taste of the South" with guest chefs Richard Blais and Eli Kirshtein at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Blais, who received Gayot Guide's award for the "Top Five Rising Chefs of 2005," operates Flip Burger Boutique and formerly Blais restaurant in Atlanta. Kirshtein, who competed on Bravo's "Top Chef: Las Vegas," recently became the guest chef at Solo Restaurant in New York City. The event is $125, excluding tax and gratuity. Wine pairings available for an additional $50. Reservations are required; call 577-0025.

Gullah cooking: A free Gullah cooking demonstration will be 2 p.m. Saturday at the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, 1254 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant. Veronica Gerald and Jesse Gantt, authors of the "Ultimate Gullah Cookbook," will lead the demo. For details, call the park at 881-5516.

100 Mile Dinner: Fish restaurant and chef Nico Romo are planning the second annual 100 Mile Dinner, available Thursday-Saturday at the restaurant, 442 King St. All the ingredients will be grown and raised within 100 miles. The three-course prix-fixe menu is $35. Reservations are strongly suggested. Call 722-3474.

Book signing: Author Holly Herrick will sign copies of her new book, "Charleston Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes From the Heart of the Old South," 2-4 p.m. Thursday at Waldenbooks, 120 Market St.; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday at the BB&T Charleston Wine & Food Festival at Marion Square; and 2-5 p.m. March 20 and 23 as part of the Legare Street tour, Historic Charleston Foundation Festival of Houses and Gardens.

Block Party: Ted's Butcherblock, 334 East Bay St., is hosting the second annual Locals First Block Party noon-6 p.m. Saturday. Includes live music, craft beer on tap, wine pourings and artisan tastings from local and regional sources. Highlight is barbecued brisket from the Upstate Farmers Alliance for $12 a plate. Top raffle prize is a Big Green Egg cooker. Tickets are on sale at Ted's for $5. Ted's also will debut the first Jimmy Stash Awards, a humorous twist on the famed James Beard Foundation awards in New York. Vote in an online survey at www.tedsbutcherblock.com. 577-0094.

Book signing: Event designer Tara Guerard will sign copies of her new book, "Weddings by Tara Guerard," at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, Marion Square. Through 12 dream weddings, Guerard shares tools and tricks of the trade from more than a decade in the industry.

Anniversary dinner: The Glass Onion, 1219 Savannah Highway, will offer up a five-course tasting menu 6-10 p.m. March 13 in celebration of its second anniversary. Reservations only. Live music and local delicacies; wine pairings available. $50; tasting pours for $7. Call 504-621-3616.

Festival of Ballycahill: Four local restaurants are featuring special Irish menus in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. Fuschia Tea Emporium, 113 Church St.; Swamp Fox Restaurant, Francis Marion Hotel, 387 King St.; Cork Bistro, 1067 E. Montague St., North Charleston; and Blue Rose Cafe, 652 St. Andrews Boulevard are participating. Menus will be offered on various dates. See menus and chef biographies at www.ballycahillfestival.com.

Tea room: The annual Old St. Andrew's Episcopal Church Tea Room and Gift Shop will be March 15-March 27. Lunch is served 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday and features Lowcountry favorites such as she-crab and okra soup, chicken-salad plate, chicken salad and shrimp paste sandwiches and homemade desserts. Handmade items and jam, jellies, pickles and other food items available in the gift shop. Reservations for groups are encouraged; call 766-1541. The church is at 2604 Ashley River Road.

Special Irish menu: Fuschia Tea Emporium, 113 Church St. will offer a St. Patrick's Day-inspired menu of authentic Irish dishes March 8-26. Open 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Visit www.ballycahillfestival.com or call 937-0502 for reservations. E-mail@fuschiateaemporuim.com.

TEA workshop: Learn about the art of tea in a workshop at Fuschia Tea Emporium, 113 Church St. Workshop is 9:30-11:30 a.m. March 23. Includes a sampling of teas and discussion led by a tea connoisseur. $15. Call 937-0502 or email@fuschiateaemporium.com for a reservation.

A PROPER TEA: Danielle Girard of Orient Express/Charleston Place will demonstrate "How to Serve a Proper Tea," including distinctive tea selections, proper brewing, table service and pairings. The program will be 11:30 a.m. March 23 at the Capt. James Missroon House, 40 East Bay St. $45, includes a boxed lunch and lecture. For tickets, call 722-3405 or visit www.historiccharleston.org and search the keyword "Proper tea."

Barbecue school: The Carolina Pit Masters and the Omar Shriners are teaming up to benefit the Shriners Hospital for Children by bringing a professional barbecue cooking school to the area. The two-day event puts participants in a simulated barbecue competition to learn the low and slow methods of smoking meat. As part of a team, students participate in planning, selecting, preparing, cooking and presenting ribs, pork shoulder and the whole hog. The Carolina Pit Masters BBQ Cooking School will be March 12-13 in Summerville. Request an application from Jack Waiboer at 767-4800, e-mail Carolinapitmasters@gmail.com or visit www.CarolinaPitMasters.com to enroll.

Gourmet & Grapes: Chef Patrick O'Connell of the Forbes Five-Star/AAA Five-Diamond Inn at Little Washington is the headliner of the second annual Gourmet and Grapes fine food and wine event April 30-May 2 at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Other participating chefs and winemakers include Todd Gray of Equinox in Washington, D.C., Janet Trefethen of Trefethen Family Vineyards, Italian winemaker Renato Spanu and Bill Phelps of Joseph Phelps Vineyard in Napa Valley. The event raises money for the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina. Tickets may be purchased for the weekend or individual events. For details, call 800-654-2924 or visit www.gourmetandgrapes.com.

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