Special dinners

Both locations of Cosmos Cafe offer a $20 menu through November, with a $20 wine list as well. On the food lineup: choices of marinated pork loin, catfish meuniere, pesto grilled chicken over angel hair and more. 300 N. College St.; 704-372-3553; 8420 Rea Road; 704-544-5268.

Tria Terra offers live music and a three-course dinner for $32 Nov. 20, including choice of salad, tapas or antipasto; black lobster ravioli, short ribs in Barolo sauce or grilled salmon with portobellos; and cheesecake or tiramisu. 7707 Pineville-Matthews Road; reservations: 704-541-2924 or triaterra@yahoo.com.

The Wine Shop at Foxcroft hosts a Nuevo Latino South American wine dinner with Alfredo Bartholomaus on Dec. 7 for $65. Bartholomaus has been called one of the 20 most influential people in wine by Robert Parker's "Wine Advocate" for introducing the wines of Chile and Argentina to America. Here, he'll be with guest chefs Graham Giacobbe and Zack Gadberry and a menu that includes Argentinean stew with chorizo and boar, served inside a roasted squash, with 2007 Cousiño-Macul Finis Terrae; flatiron steak with 2006 Catena Alta Malbec; and more. 7824 Fairview Road; reservations: 704-365-6550.

McNinch House is getting dressed for the holidays, with owner Ellen Davis decorating the 120-year-old Queen Anne Victorian in uptown's Fourth Ward, and chef Chris Coleman creating a menu for the season, including hanger steak, N.C. black grouper and a Burgundy- and spice-marinated venison tenderloin. Diners choose among three fixed-price multi-course menus, including a midweek four-courser for $59. 511 N. Church St.; 704-332-6159.