3 wine dinners approach

Wine dinners on the horizon:

Mimosa Grill does "Tuscany in the South" March 9, with chef Jon Fortes talking about how the Italian region inspired him, and sommelier Mark Orsini of Country Vintner talks about Tuscany's most famous wine regions. $75; 704-343-0700.

e2 Emeril's Eatery offers a Thelema dinner March 16, with Thomas Webb speaking about the South African winery just north of Capetown and chef de cuisine Brian Mottola preparing four courses. $85; 704-414-4787.

And Customshop hosts a Chateau Musar dinner March 17. Cabernet, Syrah and Cinsault from this winery in Lebanon will be paired with fare from chef Trey Wilson, and guest Marc Hochar will talk about ancestors to Chardonnay and Semillon. $130 per couple; 704-333-3396.

Democrats and Republicans, through food

Public Policy Polling reports the following tidbits from its first national poll on food, conducted Feb. 21-24 among 500 registered voters:

Burger King is the favorite fast-food hamburger restaurant, topping Wendy's and McDonald's, while KFC and Chick-fil-A tie among fast-food chicken places (though Southerners lean toward the latter).

57% of Americans would rather drink a Coke than a beer, while 30% prefer beer and 12% claim they never drink either.

Among bready things, Democrats enjoy bagels (34%) and croissants (32%) while Republicans prefer donuts (35%).

Democrats "are cool with vegans" (a 48/22 favorability rating); Republicans have a negative opinion of them (31/41).

Democrats prefer regular soda (47/31) while Republicans prefer diet (42/34).

And while Republicans narrowly believe that Olive Garden constitutes "a quality source of authentic ethnic food" (43/41), Democrats (41/44) think it does not.

54% of voters say that they'd be willing to pay more for their restaurant meals to help employees have health insurance; 30% say they would not. Democrats (72/19) are overwhelmingly willing to pay more for that purpose, but Republicans are, by a narrow margin (41/38), as well.

Studio Movie Grill opens Tuesday

Studio Movie Grill -- an "in-theater dining concept" -- is slated to open Feb. 26 at the EpiCentre, and plans a number of special events in the following weeks.

The "Cans Film Festival" will be March 8-10; guests who donate two canned goods or nonperishable food items get a free movie ticket to the film of their choice that's showing, and donations go to Second Harvest.

"Old Time Hockey Weekend" March 16 includes a showing of "Slap Shot" and a Q&A with the star Hanson Brothers. Info: gocheckers.com/oldtime/.

Each second Wednesday of the month will be girls' nights out with "fave female flicks" for $1 and drink and food specials; the first will be "Magic Mike" on March 13. Each first Thursday will be "Brews N' Views," geared to guys, with half-price domestic draft beer and "your favorite movies"; first up is "Superbad" April 4.

And $1 movie classics will be shown each third Thursday; "Clerks" starts the series March 21.

The menu ranges from steak sandwiches, ribs and an assortment of chicken tenders, to pizzas, burgers and tacos.

Zebra dinner for Africa Yoga Project

Susie Johnson, a former employee at Zebra, "left me to study yoga in India ... and now she is raising money to take yoga to children in Africa," says Zebra chef-owner Jim Alexander. So he's sponsoring a dinner to help, Feb. 28. Cost is $100 and menu choices range from lobster bisque or signature vase salad to N.C. rainbow trout Francaise or chicken breasts Provencal. RSVP required to 704-442-9525; 4521 Sharon Road.

Bad Daddy's makes Zagat list

Zagat chose 25 Burgers in 25 cities, and Bad Daddy's Burger Bar made that lineup (Zagat lists only the Dilworth location, but there are also Bad Daddy's at Ballantyne, Birkdale and the Charlotte airport, plus a location in Raleigh).

New at Bad Daddy's, by the way: the Edamame Cashew Burger (that's it, above), a vegetarian option that includes a housemade Greek yogurt tzatziki sauce; plus Irish nachos (with warm Guinness beer cheese sauce, a fried egg, scallions and bacon), bacon blue cheese fries, truffle parmesan fries, salt and vinegar fries and a strawberry Greek yogurt crunch shake.

Now open

OGGI (which is Italian for today) is open at 16646 Hawfield Way Drive, at The Shoppes at Ardrey Kell. The idea? Pastas and desserts made daily in-house from scratch, and served in a homestyle, casual setting. The Roy family owns it, and had restaurants for more than 20 years in Miami. Pastas range from gnocchi and crabmeat ravioli to lasagne and linguine with clams, while entrees include chicken with artichokes, skirt steak with caramelized onions and port wine sauce and veal scallopini with portobellos. Lunch about $7-$15; dinner entrees $13-$25; 704-716-9400; www.oggicharlotte.com.

A second East Coast Wings & Grill has opened in the Charlotte area, at 9711 Northlake Centre Parkway, part of brothers J.D. and Jeff Penland's plan to open five in the area over five years. The N.C.-based chain offers 75 flavors of wings. No, really.

James Beard semifinalists

Restaurant and chef award semifinalists are out for the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards. Among them is Charlotte's Eric Solomon, up again for Outstanding Wine, Spirits or Beer Professional, among 20 semifinalists (including Durham's Sean Lilly Wilson).
From elsewhere in the Carolinas:
For Best New Restaurant (29 semifinalists): Mateo Tapas in Durham and The Ordinary in Charleston.
Outstanding Restaurant (20): Chapel Hill's Lantern.
Outstanding Chef (20): Sean Brock of McCrady’s (yes, they specified McCrady's, but he's also in charge at the more in-the-news Husk).
Outstanding Pastry Chef (20): Phoebe Lawless of Durham's Scratch.
Rising Star Chef of the Year: Katie Button at Asheville's Cúrate.
Outstanding wine program: Angus Barn in Raleigh and Charleston Grill at Charleston Place Hotel.
And among the 20 semifinalists for Best Chef: Southeast are Ashley Christensen of Poole’s Diner in Raleigh; Elliott Moss of The Admiral (soon to be of Buxton Hill) in Asheville; Scott Crawford of Herons at the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary; Vivian Howard of Chef & the Farmer in Kinston; Scott Howell at Nana’s in Durham; Aaron Vandemark of Panciuto in Hillsborough, and, all in Charleston: Jeremiah Bacon at The Macintosh, Craig Deihl at Cypress ,and Joshua Keeler at Two Boroughs Larder.