Here are a few beer tastings from our Pintful columnist John Frank:

Big Boss Tap Takeover
Friday at Village Draft House, 428 Daniels St., Raleigh
A few specialty Big Boss beers and cask offerings are the featured guests at a tap takeover event, including a six-month aged Countess Raspberry Ale and a limited batch Monkey Bizz-ness, a delicious Belgian ale. Info: villagedrafthouse.com

Lonerider Release Party
5 p.m. June 26 at the brewery’s taproom, 8816 Gulf Court, Suite #100, Raleigh
The new Hangman Barley Wine from Lonerider Brewing features twice the malt, hops and yeast of the average ale. It debuts at the Hideout at the brewery. Info: loneriderbeer.com

Sourfest
June 27 at Busy Bee Cafe, 225 S Wilmington St., Raleigh
Once the purview of bottles, sour beers are getting a tap showoff at the craft beer bar in downtown Raleigh. More than a dozen sour beer kegs will fill the lines, including a few select offerings, such as Thirsty Dog’s Cerasus Flanders and Bruery’s Sour in the Rye. Info: busybeeraleigh.com

Tune in tomorrow to read John Frank's column about a Charlotte man who tried to educate his palate by tasting 500 different beers.

Here's a list of upcoming food events, food tours and more across the Triangle:

Canal House Lunch
Cooks & Books Lunch with authors Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton. 1 p.m. June 19. $75. Fearrington Village, 2000 Fearrington Village Center, Pittsboro. 919-542-3030. www.fearrington.com.

Cookbook Signing
"The Animal Farm Buttermilk Cookbook" with Diane St. Clair
4:30 p.m. June 20. Free. Southern Season, 201 S. Estes Drive, Chapel Hill. 877-929-7133. www.southernseason.com.

Farm-to-Table Dinner to benefit Wake Forest Farmers' Market
6:30 p.m. June 24. $65 includes iced tea, coffee. $20 wine pairings. The Fire Pit BBQ & Smokehouse, 950 Gateway Commons Circle, Wake Forest. 919-562-0020. www.firepitnc.com.

Click on READ MORE to see the entire list.

Thanks to everyone who spent their Saturday morning with me learning about coupons, rebates and frugal living.

And thanks for your amazing generosity to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. You donated exactly 100 pounds of food and $26 in cash! That's enough to supply 194 meals to families in need.

Don't let your empty pockets dampen your enthusiasm for celebrating dad this Father's Day. Check out our list of freebies and discounts. You'll save a bundle and make dad proud.

If you're coming to coupon class Saturday, I wanted to give you a few friendly reminders.

Be sure to bring a donation to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. It's a great cause AND it will get you a second chance to win some pretty amazing door prizes.

If you need coupon organizer supplies, folks from The Coupon Pro will be on hand to sell coupon binders, do-it-yourself kits, pocket pages and coupon wallets. Prices range from $2 to $30. Cash or checks only.

Saturday's class is full but we'll be registering for a late summer class soon. Watch the blog for an announcement.

Can't wait to meet all of you.

Look for two coupon inserts -- one Smart Source and one Red Plum -- in this Sunday's home-delivered Final Edition of The News & Observer.

There will be 114 coupons with a face value of about $118 -- and that's before every-day double coupons, which we're fortunate to have at Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods.



I'll have the coupon database updated and the best Sunday deals posted early Sunday morning, about the same time your paper hits the driveway. That way, you'll have the most complete and up-to-date coupon information for the Triangle at your finger tips.


Please note: Single-copy and State Edition papers may not contain all coupon inserts.



This is a post by N&O restaurant critic Greg Cox:

Norberto Meccia, owner of the Argentinean restaurant Pampas in North Raleigh’s Lafayette Village, has closed the restaurant after just six months. Citing differences with the landlord, Meccia says he will explore options for a new location.

In the meantime, fans of Pampas’ Argentinean and Cuban fare can get their fix at his other restaurant, Oakwood Café (300 E. Edenton St.; 919-828-5994; oakwoodcaferaleigh.com) in downtown Raleigh. Meccia says that, contrary to earlier reports, he does not plan to sell that restaurant.

Send restaurant news to Greg at ggcox@bellsouth.net. Be sure to tune in to Greg's radio show at 11 a.m. Saturdays on WPTF.

Whole Foods stores are offering a great deal -- today only -- on purchases from their bulk bins.

From 4 to 8 p.m., shoppers will get a 20 percent discount on bulk grocery items. Coffee, tea and bath salts are excluded from the "flash sale."

This is a post by N&O restaurant critic Greg Cox:

A July opening is targeted for the opening of Jimmy V’s Osteria + Bar (420 Fayetteville St.; 919-256-1451; jimmyvsraleigh.com) in downtown Raleigh. Located adjacent to the Sheraton Hotel, the restaurant will offer a menu inspired by the hearty Italian-American fare favored by its namesake, the late NC State basketball coach Jim Valvano.

But the offering won’t be limited to steaks and spaghetti with oversize meatballs. Executive chef Scott Chatterton’s menu will cover a broad spectrum of options, from appetizer pork belly bites to seafood risotto to wood-fired pizzas with quail egg and duck confit among the topping options.

Burger aficionados will be tempted by - and Wolfpack fans will no doubt wax nostalgic over - the Whittenburger, whose topping options include Nueske bacon, fried egg, avocado and aged cheddar.

Jimmy V’s will have a full bar, and because of its connection with the Sheraton, will serve three meals a day.

The restaurant (which is not affiliated with Jimmy V’s Steakhouse in Cary) will further honor its namesake by donating 2.5% of proceeds to the V Foundation, the cancer research organization Valvano helped to found in 1993.

Send restaurant news to Greg at ggcox@bellsouth.net. Be sure to tune in to Greg's radio show at 11 a.m. Saturdays on WPTF.