Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar at Crabtree Valley Mall has a series of events next month:

• Every Tuesday, no corkage on a bottle of wine you bring or 25 percent off a bottle or two from their wine list. Guests also will receive a gift card for free corkage or 25 percent off a bottle of wine during a future visit.
• Every Wednesday, they will be giving away samples of their miniburgers at the bar between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Sept. 16, Wine on Wednesday charity event, $10 glass of wine with complimentary appetizers. All proceeds will go to the Alzheimer's Association.
• Sept. 25, they are offering a three-course wine dinner where guests bring a bottle of their favorite wine.

To make a reservation, call 571-6200.

There will be a school gardening workshop from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Oct. 6 at Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh for parents and anyone else in the topic.

The Lee Brothers are coming to the Regulator bookshop Nov. 5 for a reading related to their new cookbook, "The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern."

Chef Amy Tornquist of Watts Grocery will be serving up food for the reading. 

Mark your calenders. Having interviewed Matt and Ted Lee, I can say they are a delight.

Durham's Blu Seafood and Bar just sent details on two upcoming wine dinners: one to please transplanted New Englanders and the other to please parents.

Care2.com is sponsoring a "Love Your Farmers Market" contest. The Carrboro market is in second place and the Durham market is in 5th place so far in the voting.

Cast your vote and help a local market get $5,000. Here is the link to vote. 

Phil McLaughlin will be the new chef at Durham's Six Plates Wine Bar. McLaughlin comes from Herons, the restaurant at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary. He worked closely with Bret Jennings as a sous chef at Elaine's on Franklin for six years. He  did previous stints in the kitchens at Il Palio and Squid's.

Ted Domville, the prior chef at Six Plates, is moving over to Local Yogurt in which he has an ownership stake.

Six Plates owner Matthew Beason says McLaughlin officially starts after Labor Day but the menu will likely not transition to his own creation until mid- to late September.  

Watts Grocery is now offering daily blue plate specials!

Today's is a catfish fry with hush puppies  and buttermilk slaw.

Tomorrow's will be local cabrita tostada with avocados, queso fresco and mole verde. (Cabrita is goat meat.)

Friday's will be Zuke's smoked brisket on Texas toast. Yum! 

Call 416-5040 for reservations. 

Wow! I wish I had thought of this story idea: a taste off to determine if local ingredients improve a dish. The Boston Globe had a chef create two versions of 12 dishes, one with local ingredients and one without. Read about the results in the "Local Smackdown" story.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, Helios is hosting a latte art competition for artistic baristas.

A co-worker just sent me a link to this Web site called This is why you are fat. 

The Silly Rabbit is my favorite of the moment: Trix-covered French Toast. But there's plenty here to make your jaw drop.

Go to page 3 and view the baconado: a bacon-wrapped avocado stuffed with goat cheese. And please direct us to ones that make your jaw drop in the comments area.