UPDATE! Sandy Oaks has moved its Dining Under the Stars to July 12. The date also has been changed in the copy below, as the May 24th event has been canceled.

Dining Under the Stars at Sandy Oaks

On Friday, July 12, Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard will present a mixture of fine dining and an international wine list. Chef Scott Grimmett will have a prix fixe dinner with options so you can decide your dishes and then pick wine to match.  Just in time to herald National Wine Day.

The dining will take place outside, under the stars, in the beautiful country setting of Sandy Oaks. In case of inclement weather, seating will be moved indoors. Dinner: 6 p.m. Cost:  $55 per person, plus tax.  Call (210) 621-0044 for more information and to make reservations. Visit Sandy Oaks online here.

Shiner Beer Dinner at Hotel Havana

Hotel Havana, Shiner Beer and the San Antonio Library Foundation will host a Shiner Supper Club Tuesday, June 4, at 7 p.m. The four-course meal will highlight the culinary bounty of Central Texas.

Hotel Havana chef Toby Soto will prepare recipes from Whole Larder Love using natural meat raised by sixth-generation Texas rancher Loncity Cartwright of Twin Oaks Rand and local produce. Each course will be paired with a selection of beers presented by Shiner.

Tickets are $75 per person, which includes tax and gratuity. Space is limited and reservations can be made by calling Hotel Havana at 210-222-2008. Or, visit the events page at www.havanasanantonio.com

‘BBQ Snob’ Daniel Vaughn to be at Two Bros BBQ

Two Bros. BBQ Market will host Daniel “BBQ Snob” Vaughn at a book signing and celebration Friday, May 24, 6-9 p.m.

The Texas barbecue aficionado and author of the newly released “The Prophets of Smoked Meat,” an Anthony Bourdain book, Vaughn will be selling and signing just just-released books.

There will be  a live band and an offer of Two Bros. BBQ pack along with a full rack of “cherry babies” and a signed copy of “The Prophets of Smoked Meat” for $60. Buckets of beer are also on special.

Two Bros. is at 12656 West. Ave. 210-496-0222.

The Veuve Clicquot airstream.

Veuve Cliquot, the Champagne long known known for its yellow flavor and brilliant bubbles, is breezing into town in a luxurious airstream trailer Monday for a two-day visit at a pair of San Antonio restaurants. It’s part of a national tour that began in Florida and will continue on to Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington D.C., and the Hamptons, among other destinations.

Choices: Yellow Label? Or Rosé?

On Monday, the trailer will stop at 20nine in the Quarry, 255 E. Basse Road, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The special Veuve Road Trip, or flight, is priced at $20. Reservations can be made at (210) 798-9463.

On Tuesday, from 6 to 9 p.m., the airstream will be at Feast, 1024 S. Alamo St. Guests will have a chance to check out the Airstream while sipping flutes of Yellow Label and Rosé and enjoying music from a DJ. Yellow Label can be purchased for $15 a glass and $60 a bottle, while the Rosé is priced at $18 a glass and $70 a bottle. For more information, call Feast at (210) 354-1024.

A sign in Where Y’At.

The tragedy of what occurred in West, Texas, when a fertilizer plant there exploded on April 17, continues to unfold. And it continues to affect people from across the state, who are looking for ways to reach out and help.

Several eateries in San Antonio are doing their part by raising money, proving once again that restaurateurs in this city are willing to do what they can.

One is Pieter Sypesteyn of the Where Y’At food truck in the Alamo Street Eat Bar, 609 S. Alamo St. He’s donating any tips to the West Texas relief effort, according to a photo he posted on Facebook.

Plus, on Monday, the folks at Texas Roadhouse are donating 10 percent of their entire food sales to two relief funds. Dinner hours are from 4 to 10 p.m.

The two funds are the West, Texas, Victim Relief Fund and the West, Texas, Firefighters and EMS Fallen Hero Fund.

Texas Roadhouse has three San Antonio locations: 2893 Cinema Ridge, (210) 521-2988; 16915 San Pedro Ave., (210) 495-7427; and 13830 N. I-35, Live Oak, (210) 967-4998.

If you know of any other fundraisers for the folks in West, email walker@savorsa.com or griffin@savorsa.com.

The following announcement has come from Denise Aguirre of the Point Parks and Eats about a new venture that she’s involved in:

“OPENING JUNE 2013

“The owners of The Point Park & Eats and Texasada Mexican Street Food bring you Taps y Tapas. Modern Mexican Cuisine (not to be confused with Tex-Mex) in a comfortable historical indoor/outdoor setting, featuring 20 draught craft brew taps, wine + locally roasted coffee.

“Chef Luciano Valadez is a 2006 graduate of Le Cordon Bleu. He has spent the past 7 years in the culinary industry serving as Sous Chef, Executive Chef, General Manager and currently the Owner of Texasada Mexican Street Food truck. San Antonio’s premier Mexican/Oaxacan food truck, voted under Yelps top ten food trucks in San Antonio. Denise Aguirre & Noel Cisneros, owners of The Point Park & Eats food truck park & bar will partner with Luciano and bring you 20 craft draught taps, wine & locally roasted coffee.

“Taps y Tapas is located in the 5 Points district off of North Flores, less than a half mile from Downtown San Antonio. We are pedestrian and bike friendly and adjacent to Alamo Bike Shop. The Taps house was built circa 1893 and holds a special place in the heart of the 5 Points District.”

We’ll keep you posted when we hear more.

Luciano Ciorciari says this past weekend’s Burrata Bash was such a success that Gaucho Gourmet will be making it a regular Saturday event.

It’s no surprise that customers of this specialty food warehouse at 935 Isom Road would fall in love with the creamy cheese that is typical of the Puglia region of Southern Italy.

One way to serve burrata is with sliced heirloom tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Burrata, which means “buttered,” is a handmade mozzarella pouch filled with fresh Italian panna and stracciatelle, making it a mix of fresh sweet cream and mozzarella curd pieces. Once the cheese has been cut open, the pure, sweet, soft and luscious cream filling will slowly run onto the plate making it a must-have for all who like mozzarella and everything creamy, says Ciociari, an owner of GauchoGourmet.

GauchoGourmet will be serving the fresh burrata for eating in or taking out on Saturdays during regular opening hours, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The 4-ounce personal burrata ball will be presented with weekly changing recipes or accompaniments at $6 per serving.

In addition, customers can purchase a sampler from GauchoGourmet’s authentic Mediterranean salad bar for $4, which currently features marinated sliced eggplant, a mushroom mix in truffle oil, cipollini onions in balsamic vinegar, Italian semi-dried cherry tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, an olive medley with herbs de Provence, spicy Calabrian peppers and more.

The warehouse’s hours open to the public are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and  Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information click here, or call (210) 277-7930.

This year, Culiniaria is offering a Mother’s Day gift idea called the Trio.

It includes a ticket to each of the following three events during Culinaria’s upcoming festival:

• Friday, May 17, The Best of Mexico at The Shops at La Cantera, 7 to 10 p.m.
• Saturday, May 18, The Grand Tasting at The Grotto at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, 7 to 10 p.m.
• Sunday, May 19, Burgers, BBQ & Beer at the Pearl, 1 to 4 p.m.

The price of the package is $148, which includes a savings of 20 percent off the individual ticket price. To purchase this package, go to eventbrite.com.

Bongo-k-Bobs is one item to not miss. They can be found in Froggy Bottom.

One of San Antonio’s favorite Fiesta events, A Night In Old San Antonio (NIOSA) is like royalty that needs no introduction.

But, in case you’re a newcomer to San Antonio, this colorful, noisy four-night festival on the grounds of the La Villita Historic District rises again next week, from Tuesday through Friday (April 23-26), 5:30-10:30 p.m. For all NIOSA ticket information, click here.

NIOSA is known for food, music, dancing and much more in 15 areas that sprawl throughout La Villita — and draw some 80,000 enthusiastic partygoers every year.

What is new this year is a second location for the Baja Fish Tacos, which were introduced last year at the International Walkway. Get this popular treat at Mission Trail this year as well. Also, look for some new craft beers in booths in International Walkway and South of the Border areas.  These beers include New Belgium Rampant IPA, Batch 19, Leinie Creamy Dark, Redd’s and Henry’s Amber Redwood Flats.

For fun, come by Horseshoe Sausage booth at the International Walkway and say hi to SavorSA’s John Griffin, who will be working in that booth on the opening night, Tuesday.

They look like eggs, but they’re really fancy nachos. Shypoke Eggs are in Frontier Town.

“Through the magic of 250-plus food, drink and atmosphere booths; more than 20 live musical acts; children’s games; decorations; souvenirs; and costumed volunteers, NIOSA brings the city’s heritage alive in 15 areas: Arneson Theatre (amphitheater built in 1941 into the natural curve of the city’s river bank), Chinatown, Clown Alley, French Quarter, Froggy Bottom (pays tribute to the cultural contributions of African-Americans), Frontier Town, Haymarket (celebrates the produce and livestock markets near San Fernando Cathedral during the city’s Spanish Colonial period), International Walkway (showcases different ethnic groups that developed San Antonio’s unique heritage), Irish Flat, Main Street USA, Mexican Market, Mission Trail (honors the early years of the city’s San Antonio Missions), Sauerkraut Bend, South of the Border (Northern Mexico influences), and Villa España (celebrates City’s Spanish and Canary Islanders heritage),” says information on the website. NIOSA is sponsored by and benefits the San Antonio Conservation Society.

For every bit of current information on NIOSA 2013, which is the event’s 65th anniversary, click here at NIOSA.

Zuni Grill, 223 Losoya St., will close on April 29 to make way for a new dog-friendly riverside patio called Charlie Wants a Burger.

Zuni had become known over its 22 years of service for its blue corn chicken enchiladas, its fiery salsas and its breakfasts as well as the pink Cactus Pear Margarita.

The staff appreciates the support and loyalty of their customers. “We are proud to have pioneered the Southwestern food experience here in San Antonio and want to thank every customer for their gracious patronage of Zuni Grill. The time is right for something new and different,” says Sarah Cochran, marketing director of Paesanos Restaurant Group. “We are excited about the new concept and look forward to celebrating it’s novelty with locals and visitors alike this May.”

Charlie Wants a Burger will offer 80/20 ground chuck and brisket burgers made with certified Angus beef as well as other American comfort foods, such as hot dogs, milkshakes, draft beers and margaritas (the Cactus Pear Margarita will live on in the new menu). All will be served in a family-friendly, relaxed sports bar setting with dogs allowed on the patio. Renovations are already underway.

Michael David Winery is a California favorite named for the brothers Michael and David Phillips. Their family has been farming in the Lodi area since the 1850s, and the brothers are now passing off the running of the winery to a new generation, the sixth generation of grape growers.

This celebrated winery will be the focus of a dinner set fro 6:30 p.m. April 25 at the Emily Morgan Hotel and Oro Restaurant, 705 E. Houston St.

Chef Chris Cook has created a multi-course menu that begins with Smoked Gulf Shrimp and 6th Sense Syrah 2010, followed by  Texas Peach and Chevre Risotto with a Popcorn Crumble and 7th Heavenly Chardonnay 2011.  Cocoa Strip Loin with Pickled Berry and Nutmeg Froth will be paired with the Petite/Petit 2010 before  Young Chicken Coq au Vin with a Black Currant Bacon Reduction and Incblot Cabernet Franc 2010.

Dessert is Dark Chocolate Raspberry Mousse with Drunken Espresso Raisin and Black Cherry Candy alongside the Earthquake Zinfandel 2011.

The price of the dinner is $79.95 plus tax and tip. Complimentary valet parking and reduced room rates are available. For reservations, call (210) 244-0146.

Copa celebrates cheese at its April dinner.

Cheese lovers, take note: Copa Wine Bar, 19141 Stone Oak Parkway, is sponsoring an Homage to Fromage during its monthly dinner at 7 p.m. April 25.

The meal will begin with Parmesan Egg Cups filled with creamy chèvre mousse and topped with a shirred egg. You can pair it with either  Bavik Pilsner Beer from Belgium or  Casillero del Diablo Viognier from Chile.

A Oaxacan Empanada stuffed with chewy Oaxacan cheese and spicy Mexican chorizo will be paired with either  Wasatch “Ghostrider” White IPA from Utah or  Hob Nob Wicked Red from France, followed by  Moussaka, which is ground beef and roasted eggplant baked with a Mornay cheese sauce and served with cheesy garlic bread. Pair it with either  Leinenkugal’s Creamy Dark Lager from Wisconsin or the Tuscan  Perazzeta Sara Sangiovese.

Dessert is a Churro Cheesecake in which the cheese is baked between layers of cinnamon- and sugar-dipped pastry. It will be served with either  Robinson’s Chocolate Old Tom from England or  Gnaughty Vines Zinfandel from Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley.

The dinner is priced at $40 a person.  Call (210) 495-2672 for reservations.