Philadelphia Dining Deals and Events, August 13-19

Night Market returns to Mt. Airy; Photo by Mikeyil

By Danya Henninger

Monday
Bastion of fine dining it’s not, but Rittenhouse sports bar Cavanaugh’s definitely knows a thing or two about craft beer. The August edition of “Brew & Chew” features four beers from New Jersey’s River Horse Brewing Co., which will be paired with four appetizers during an all-you-can-drink tasting event. With your advance RSVP here, $20 gets you in the door for two hours of drinking and eating enjoyment (7-9 PM; 215-665-9500).

Tuesday
Nation’s borders are sometimes arbitrarily drawn by political or historical happenings, so is there a big difference in wines produced on either side of the crossing? Wine expert Bob Barrett joins Jill Weber at Jet Wine Bar to explore this question, with tastings of Cabernet Sauvignon from both Chile and Argentina, Grenache from Spain and France and Tocai Friulano from Italy and Slovenia. A $25 ticket (available here) includes the sips and light snacks during the two-hour session (6:30-8:30 PM; 215-735-1116).

Wednesday
Cured meat expert Nick Macri welcomes Paul and Ember Crivellaro of Hamburg’s Country Time Farm for a special dinner at Southwark featuring the farm's heritage pigs. From grilled oysters with Old Bay salami to a nectarine and bacon tart, pork will shine throughout the four courses, which are yours for $45 per person. Just $10 more and each dish will be paired with wine or beer. Call for reservations (7 PM; 215-238-1888).

Thursday
The Food Trust’s evening pop-up extravaganza known as Night Market hits Mt. Airy for the second time, with 40 different food trucks offering $5 bites from 6-10:30 PM. Accompany the food with pay-as-you-go Yards beer, Penns Wood Winery wines and cocktails with Philadelphia Distilling spirits (including Bluecoat gin and Shine Whiskey) while you enjoy the sounds of soul artist Ryan Shaw and other live music. You can bet there will be crowds, but there will also be tons of fun (6800-7200 Germantown Ave.).

Friday
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Rittenhouse pop-up garden at 1905 Walnut Street will be buzzing all day. Bring your lunch at noon to partake in an hour-long discussion about food, nutrition and healthy communities at the large communal table, or stop in after work and hit up the farmers market that takes place every other Friday from 5-7 PM.

Saturday
Hold on to that taste of summer at City Tap House’s second annual Crabfest, going down from 1-4 PM at the University City beer haven. Pair choices from the restaurant’s 60 taps with all-you-can-eat Maryland blue crabs, corn on the cob and roasted potatoes, or go with specially priced $3 cans from Brooklyn Brewery or $5 peach sangrias as your liquid refreshment. Live rock ‘n’ roll will help set the festive mood. Last year’s event sold out, so call now to reserve your spot (215-662-0105).

Sunday
For the fourth year running, Devil’s Den in South Philly is hosting Sourfest, a week-long party featuring lambics, gueuzes, red ales and every kind of beer that makes your mouth pucker. The event gets larger every year, and this time around features 40 kegs that start taking over all 17 house taps on Sunday. If you’re a fan of the unique flavors these brews provide, here’s your chance to revel in tart tastes (215-339-0855).