National Cheeseburger Day

On September 18, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse is serving a prime burger special in honor of National Cheeseburger Day. It’s made with USDA prime beef, melted Wisconsin cheddar cheese and peppered bacon. Pair with a glass of Nickel & Nickel cabernet sauvignon for just $25. The offer is available only at the bar. 301 Rosecrans Ave. (310)643-6911, 800 W. Olympic Blvd. (213)745-9911 and 252 N. Beverly Drive (310)278-8710.

Pasadena Greek Fest

Bring the entire family this coming weekend to enjoy fabulous homemade Greek food and pastries at Saint Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Church in Pasadena. The event starts on Sept. 19 and continues through Sept. 20 from 1-9 p.m. both days. Watch award winning dance  performances and listen to live Greek music by the Olympians. Visit the Hellenic Theater featuring culinary and cultural presentations. There is a Kids’ Fun Zone to entertain little ones. The event is $4 for adults. Children under 12 are free. Proceeds benefit educational, spiritual and community outreach programs supported by Saint Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Church. 778 S. Rosemead Blvd. (626)449-6943.

Banana Festival at Port Hueneme

On Saturday, Sept.19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. a free festival will be held where visitors can learn about the journey of bananas and inner workings of one of California’s largest ports. Enjoy delicious food and banana treats, live music, interactive displays, arts and crafts vendors, a kids’ zone and port tours. Banana empanadas, banana tamales, delicious grilled bananas with chocolate, fried savory bananas, and banana crepes will be among the offerings. Ice cold Shock Top and Budweiser brews, soft drinks, banana ice cream and banana Italian ice will keep visitors cool. Local bands will entertain the crowd on the main stage. At the Port Pavilion, visitors can learn how Port Hueneme works for the community. Waterside port tours take visitors in and around the port and the naval base. 105 E. Port Hueneme Road. (805)535-4060 Visit www.BananaPortFest.com.

Live & Dine LA

On Sept. 20 from 3 – 6 p.m. at the Fairmount Hotel in Santa Monica, Angeleno magazine honors the city’s most distinguished chefs and restaurateurs. Guests will be treated to culinary demonstrations prepared by award-winning chefs including Executive Chef Matt Briggs. The last sixteen years of Angeleno’s signature fashion and luxury lifestyle will be highlighted throughout the event. Participating restaurants include Aestus, The Arthur J, Baltaire, Barrel & Ashes, The Bazaar by Jose Andres, Belcampo Meat Co., Bestia, Bombo Foods, Chaya, Drago Centro, Duke’s Malibu, Faith & Flower, FIG, The Hungry Cat, Knuckle & Claw, Koffee Reinvented, Le Comptoir, The Little Door Santa Monica, Love & Salt, Mainland Poke Shop, Maru, Meal and a Spiel, Montage Beverly Hills, Ocean Prime, Oliver’s Prime Steakhouse, The Oyster Gourmet, Playa Provisions, Spaghettini & The Dave Koz Lounge, Spago Beverly Hills, Starlite Catering, Terrine, Toca Madera and WEST Restaurant and Lounge. The Golden Coast All Stars band will perform, and international powerhouse DJ Zen Freeman will be spinning tunes with a special performance by Grammy award-winning artist Macy Gray. A portion of the ticket proceeds will be donated to Project Angel Food. 101 Wilshire Blvd. Tickets are available at  livedinela.eventbrite.com.

Patina Next Course

Patina is offering a series of courses that celebrate the culinary arts. Guests will be provided guidance in cooking techniques and presentation, wine tasting and etiquette and water pairings. Hosted at the elegant Patina restaurant in Walt Disney Concert Hall, these intimate sessions will kick off on September 23 with “Water 101.” Patina’s Water Sommelier Martin Riese and author of “Die Welt des Wassers” (The World of Water) guides guests through an informative and enlightening tasting of six different mineral waters from around the world. Riese will illustrate how water can be paired in a manner similar to wine and teach attendees how to detect different water qualities, such as mineral levels, total dissolved solids, mouth feel, taste (fruity/salty), and carbonation. Classes are $50 per person (exclusive of tax and gratuity) and include small bites from Patina’s signature artisanal cheese cart. 141 S. Grand Ave. (213)972 -3331.

The Feast of San Gennaro

Celebrating 14 years, the Feast of San Gennaro will fill the streets of Hollywood with the savory scent of Italian cuisine. Enjoy sausage and peppers, meatballs in homemade sauce, baked clams on the half shell, warm cheese on perfectly crusted pizza and sugar-powdered. Sip glasses of sangria while listening to the sweet sounds of opera, jazz and big band late into the evening. From Sept. 25-27, the feast celebrates Italian culture with entertainment and cuisine, music, genealogy research, free kid’s corner and petting zoo, pony rides, bocce, bingo, a ferris wheel, and games. Over 30 hours of live music and performances are scheduled throughout the weekend on the Galbani Cheese Main Stage. Galbani Chef Marco will demonstrate Italian recipes on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. and hosts a “Galbani Cheese Building Contest for Charity” at 6 p.m.

A two-day “Gravy-Sauce Cooking Competition” is open to all levels of chefs. The Mass & Procession of St. Gennaro on Hollywood Blvd. begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26, presided by Monsignors Montoya and Cacciapuoti. The Feast begins Friday, Sept. 25, 5 p.m. until midnight, Saturday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m. to midnight and Sunday, Sept. 27 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. General admission is $5 and kids under 12 are free. Visit www.feastofla.com. The festival venue is conveniently located across the street from the Hollywood and Highland complex and Metro Red Line, at 1651 N. Highland Ave.

Redondo Beach Lobster Festival

This year’s lobster festival kicks it up a notch on Sept. 25 – 27 with a new gold standard in entertainment. Guests may order select wines and craft beers that include The Strand Brewing Co., and El Segundo Brewing. Located at Redondo Beach’s Seaside Lagoon, succulent Maine lobster is the star at the festival, hosted by the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau. Chef Jessica Jordan of FISHBAR Manhattan Beach will prepare small plates of lobster guacamole and chips, lobster rolls, lobster tacos, lobster corn chowder and lobster grilled cheese. Kincaid’s Executive Chef Ramon Fernandez will prepare a three-course meal that starts with shrimp cocktail, warm artichoke with dipping sauces followed by a New England lobster boil, complete with corn on the cob, garlic, potato and Cajun sausage.  A craft beer tent will offer eight choices from national and local breweries. Entertainment includes Doors guitarist Robby Krieger on Friday night plus special guests. Saturday will see Bow Wow Wow, The Untouchables, and Flashback Heart Attack. Friday, Sept. 25 the event is from 6 to 11 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26 it begins 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 27 from noon to 8 p.m. 200 Portofino Way. Tickets are on sale at http://www.lobsterfestival.com

Bottomless Brunch

The Whisper Restaurant & Lounge at The Grove is serving a new bottomless brunch. Choose a Bloody Proud Mary made with vodka, house spiced tomato juice and dry sherry or Papa Don’t Peach made with sparking wine with house-made peach puree for $20 per person. Dishes include rustic bread with avocado, BBQ bacon jam, burrata and a fried egg; chorizo con huevos burrito with jack cheese, tater tots, avocado and tomatillo salsa; and a banana peanut butter French toast with fresh berry compote, vanilla creme anglaise and maple syrup. 189 The Grove Dr, #F90-B (323)931-0202.

Knuckle & Claw

This lobster spot is expanding its classic New England menu to include beer, wine and Carmela ice cream. The beer selection will rotate selections from New England and local California breweries, including Allagash Saison and Scrimshaw Blue Wheat by North Coast. They also have some fun wine on tap. For those who have a sweet tooth, Knuckle & Claw offers seasonally rotating Carmela ice cream sandwiches, including chocolate chip cookie with brown sugar vanilla bean ice cream and dark chocolate cookie with fresh mint cacao nib ice cream. 3112 W. Sunset Blvd. (323)407-6142 .

Take the Cannoli and Run

Visit Grimaldi’s this month and order any large pizza and a bottle of Vendetta and receive a free cannoli. Francis Ford Coppola’s Vendetta wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec featuring spicy notes of pepper and toasted wood, while boasting juicy fruit, velvety mouthfeel and supple tannins. The wine pairs beautifully with any of Grimaldi’s famous coal-fired pizzas. The promotion will continue while supplies last. 2121 Rosecrans Ave. Suite 1399 (310)648-7503.

The Belvedere Restaurant

The luxury Peninsula Beverly Hills restaurant closed on Sept. 8 for extensive refurbishment to the AAA Five Diamond restaurant and will reopen in December with a completely reimagined design and menu. Water and fire features combined with lush foliage will create an urban garden in the heart of Beverly Hills. Executive Chef David Codney’s  creative New American menu will see the introduction of Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with a heavy emphasis on seafood. The hotel’s other dining outlets – which include the al fresco Roof Garden, Living Room and Club Bar – will be operating as usual during the three-month project. 9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd. (310)551-2888.