Wine, food samples to flow at Red & White

If you're into wine, you've probably been waiting for this announcement. It's time for the Arthritis Foundation's 12th annual Red & White on Thursday Night on Jan. 29.

There will be food from more than 20 local restaurants, and more wine than you could ever sample in one night.

The event is expected to raise thousands of dollars to help support foundation programs for Northeast Ohioans. It includes entertainment, an auction and a wine bottle raffle.

Participating restaurants this year include Bistro on Main, Bricco, Caffessimo Cafe Bakery and Catering, Catered Events at the University of Akron, Crave, Fedeli's, the Harbor Inn, Hudson's Restaurant on the Green, Lockview, Moe's Restaurant, Saffron Patch of Akron, Stancato Italian Restaurant, Vaccaro's Trattoria, VegiTerranean, Vue Restaurant & Lounge and the West Side Bakery.

Tickets are $75 in advance, $90 at the door, or $125 for VIP tickets that include an exclusive wine tasting from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

The event is from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the John S. Knight Center, 77 E. Mill St., downtown Akron. For tickets or information, including sponsorships or auction donations, call Cheryl Carter at 800-245-2275, Ext. 113.

Celebrate with pie

Friday is National Pie Day, so now we have an official reason to reach for that slice of coconut cream.

Contest time

There are lots of food contests coming up, including the mother of them all, the Pillsbury Bake-Off.

Here are some details, but for complete rules and information, visit the listed Web sites.

• With a $1 million top prize, the biennial Pillsbury Bake-Off just seems to get bigger. Visit http://www.bakeoff.com for rules. Entries are being accepted until April 20, and must be made online. The bake-off is to take place April 11-13, 2010, in Orlando, Fla.

• Martha White Cornbread Mix is sponsoring its annual Cornbread Cook-Off for recipes that use the cornbread mix. Top prize is $5,000. Entries must be received by Feb. 28. Visit http://www.marthawhite.com for details.

• March 31 is the deadline for the National Beef Cook-Off, with its $25,000 grand prize. To enter or to see the rules, visit http://www.beefcookoff.org.

Free coffee

All 29 Panera Bread locations in the Akron, Cleveland and Canton areas will be giving customers a free cup of coffee on Jan. 28 to introduce the cafe's new light and dark roast coffees.

There also will be samples of Panera's new breakfast sandwiches and strawberry granola parfaits. The cafes are expanding their breakfast offerings.

The restaurants also are accepting donations for the Operation DoughNation Community Breadbox Program, which provides winter coats for needy children in conjunction with Coats for Kids.

Gotta love this

''Table for 2,'' ''Recipe 4 Love,'' and ''Spice it up'' are just some of the new phrases you'll find this year in your box of Sweethearts Conversation Hearts from the New England Confectionery Co.

This year's theme for the hearts is Menu of Love, to celebrate America's passion for romantic dinners on Valentine's Day.