Table talk

Singing Cricket, 673 E. Simpson Ave., is showcasing the Lebanese cuisine of Mazza chef/owner Ali Sabbah in its second "Evening With Utah's Chef/Owners" on May 18 at 7 p.m. Lara Kierstead, Singing Cricket's chef/owner, is hosting the event as a tribute to the men and women who not only cook but deal with everything from the restaurant's plumbing to hiring the servers and fielding customer complaints.

Kierstead and Sabbah will team up to create the five-course dinner. Cost is $49; wine pairings are additional. (487-0056)

Sweet Tomatoes restaurants are celebrating National Strawberry Month May Sunday through May 27. The salad buffet chain will offer special menu items, such as a Strawberry Fields & Caramelized Walnuts salad; Strawberry Buttermilk Muffins; Strawberry Apple Cobbler and tart Strawberry Lemonade. For locations and local menu information, visit sweettomatoes.com.

Red Butte Garden, 300 Wakara Way, is hosting an "Evening in the Garden Gala," June 17 at 6 p.m., featuring fine food, fine art, music and dancing. Cost is $150 per person, with proceeds benefiting Red Butte Garden's education programs and display gardens. (585-3813)

Wienerschnitzel, the world's largest hot dog chain, is doing a "Mini to the Max" promotion during May and June. Customers can peel tags off specially marked 32-ounce cups to win prizes ranging from Wienerschnitzel menu items to a 2005 Mini Cooper.

Liberty Heights Fresh, 1300 South and 1100 East, is hosting a lemonade stand Tuesday from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Proceeds will help fund pediatric cancer research. The event is in memory of what would have been the eighth birthday of Simon Vodosek, who died of cancer last year.

Rumbi Island Grill is opening its sixth Utah location at the Gateway, 171 S. Rio Grande St., on May 18. On Tuesday, a Hawaiian blessing will be performed by Maurice and Kahea Ohumukini, owners of A Touch of Hawaii store in Salt Lake City. In further celebration, Tahitian and Hawaiian dancing will take place on June 3, beginning at 6:30 p.m. and ending with a fire dancer at around 8 p.m. Rumbi Island Grill is a Utah-based chain offering "island-inspired" rice bowls, salads and sandwiches with Asian, Caribbean, Hawaiian and other tropical flavors.

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Submit restaurant announcements to Valerie Phillips, Food Editor, Deseret Morning News, 30 E. 100 South, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, UT 84110; by fax to 801-237-2550; or by e-mail to vphillips@desnews.com.