Eight Pop-Up Dinners (and Other Notable Culinary Events)

Wine bottles photo and donut stack photos (from left) 1, 2, 3, and 4 via Shutterstock

Authentic Mexican Food Pop-Up at Kitchen Inc.
Estela Calzada, a Mexican native and founder of Comida Autentica Mexicana catering company, is turning Kitchen Inc. into an authentic Mexican restaurant. Calzada, a former chef at Somerville’s Tu Y You restaurant—where her mole and tamale recipes are still on the menu—will be serving up dishes such as ensalada de nopales (cactus salad), a mezcal-spiked flan, and mole de guajolote de Estela, a burgundy turkey mole that consists of 40 ingredients (including four kinds of Taza chocolate). Beer and wine is included with the price of admission.

$60 per person, Aug. 1, 7-9:30 p.m., 201 Somerville Ave., Somerville; somervilleartscouncil.org.

Wine & Donuts Brunch with Union Square Donuts
The perfect marriage of booze and sweets happens this weekend when Union Square Donuts teams up with the Boston Wine School. Certified Specialist of Wine, Beth LeDuc will guide guests through a six-course doughnut brunch with complementary wine pairings. Sample Josh Danoff’s Boston Cream alongside Ch. Lugagnac Bordeaux, a strawberry doughnut with pinot noir, or a maple bacon doughnut with a Chinon from Domaine Grobois. Learn about the evolution of Union Square Donuts and discover all kinds of great wine.

$50 per person, August 2, noon-2 p.m. 1354 Commonwealth Ave., Boston; eventbrite.com.

Shojo Block Party
Shōjō Asian Bar & Bistro is hosting a giant block party in Chinatown in celebration of their second birthday. The event is open to the public, and includes live music, DJs, martial arts demos, a live mural painting, and performances by Floor Lords, the world’s oldest B-Boy crew. Shōjō will be providing the food with a Hawaiian Luau-themed pig roast picnic, complimentary to guests who can prove they follow Shōjō on social media.

Aug. 3, noon-5p.m., 9 Tyler St., Boston; 617-423-7888 or shojoboston.com.

Kaki Lima Indonesian Pop-up
The husband and wife team of Retno and Pete Pratiwi recently announced their intentions, via Instagram, of a opening and Indonesian street food restaurant sometime in the near future. You can catch an early glimpse of their style of cooking with their August 7 Indonesian pop-up, featuring kentang-udong balado (cubed potatoes and shrimp in sambal), ayam goreng lengkuas (fried chicken marinated in galangal, coriander, and turmeric), dadar gulung (pandan crepes filled with sweet coconut), and several other tasty courses.

$50 per person, Aug. 7, 7:30p.m., East Boston Kitchen, 331 Sumner St., East Boston; eventbrite.com.

From Boat to Boil Lobster Adventure
The Boston Center for Adult Education’s (BCAE) class “From Boat to Boil” will take students on a hands-on Boston lobster tour with lobsterman Captain Carli. Students will take to the water at Sargent’s Wharf to haul in their own lobster traps and learn about the trade. Afterward, the class will head to the BCAE, where they’ll stand behind the line with Island Creek Oyster Bar chef de cuisine Nicola Hobson, who’ll teach the proper way to breakdown, prepare, and cook the days haul. The ensuing feast promises plenty of great wine and, of course, lobster.

$90 per person or $80 for BCAE members, August 9, 8:45a.m.-3p.m., 269 Commercial St., Boston; 617-267-4430 or bcae.org.

Barry Maiden’s Southern Schmear Brunch
Barry Maiden, the James Beard nominated executive chef of Hungry Mother and State Park, is partnering with Kitchen Kibitz to host a southern-inspired, Jewish deli brunch. The culinary mashup will feature the likes of Noodle Kugel with southern peaches, moonshine cured gravlax with hoe cakes, and fried chicken with challah waffles. There are two different seatings for this four-course event, one at 10:30a.m. and the other at 1p.m. Each ticket comes with a complimentary State Park cocktail.

$45 per person, Aug. 10, 10:30a.m.-3p.m., 1 Kendall Square, Cambridge; eventbrite.com.

Caffeinated Cocktail Class with Tyler Wang
Join renowned bartender Tyler Wang (Audubon, No.9 Park, and Drink) and Josh Gerber and Hannah Epstein of 1369 Coffee House, for an evening dedicated to the current trend of caffeinated cocktails. From The Dugout lounge in Fort Point, the trio will explain ingredients, flavor profiles, and potential pairings, while crafting three different coffee-based cocktails to enjoy.

$30 per person, Aug. 12, 6:30-9p.m., 51 Melcher St., Boston; eventbrite.com.

Julie Child Brunch at The Blue Room
On August 15, in honor of what would have been Julia Child’s 102 birthday, Kendall Square’s The Blue Room is hosting a Julia Child-inspired brunch. Chef Andrew Bonner will be featuring dishes such as ratatouille, coq au vin, galettes au fromage, tomates a la provencale, and other beloved items from Child’s cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Sunday brunch is $27 per person and includes all buffet items, coffee, and a selection of loose teas. Afterward, stick around and enjoy live music on the patio from The Soggy Po’Boys.

$27 per person, Aug. 15, 11a.m.-2:30p.m., 1 Kendall Square, Cambridge; 617-494-9034 or theblueroom.net.