Weekend Eats & Drinks 8/4/11

With the warmer weather and the beginning of school encroaching, more neighborhoods are hosting free summer movie screenings. Today at Jack London Square, catch the Pixar animated film Ratatouille at sundown. Arrive earlier for cooking demos, trivia and prizes, and food from local vendors.

Saturday, downtown Berkeley shows The Princess Bride at 7:30 P.M. in the Bank of America parking lot at 2219 Center St. Preshow activities include a costume contest with prizes and al fresco dining by Center Street restaurants, as Center Street between Shattuck and Oxford will be closed to cars.

Also Saturday, the 6th annual Urban Wine Xperience returns to the Jack London Square Pavilion from 2 to 5 P.M. Sample paired tastings from over 20 wineries with local restaurants or food vendors for $40. [UPDATED 8/5/11] Use discount code RBWC for $30 tickets.

Sunday, Kermit Lynch teams up with the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen at Vintage Berkeley for a griled cheese and rose wine pairing. Reservations are required, and tickets are $30 including gratuity.

If you can't get into the tasting, stop by nearby bakery Cinnaholic, celebrating its first anniversary. The vegan cinnamon roll makers are offering $1 Old Skool Rolls from noon to 4 P.M.

Lastly, Piedmont's Adesso - known for its charcuterie - hops onto the whole roast pig trend with its first spit-roasted porky from 2 to 6 P.M. A $25 ticket includes all-you-can-eat pig and sides.

For the rest of August, help local students get ready for school by donating new backpacks to the Berkeley Boosters/Police Activities League. For every new backpack dropped off at Spenger's Fresh Fish Grotto in August, the restaurant will give away a $10 dining certificate.

Also in August, Moe's Books in Berkeley celebrates the 40th anniversary of Chez Panisse. Bring in any Chez Panisse dining receipt for 10% off all bookstore purchases. Additionally, 10% of those purchases will be donated to the Chez Panisse Foundation.

For early diners, Miss Pearl's Jam House at Oakland's Jack London Square will offer 50% off all food items from 5 to 6 P.M., Monday through Friday, for the month of August. Just say you saw the promotion in "Square Savings."

Jack London Square
66 Franklin St., Oakland
(510) 628-0718

Bank of America
2219 Center St., Berkeley

Vintage Berkeley
2113 Vine St., Berkeley
(510) 665-8600

Cinnaholic
2132 Oxford St., Berkeley
(510) 647-8684

Adesso
4395 Piedmont Ave., Oakland
(510) 601-0305

Spenger's Fresh Fish Grotto
1919 4th St., Berkeley
(510) 845-7771

Moe's Bookstore
2476 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley
(510) 849-2087

Miss Pearl's Jam House
1 Broadway, Oakland
(510) 444-7171