This Weekend’s Five Best Food and Drink Events in NYC – 2/20/2015

Too cold to do anything but look at your computer from the confines of your cozy bed? Fair enough. Here are five delicious events to keep you occupied.

$18 Weekend Brunch, Au Za’atar, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.

If brunch is the only reason worth leaving the house, why not seek out an affordable option that includes a complimentary drink for your troubles? The French-Arabian bistro’s new $18 prix-fixe weekend brunch includes choices like a vegetarian falafel benedict, mussels, and a breakfast platter to accompany a brunch cocktail of your choosing. There’s also an à la carte menu highlighted by chili shakshuka baked eggs and a kafta burger.

From Vine to Bottle: Talking Wine at Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar, Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar, 34 Downing Street, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Beginning this Saturday, Blue Ribbon Downing Street Bar will hold a total of three two-hour wine classes designed to help educate both the novice and advanced wine drinker. For the first discussion, the use of oak to age wine will be examined, with guests receiving three tastings each of red and white wine aged in oak barrels. Subsequent classes will cover the meaning of the term “dry” and how it relates to sugar and acidity, with the final discussion centered around pinot noir. Reservations are $140 for all three classes (they are not available individually); secure them here.

Brewnity at The Bell House, The Bell House, 149 7th Street, Brooklyn, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Feeling thirsty? New York’s homebrew community will offer attendees the chance to sample over 50 different styles of beer for four hours, with proceeds going to support City Harvest. Homebrew clubs from Queens to Jersey City will be represented should anyone wish to participate in a cross-state beer tour. Tickets start at $25; secure your pass to homebrew heaven here.

A Sunday Session: Brewers Round-Table at DBGB, DBGB, 299 Bowery, Sunday, 4 p.m.

Why have New York–based breweries become so prominent in restaurants these days? Find out why at this panel discussion, which includes Kelso Brewery owner Kelly Taylor and Bronx Brewery’s brewmaster Damian Brown talking shop with DBGB management. If all that talk is making you thirsty, not to worry; tickets include three beers such as a nut brown lager and IPA. Snacks will also be served, in addition to the hopped-up conversation; secure a $25 reservation here.

Academy Awards Viewing Party, Espoleta, 334 Bowery, Sunday, 5 p.m.

Fans of Bradley Cooper and Birdman alike are invited to watch the Oscars on the big screen while enjoying a special $38 prix fixe menu, as pizza speakeasy SRO will be serving up pies for guests watching the show in the neighboring Espoleta dining room. The offer includes three beverage pairings along with a choice of pizza, appetizer, and dessert.