busch wines!
Native St. Louisans Andrew and Kim Busch released their first vintage of Folded Hills wines April 4. Now residents of Santa Barbara, the couple collaborated with winemaker Angela Osborne and grower Ruben Solorzano in the venture. Three of the wines pay tribute to St. Louis: the Grant Grenache is named for Grant’s Farm, where Andrew grew up; the Lilly Rose is named for six generations of Busch women (including their granddaughter); and the August Red commemorates August Busch. The line will be distributed locally by A. Bommarito Wines.

cookies for a cause
Niche Food Group pastry chef Mathew Rice is hosting Bake & Gather from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 15. Treats from local pastry pros will be available for sale at the Niche Group commissary, 1013 McCausland Ave., to raise funds for ACLU of Missouri and the International Institute of St. Louis. It is part of a national initiative to show that simple actions at the local level can make a difference within communities. Stop by and stock up!

chefs battle hunger
On Monday evening, April 24, Josh Allen (Companion Baking) and Kevin Nashan (Peacemaker) will host a fundraiser for the No Kid Hungry campaign. It will be at the Maryland Heights Companion location, where five exclusive po’ boy sandwiches will be offered, each created by a top St. Louis chef (Mike Randolph, Michael Gallina, Gerard Craft, Josh Galliano, Kevin Willmann). The $75 fee also includes a complimentary raw bar, craft beers, wine and a silent auction. Allen and Nashan also are participating in this year’s Chefs Cycle ride May 16 through 18 in Santa Rosa, California, for the same cause.

all the world’s a meal
Chefs are getting into our town’s yearly Shakespeare celebration with 38 Eats April 19 through 23, when various chefs around town will create dishes inspired by one of the Bard’s 38 plays. They will be available at participating restaurants; to view the list, visit sfstl.com. It’s part of the annual Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, which highlights the playwright’s entire canon and spreads across the city.