[glasses of art]
Laumeier Sculpture Park’s Annual Art Fair on Mother’s Day weekend has embraced art of a different sort. Art of the Vine (6 to 9 p.m. May 8) will provide unlimited sampling of Missouri wines from six award-winning wineries, and Art of the Ale (5 to 8 p.m. May 9), hosted by Schlafly, will present tastings of the iconic local beers. Separate tickets required for each.

[just ducky]
Sous chefs, the unsung heroes of the kitchen, are the stars of the May 18 Duck, Duck, Goose—Unsung Heroes Culinary Competition. Staged at Cielo in the Four Seasons downtown, area sous chefs each will prepare a canapé and entrée for guests to sample featuring duck paired with Goose Island Beer. Vying for honors are Cielo’s Shimon Diamond and Saul Juar ez, Sidney Street’s Justin McMillen, Truffles’ Ryan McDonald, Libertine’s Josh Poletti, Brasserie’s Alex Feldmeier and Annie Gunn’s Andrew Jennrich.

[street service]
St Louis’ fleet of independent food trucks has a new addition hitting the streets, Balkan Box Treat, hawking Eastern European street food. The truck’s claim to fame is its on-board wood-burning oven, used to reproduce classic dishes like somun, a Bosnian style flatbread.

When the National Blues Museum opens on Washington Avenue, visitors won’t have any problem finding a place to eat. Joining the smorgasbord of culinary choices to open along the Washington strip are Ta zé Mediterranean Street Food, Sugarfire Smoke House and Anthony Ellerson Jr.’s second location of The Kitchen Sink.

[tasteful cause]
Hearty appetites and donations are all you need for this year’s Taste of U City. More than 30 University City restaurants will fill sample plates and glasses at the Heman Community Center from 5 to 8 p.m. May 7. Attendees are asked to bring non-perishable food donations for Operation Food Search’s distribution efforts to serve those in need.