On the Plate: Upcoming Food and Wine Events

August 23 & 24: Grouse Dinner at Orsay
Grouse? Yes, grouse. It's grouse season, which is quite brief, running from August 12 through the end of the month. To celebrate, Orsay will present Scottish grouse dinners as the first in a series of special dinners focusing on game and specialty products from Scotland (menus dedicated to partridge, pheasant and wood pigeon are in the works). The five-course grouse dinners include wine pairings with each savory course for $150 per person; call 212-517-6400 for reservations. 1057 Lexington Avenue at 75th Street.

August 24: Bourbon and Artisanal Cheese
Learn the mysteries of pairing cheese and bourbon, but first learn all about bourbon from Bourbon expert LeNell Smothers from LeNell's Wine & Spirit Boutique in Red Hook (home to New York City's largest Bourbon selection). Tickets are $75, available online. 6:30pm - 8:30pm, Artisanal Premium Cheese Center, 500 West 37th Street, 2nd Floor, entrance on 10th Avenue.

August 29: Restaurants for Relief 2
Dine out on the one-year one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, for Share Our Strength’s Restaurants for Relief 2. This nationwide event will raise money to benefit Share Our Strength's Gulf Coast recovery efforts, and over 80 NYC area restaurants are participating, including Boqueria, Crema, Aureole, Blue Smoke, Water Taxi Beach, and (we had to mention it because we know how much you love it when we do) the Shake Shack. Visit www.strength.org for the full list of participants.

August 29: Tía Pol Katrina Benefit
Tía Pol is having it's own benefit on Katrina's one year anniversary. They are donating 10% of gross sales and 100% of bar sales after 11pm, to Louisiana Artworks, a visual arts facility in New Orleans (hometown to the restaurant's owners). 205 Tenth Ave., between 22nd and 23rd Streets, 212-675-8805.