TWO DAYS OF FUN… Big big weekend, this weekend is (Yoda). Friday and Saturday there’s Cooking For Solutions put on by the Aquarium (read over there, to your left). Saturday is also the second installment of the Monterey Beer Festival, “Back To The Boatyard,” put on by myself and Jeff Moses and a few score other helpful people we know. This will be another fun afternoon of great craft-brewed beers, food, music and good cheer.

Friday there’s the Golf Classique benefit for Meals On Wheels out at Quail Lodge. Might still be a spot open so call Linda or Viveca at 375-4454 and swing into fun and action to help a great organization.

Friday will also bring the grand opening of the Outer Edge in downtown Monterey, a tiny gallery with a big heart and unlimited soul (see story p. 26). The partners in this noble enterprise are Andrew Jackson, the Barroom Botticelli, (look for his awesome paintings of local bar and club scenes in the American Art Gallery in Carmel); Chris Delaney (he’s the brother who’s not grumpy) from Hula’s, and Eve Connell, a business writing teacher from CSUMB, the trio dedicated to continuing the legacy of the late Michael Keenan.

Saturday for you winos there’s the annual Joullian Vineyards Zin-Q, from 11am to 4pm out at the winery in Carmel Valley. It’s a fun day of barbecuing, live music, wine tasting and celebrating the new release of Ridge Watson’s tasty Zinfandel, all for just $10. Don’t forget to bring two non-perishable items for donation to the Monterey County Food Bank. Call 877-659-2800 to find out more.

Here’s a bit more on Saturday’s “Back To The Boatyard” beer fest. It’s funny the way the whole thing has evolved. Because Monterey Bay Boatworks is a busy working boatyard that is constantly shuffling boats in and out of the water and doing work on them, we won’t know exactly what shape the festival will take until Friday afternoon at about 4:30. That’s when the guys close it up for the weekend. Jeff and I will be in there until late laying out the tables for the breweries and pretty much creating the setup on the spot. It’s creative and fun being in the boatyard after dark, anticipating the next day’s excitement. We got lucky and scored a couple of nice musical acts at the 11th hour— CocoBeat, a fun band that Dennis and Lance from Bullwackers Pub in Cannery Row turned us on to; and a wonderful guitarist named Ramon Barroso who’ll play between the band sets. Gonna be cool. Come on down Saturday and have a nice time.

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY… By the way, have you checked out the back patio at Bullwackers …very nice place to hang out and sip a few, nibble on a little something and while away a few units of time. It is definitely one of the better outdoor experiences anywhere around the Peninsula, kinda like a little local secret. Go down and say hello to Dennis, he’s a good Joe, er, Dennis.

Speaking of a good Joe, er George (he didn’t just use that same sorry pun did he Martha?) I just got the Wine Market newsletter, put out by the incomparable George Edwards. He owns WineStyles ( soon to be renamed Wine Market ), a unique wine shop in the Country Club Shopping Center in PG. You really have to check out his setup, which involves the pairing of food and wine based upon his 20 years of experience running the Pebble Beach wine program and customizing wine selections to people’s menus for all the big events they did there. The guy’s a legend.

Here’s a little taste from his newsletter: “We began assessing the boldly flavored and textured Reserve Chardonnay in the early ‘90s and it didn’t miss a beat over five vintages with salmon, three with sea bass and swordfish, and even received a rare special rating with prawns. And the good news doesn’t stop there as attested to by nothing but positive marks with beef, lamb and even an artichoke with mayo.”

Go in and talk to this guy George—646-0107.

SANTA LUCIA PARADISE… Went to the annual Paraiso Vineyards air show, lunch-and-wine bash at the beautiful winery/vineyards up in the Santa Lucias. The incredible setting—it ain’t called Paraiso (paradise) for nothing—combined with gracious hosting by the Smith Family, along with wonderful food from Hullaballoo, great wine and an amazing array of aeronautical adventures— Wayne Handley ’s Aerosports and The Showcopters —made for just about the perfect afternoon.

Ten percent of all June’s tasting room proceeds will be going to Relay For Life, a fundraising event at Hartnell College on June 5 and 6 that sees teams of folks running and walking laps to help raise money for cancer victims and their families. Call Jennifer at 678-0300 and check out paraisovineyards.com.