Beat the heat with bubbles at MUSE

Muse Restaurant and Wine Bar is featuring Cantina del Pino Freisa delle Langhe for the month of August. Freisa is a red wine offering saturated strawberry flavors: Perfect for a Charleston summer. The young winemaker, Renato Vacca, has been identified by Robert Parker as one of the leading winemakers from Piedmont. At Muse, special pricing prevails for a glass of wine and an appetizer. Vacca will return to Charleston for the 2011 BB&T Wine + Food Festival, where his wines will work magic with Michelin starred chef Andrea Marino. Muse is at 82 Society St. 577-1102.

Fish celebrates 10 years

For Randall and Jennifer Goldman, Patrick Properties and chef Nico Romo, 442 King St. is the "catch of the decade." An Upper King Street anchor, Fish Restaurant is celebrating its 10th anniversary. In honor of this benchmark, they are offering Mercy of the Chef, a three-course prix-fixe dinner for $25 every night this week. Romo, master chef France, will create a French-Asian menu that reflects his commitment to local, sustainable and organic (when possible) ingredients. 722-3474.

Magnolias' 'Best'

Executive chef Donald Barickman of Magnolia Restaurant fame and partner in the Hospitality Management Group, was featured on the Food Network for his pimiento cheese and Charleston flatbread recipe. "Best I Ever Ate," said Tyler Florence from the show of the same name. You can sample the "best of." Magnolias is at 185 East Bay St., 577-7771.

Moose, dogs, ducks

The Tattooed Moose has launched a happy hour with $2 duck fries and $2.50 baskets of corn dogs as they expand options and their menu.

You can get happy at the Moose on Monday through Saturday 4-7 p.m. It offers a Craft Beer Menu on Tuesdays and the Moose 100 Beer Club. F&B Specials are on the menu on Sundays starting at 6 p.m. They are at 1137 Morrison Drive, Charleston, 277-2990.

Going coastal

Coast beer returns to the taps at The Glass Onion. The folks at Coast Brewery are now offering a basket of fries with Bearnaise sauce with each order of a pitcher of Coast beer. This is the dish that made the list of the Top 100 Readers' Picks in Saveur Magazine. The Glass Onion is at 1219 Savannah Highway, West Ashley. Click www.ilovetheglassonion.com.

Grill on the Edge

The vacant space that was once R.J. Seashell Restaurant at 41 Center St., Folly Beach, will open in August as the Grill on the Edge. A tentative Aug. 15 opening is planned. Chef Julia Barstow will run the kitchen. Seafood, burgers and wood-grilled foods are on the menu. Ryan Condon, Dan Doyle and Jody Hawkins are behind the operation.

New at Halls

Sunday, Halls Chophouse is starting a new bar menu, featuring Steak Tini w/Mashed Potatoes, Shrimp & Grits Tini and more. They also offer their Gospel Brunch. 434 King St., 727-0090.

Java at Kama's

Jermaine Euland has opened Kama's at 218 President St. On the menu: coffee, baked goods and sandwiches.

Keep on truckin'

You can check out twitter.com/rotirolls and twitter.com/tacoboy for the latest updates on meals on wheels. Rev Foods has photos of the newest member of their family - a former hot dog truck that will soon be doing taco wheelies. Just in time for the Great Food Truck Race Across American with its season premiere on the Food Network Aug. 15. Next year, maybe we will have some Charleston contenders as food trucks race across America for big prize money. Mr. Softee, eat your heart out!

Callie's in Country

This month's issue of Country Living magazine features local biscuit business mavens Callie White and Carrie Morey Bailey.

Nathalie's classics

Nathalie Dupree continues to educate and inform on Southern classics. This month she is featured in the August-September issue of Taste of the South magazine and her quintessential recipes for chicken skillet dishes. Check out her videos at postandcourier.com/food.

Season for BLTs

Closed for Business executive chef Kevin Johnson and his team are curing bacon and seasoning mayo with malt for a flavor take on the classic summer sandwich - the BLT. Closed for Business is at 453 King St., 853-8466, info@closed4business.com.

Art of Deihl

Chef Craig Deihl of Cypress Lowcountry Grille was featured in the "Say Cheese' section of Food Arts Magazine. Pictured along with Deihl is Scott Popovic of CAB (Certified Angus Beef). They participated in the Share Our Strength/Food Arts Championship BBQ and Cookout in Chicago. The event raised over $100,000 to fight hunger. Food Arts, July/August 2010. Cypress Lowcountry Grille is at 167 East Bay St., 727-0111

Critics Picks

Five of Charleston's top food writers have come together to create the Ultimate Critics Dinner, sponsored by The Cottages on Charleston Harbor, on Sept. 1.

The dinner will begin at 6 p.m. with canapes and cocktails, and will progress to dinner being served under the covered Clubhouse overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. All proceeds from this dinner will benefit Charleston Wine + Food Festival's 2011 Signature Charity (to be announced in August).

Ultimate Chefs include: Jeremiah Bacon of Carolina's, Sean Brock of McCrady's (chef chair), Craig Deihl of Cypress, A Lowcountry Grill, Mike Lata of FIG, Frank Lee of Slightly North of Broad, Michelle Weaver of Charleston Grill and Lauren Mitterer of WildFlour Pastry.

Critics + Food Writers include: Jeff Allen of City Paper, Holly Herrick, a local author and writer, Robert Moss of City Paper, Deidre Schipani of The Post and Courier and Marion Sullivan of Charleston magazine.

Tickets are $200. Guests who want to attend both the Ultimate Critics Dinner and the Charleston Wine + Food Festival Ticket Launch + Benefit Party, Sept. 2, may reserve tickets at the same time to save $15. Advanced reservations are required by calling 727-9998, ext.1, or by e-mailing jessica@charlestonwineandfood.com by Aug. 30.