If the thought of cheese straws, deviled eggs and short ribs has you thinking of those old-fashioned dinners Mama used to make, you'll want to be in the dining room of Food 101 in Sandy Springs on June 26. At 6:30 p.m., guests will gather to greet cookbook author and TV food show producer Virginia Willis, who will be signing copies of her new book, "Bon Appetit, Y'All: Three Generations of Southern Cooking." She'll also host a four-course dinner of favorites from those same pages. Along with the aforementioned goodies, diners will feast on fried catfish fingers, Vidalia onion soup and cast-iron blackberry cobbler. Each course will be paired with beer or wine. Reservations are $59 a person. Food 101 is located at 4969 Roswell Road; 404-497-9700; www.food101atlanta.com.

> On that same night, those looking to get a bit more adept in the kitchen may want to attend an evening with Masterpiece Catering's Curt Bohling. The chef hosts monthly classes at his Dunwoody studio, 4947 Winters Chapel Road, to teach some new tricks to his students, who also get to do some of the work before enjoying the fruits of the evening. Next week's menu session stresses locally grown ingredients and organics. Bohling also plans a discussion of biodegradable utensils made from potato starch and plates made from sugar cane. The class is $30 a person; $50 a couple. Sign up online at www.masterpieceevent.com or call 678-990-9808.

> Take a break from the stress of work and think happy thoughts of Friday during the Wednesday wind-downs at Villa Christina. Through the end of September, the midweek evening is filled with live jazz from 6 to 9 p.m. Guests can sip cocktail specials and dine at one of the indoor tables or on the patio overlooking the garden. For a list of performers, go to www.villachristina.com.

And beginning Sunday, the restaurant hosts its fifth summer jazz series. Free concerts are planned this weekend, July 20, Aug. 17 and Sept. 21 featuring some of the top jazz musicians in the area and the country. This series welcomes guests with blankets and lawn chairs to take up seats in front of the stage. Kids will be entertained with a moonwalk, face painting and other activities. An array of drinks, desserts and dishes, including salads, burgers, pizza and hot dogs, are available for sale; no coolers are permitted. Doors open at 4 p.m.; the show begins at 5:30 p.m. and goes until 8 p.m. The Villa is located at 4000 Summit Boulevard; 404-303-0133.

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