He'll turn his culinary skills loose on seafood for the "Evan's Gone Fishin'" multi-course meal, 6 to 9 p.m. June 24. The cost is $75 per person, with reservations at (916) 452-3896. Evan's Kitchen is at 855 57th St., Sacramento, in the Antiques Mall; www.chefevan.com.

As for the menu, have a look:

First course: lobster soufflé
Served with 2012 Oyster Bay chardonnay

Second course: saffron seafood chowder
Served with 2012 Lapostolle Casa sauvignon blanc

Third course: scallop-prawn-crab cake with mango-papaya-pineapple relish
Served with 2011 Roscato Rosso Dolce

Fourth course: halibut pomodoro over fresh pasta with tapenade
Served with Seven Daughters pinot noir

Dessert: lemon crumble with vanilla bean-raspberry swirl-coconut ice cream
Served with 2010 Pacific Rim gewürztraminer

Noah Zonca, the former star chef at The Kitchen, is speeding toward opening his new restaurant on L Street, The Dime, by the Fourth of July weekend. Today, he announced the key players of his kitchen crew.

The head chef will be Juan Vaca, a longtime sous chef at Esquire Grille who most recently cooked at Mulvaney's, just around the corner on 19th Street.

"He's someone I trust immensely. He worked with me at The Kitchen," Zonca said.

Chef de cuisine is Ruben Perez.

"He's got the things you can't teach. He's got the drive, the heart and the passion for the industry," Zonca told me by phone.

And the sous chef is Brian "Chachi" Maydahl, an experienced cook who has worked at Shady Lady and de Vere's, among other places.

Zonca said and the team have been cooking and testing recipes the past three weeks and that the main menu is now set, with many of the dishes coming in at $10 or less. Zonca also hinted that this is the first of several Dimes.

"I want to put a team together that can split off and do their own restaurants," he said. "This restaurant is about value. It's about food chefs eat."

Zonca is now working on a breakfast/brunch menu. He expects to be serving brunch on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, with Monday being an "industry" meal for people in the restaurant business.

There has been some confusion about the actual name of this restaurant in the 1800 block of L Street. Some reports have had it as Capital Dime, while others have called it The Dime. Which is it? When I asked Zonca, he replied, "That's a good question," before being heard asking someone in the distance at the restaurant.

OK, it will be called The Dime. It rolls off the tongue better than Capital Dime, which is the name of the LLC (limited liabilty company).

We'll keep you posted as The Dime gets closer to opening. The concept sounds like a winner -- farm to fork fare at bargain prices.

Blair Anthony Robertson is The Bee's restaurant critic. Follow him on Twitter, @blarob.

All looked smooth from the outset: Thousands of music lovers grooving to such bands as The Black Keys and Cake while noshing on fine Napa food and sipping world class wine.

But recently, reports have emerged that Napa's BottleRock festival, which was held May 9 - 12, is facing some financial issues that could prevent this event from happening again. According the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, BottleRock organizers still owe $630,000 to 140 stage technicians. That amounts to $4,000 owed to some individually. Claims have since been filed to the California Department of Industrial Relations to receive payments plus penalties.

Meanwhile, a veritable food fight has broken out between BottleRock organizers and a catering company headed by Cindy Pawlcyn, the celebrated Napa chef and restaurateur, which managed food and beverage sales at BottleRock. Organizers say they haven't received their share of food and beverage sales.

In short, it's looking like a big mess in BottleRock country. The Napa Valley Register is now asking "Is this the End of BottleRock?" in a recent editorial.

To earn the title of master sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers basically means that you're a Yoda of wine service. Passing this exam is notoriously difficult, to the point that fewer than 200 candidates have earned the master sommelier title in 40 years. In other words, about 90 percent of people fail the master sommelier exam.

Gearing up for this test requires a tremendous amount of blind tastings, soaking up an encyclopedia's worth of wine knowledge as related to growing regions, varietals, vintages and much more. Plus, part of the exam means serving master sommeliers while getting grilled on food pairings, cigar and liquor service and other protocol. Yes, this exam puts the "brut" in "brutal."

The drama of preparing for and taking the master sommelier exam has now been captured in a documentary called "Somm." This movie follows some would-be master sommeliers as they get ready to take the exam of a lifetime, with all the ulcer-inducing study sessions, headbutting and exaltations of success that make for good movie fodder.

After a nationwide search, the Selland Group has hired John Griffiths to be its chef de cuisine at The Kitchen.

The Kitchen's former head chef, Noah Zonca, is part of the team developing the new Capital Dime restaurant at 1801 L St. in midtown Sacramento.

Zonca didn't go to culinary school. He learned his trade at The Kitchen, starting out as a dishwasher there. Griffiths, on the other hand, is a graduate of the culinary program at Schoolcraft College outside Detroit. He's been an executive chef for many years now and comes to The Kitchen from a position as campus executive chef at Washington University in St. Louis.

Kerry Kassis opened Slocum House in Fair Oaks Village in May of 1986 and ran it for 23 years, taking it from an aspiring but underperforming restaurant to one of the great dining destinations in the region.

In 2009, in the throes of an economic downturn that hit fine dining especially hard, Kassis sold his beloved Slocum House. Though he was on the sidelines, Kassis' heart was still in the business. Slocum House struggled for 18 months under the new ownership and then closed, leaving a charming but aging building and an iconic patio - complete with feral chickens roaming the grounds - empty.

Now Kassis is back in the restaurant game, moving from the suburbs to Old Sacramento. Kassis recently made his purchase of Rio City Café and says he is excited about its prospects. The deal is expected to close by mid-July. Kassis' transaction comes at a fortuitous time - just weeks before the city learned it would retain the Sacramento Kings and would build a downtown arena.

Why did Kassis get back in the restaurant business?

Adding to the party is the publishing industry's release of new editions of what many academics regard as "the greatest American novel of the 20th century," compounded by several historical-fiction "autobiographies" and audiobooks as "told by" Zelda Fitzgerald, the novelist's wife.

Coming up on the local front is The Great Gatsby Extravaganza, a Jazz Age-themed dinner at 4 p.m. Sunday June 23 at 5412 Gibbons Drive, Carmichael.

The organizers invite you to "consort with flappers and bootleggers in the speakeasy...and get your engine revving with the Charleston" as a jazz band plays (there will be a dance contest).

As for appropriate dress, think the Roaring Twenties (there will also be a costume contest).

The dining part of it looks good: hors d'oeuvres (two kinds of bruschetta, dolmas, meatballs), caprese salad, fruited green salad, au gratin potatoes, sesame green beans, chicken breast stuffed with smoked cheese and arugula, smoked tri-tip with red wine reduction sauce, onion biscuits, and peach cobbler with vanilla gelato. Oh, and this: Along with wine, beer and sodas, martinis will be served, of course.

The special fund-raiser marks the new season for Camerata California, Sacramento's chamber choir (www.cameratacalifornia.net). Proceeds will help fund its Emerging Young Artist Scholarship program.

Tickets are $60; for more information and reservations: (916) 483-1386.

All three cooks made the initial cut in the 46th Pillsbury Bake-Off. Grand prize: $1 million.

In the revamped Bake-Off format, cooks must make it through online voting as well as professional critiques before they're invited to the finals, to be held in November in Las Vegas.

Allred, a graphic artist, earned enough votes online for her creation - Balsamic Chicken Cranberry Panzanella (shown here) - to be named one of 33 finalists in the "Amazing Doable Dinners" category. Her summer salad - inspired by the Italian classic - uses Pillsbury pizza crust and cranberries instead of bread and tomatoes.

"When I'm cooking, I love the gratification of preparing meals for my family and people I love," she said in her online presentation.

Voting is now open for Moe's and Allison's category - "Simple Sweets and Starters." Moe's Mocha Hazelnut Truffle Tartlets and Allison's Chocolate and Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares are among 60 semi-finalists from 30 states. Of those 60, 24 are former Bake-Off finalists.

Deadline to vote for "Simple Sweets and Starters" is June 27. To vote and see all the semi-finalist recipes including Allred's panzanella, click on www.bakeoff.com.

In the newspaper business, scoops are pretty darn important. Years ago, at the Detroit Free Press, where I wrote about crime and covered things like major murder trials, I would have hell to pay if the scrappy newspaper down the street, the Detroit News, had a story I had missed.

What, you may ask, does that have to do with food, restaurants and, in this case, a talented chef named Noah Zonca? Well, I thought I had a scoop - and missed it - regarding Zonca, once the headliner at the much-admired performance restaurant The Kitchen. Zonca quietly stepped down at The Kitchen at the beginning of 2013, headed out of town for a spell, and just as quietly returned to Sacramento.

When I was eating recently at The Rind, the new cheese bar in the 1800 block of L Street, someone named "Noah" was mentioned by the waiter as the person behind the papered-in windows next door at a restaurant to be called Dime. This would be in the site of the former L Wine Lounge, which closed two years ago amid legal disputes with the landlord. So I tracked down Zonca and asked about it. That was two weeks ago. Back then, Zonca told me he had a "silent interest" in Dime and would have to get permission from the main investor before releasing more information.

Fast forward to a couple of days ago and I was rather startled to read on Sactown Magazine's website that Zonca was opening a new restaurant called Dime. Say what? So I called Zonca again and wondered, "Have I been breathing in too many fumes? Or have you?"

Farm-to-Fork week in late September will be filled with food and wine tastings, education about the region's agricultural heritage and even a cattle drive down Capitol Mall. But the mother-of-all Farm-to-Fork events will be a gigantic dinner on the Tower Bridge on Sept. 29. A communal table for 500+ people is expected to run the length of the Tower Bridge, building a metaphoric bridge between Sacramento and Yolo counties, with 20 chefs expected to participate.

Details are still light about this dinner, but some chefs mentioned as possible participants include Patrick Mulvaney (Mulvaney's B&L), Adam Pechal (Tuli Bistro/Restaurant Thir13en), Oliver Ridgeway (Grange), Randall Selland (The Kitchen) and Molly Hawks (Hawks Restaurant).

Tickets go on sale July 1, though the price hasn't been announced yet. Click on the Farm-to-Fork Capital web page on July 1 to buy tickets, and also check in there periodically for updated info.

The Sierra town, on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, is known for its dramatic views of the lake and its vibrant restaurant scene.

The alfresco Wine Walk will feature winetasting from 30 regional wineries, bites from area restaurants and caterers, a commemorative wine glass and live music. Parking is free.

Advance tickets are $35 at www.tahoecitywinewalk.com; $45 day of, cash only, at the registration tables at the Boatworks Mall, Heritage Plaza and North Tahoe Arts Center. Look for the bands and balloons.

If your dad has enough socks and doesn't need another paisley tie, maybe it's time to get him something he'll really remember: really good beer.

There are all kinds of options, but for this little mixed six pack, let's stick as close to home as possible.

1. Hoptologist double IPA, from Knee Deep Brewery (available at better stores and bottle shops). This is an outstanding DIPA, brewed in Lincoln. It's got that full-bore West Coast IPA punch, wonderful aromas and plenty of complexity.This brewery is about to really take off. If your dad is into craft beer, he'll really appreciate a 22-ounce bottle of this stuff.

2. Gilt Edge lager, from Ruhstaller (various retail outlets, including Nugget Markets; recently spotted on tap at The Rind). This brand new release in a cool retro can, may seem like an easy-going lager, but it has plenty of finesse and a moderate hoppiness that makes for a dynamic drinking experience.

3. Big 4 Strong Ale by Track 7 Brewing (now in bottles at certain shops and often on tap at the brewery). Here's a powerful brew that will stand out in this Father's Day six pack. It's a blend of five hop varietals with some big-time numbers: 10 percent ABV and a whopping 168 IBUs. If the old man doesn't know what those abbreviations mean, he will after three sips.

4. Monkey Knife Fight American Pale Ale by Rubicon Brewing. I really like this beer and have ordered it at a couple of restaurants lately. It's made by an enduring success story in the local craft beer scene. This is a very drinkable beer with gentle citrus notes and hoppiness. It's great with food (enjoyed mine most recently with pasta).

5. Vindicator IPA by Loomis Basin Brewing. I had this beer recently at the Raley Field Brewfest and it stood up nicely to the heavy hitters on site that scorching hot night. This is a relatively low alcohol, low IBU IPA that still packs plenty of flavor.

6. Hoppy Face Amber Ale by Hoppy Brewing. This successful and enduring brewery and brewpub make an admirably hoppy IPA in the West Coast style that has a pleasing bitterness balanced with lots of flavor and a crisp finish.

"I want to be able to bring farm-to-fork cuisine to people at a price that can be approachable for everyone," said Zonca to Sactown.

L Wine Lounge closed in July of 2011 after a four year run. Former co-owner Marcus Marquez now serves as general manager of Goose & Gander in St. Helena, a highly regarded restaurant that features former Ella Dining Room & Bar executive chef Kelly McCown.

Of course, Sacramento his its share of good ones. If you've attended any of the Sacto MoFo food truck festivals, you know what we're talking about. If not, plan on joining an expected crowd of 10,000 hungry folks who will line up at 40 trucks at the next festival, planned for July 21 at 8th and W streets.

Meanwhile, those arbiters of all things food and drink at The Daily Meal have checked out 450 food trucks in more than 40 cities nationwide to come up with its list of the 101 Best Food Trucks in America. Surprisingly, Sacramento did not make the cut.

"While including seven different types of fare, this year's list was still dominated by Asian fusion, burgers, sandwiches, grilled cheese and tacos," said a Daily Meal spokesman. "Pizza and lobster rolls were other predictable leaders, but there were some impressive chef-y menus, too."

Ruling the list is Los Angeles, with 16 food trucks, followed by San Francisco with 11 and New York with 10. Other California cities had one each (Santa Monica, Fresno, Anaheim, Oakland), along with one in Reno, Nev.

For the complete list, go to www.thedailymeal.com/101-best-food-trucks-america-2013?page=0,0.