Keeping up with the Superdiners

February cooking appearances and cocktail debuts, our restaurant panel stays busy

Ricardo Heredia – On Feb. 21 the Alchemy tough-guy chef (pictured) will tackle a whole lamb as part of a quarterly collab with Hamilton’s Pub. Known as the Barrel and the Beast series, it’s a $75, four-course dinner focused on a whole animal (head to tail), and paired with special barrel-aged beers curated by Hamilton's Owner, Scott Blair. 1503 30th St. South Park 619-255-0616 or alchemysandiego.com.

Randee Stratton – She'll continue her “Seasonal Kitchen” quarterly cooking series - for her company only, sorry.

Fabrice Poigin – On February 29, Bice Ristorante (425 Island Ave. Gaslamp. 619-239-2423 or bicesandiego.com) will do an indulgent foie-gras dinner. And chef Fabrice will represent French gastronomy, while Bice's chef Mario Cassineri does foie in Italian style. Try their eight-course meal before the rich, fowl liver is banned from California menus. ($65, with wine pairing, $20-plus).

Jeff Josenhans - Cocktails Sur Lie will be online at the Grant Grill (U.S. Grant Hotel, 326 Broadway, downtown. 619-744-2077 or grantgrill.com.) (Read more about the highly anticipated barrel-aged cocktail program on Alcademics.com.)

Matthew Rowley – Will be on a panel of judges for the American Distilling Institute just outside Louisville, Kentucky. Will spend two solid days sampling hundreds of rums, whiskeys, and brandies from America’s new craft distilleries. “We can’t possibly drink them all (and survive) but this isn’t my first booze rodeo,” Matthew said. Keep up with his spirit adventures on his Whiskey Forge blog.

Follow Keli Dailey's Superdiners on utsandiego.com