What's Cooking

Get Out!

by Alexandra Harcharek

[ the week in eats]

Dining Out for Life

Nearly 200 restaurants across the Delaware Valley have signed on for the 20th annual Dining Out For Life, an evening of eating to raise money for AIDS charities. All participating eateries will contribute a third of the night's food sales to benefit six organizations. There are 100 participating businesses in the city, including six that have participated every year since the event's launch — London Grill, Mexican Post, Rembrandt's, Venture Inn, Westbury and Zocalo — and even more in New Jersey and northern Delaware. A full list of restaurants can be found online. Dining Out for Life, various locations, 877-328-4543, diningoutforlife.com/philadelphia.

It's almost the season for short-shorts and all-the-time outdoor seating! We're ready — and so is Hawthornes, which is throwing a block party centered around hoptastic India Pale Ales from around the country. A $4 drink ticket gets you a pint from the mammoth draft lineup, which'll feature IPAs like Russian River Pliny the Elder, Lost Abbey Devotion, Bell's Two-Hearted and Ballast Point Sculpin. Sip and enjoy live music from reggae band The Sun Tones, plus barbecue fare like burgers, veggie burgers and dogs. (Rain date is May 16.) Hawthornes Café, 738 S. 11th St., 215-627-3012, hawthornecafe.com.

We already love it for its outdoor screenings of Phillies games and crazy parties, but there's another reason to check out the Piazza at Schmidt's this weekend. Sponsored by Bar Ferdinand and Yelp.com, this weekend features food and drinks from 50 area restaurants, all condensed into one space. Sample eats from various cuisines, participate in P.Y.T.'s burger-eating contest (at noon on Saturday), catch Harry Arnold from Darling's Diner doing free cooking demos and snag some fresh produce at the farmers market. The Piazza at Schmidt's, N. Second St. and Germantown Ave., 215-467-4603, atthepiazza.com.

Sunday marks the start of the season at the Headhouse Farmers Market, where some 30 vendors will be hawking their locally grown and produced wares. Try cheeses from Talula's Table, local/organic sandwiches from new truck vendor Renaissance Sausage and baked goods from Wild Flour Bakery and Ric's Bread, plus more. Headhouse Farmers' Market, Second and Lombard sts., 215-575-0444, thefoodtrust.org.