Guests of the two- and four-legged variety are invited to have a grand ol’ time at the second annual “Paws For A Cause” party, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort & Spa on Del Monte Golf Course.

The event for owners and their dogs will feature gourmet dog treats by Carmel Dog Parties for the canines, and appetizers from the hotel’s TusCA Ristorante for the humans. Guests also will enjoy environmentally-inspired cocktails such as Simply Pear-fect Martini and Wild Apple Martini, garnished with garden herbs and presented with tips on helping the environment, and seed packets to take home.

The SPCA for Monterey County will be on hand with adoptable dogs, too.

A $15 donation is suggested for the event, with 100 percent of proceeds going to the SPCA.

One of my favorite Cabernet Sauvignon producers will be featured at the Oct. 2 wine dinner at Seasons restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. The five-course tasting menu will be paired with Napa Valley’s Shafer Vineyards’ varietals. Charming and knowledgeable Doug Shafer, president of the winery, will lead guests through the tastings.

Enjoy such pairings as Cloverdale rabbit in three preparations with Shafer’s Red Shoulder Ranch 2006 Chardonnay; and slow-poached prime New York strip and bone marrow pan perdu with Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon. Price is $150 per person. For reservations, call (415) 633-3838.

Sit down to supper, family-style in the Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco, Oct. 5. It’s CUESA’s “Sunday Supper 2008,”featuring more than 60 Bay Area chefs who will prepare the food for the reception and four-course dinner. Among the chefs participating are Stuart Brioza, of the now shuttered Rubicon in San Francisco; Chris Cosentino of Incanto in San Francisco; and Staffan Terje of Perbacco in San Francisco. A live auction will feature enticing food and farm adventures up for bid.

Price is $60 for the reception only; or $200 for the reception and dinner. Tickets are available through CUESA. Proceeds will benefit CUESA, the non-profit Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture, which operates the farmers’ market at the Ferry Building.

In Oakland, Oliveto Restaurant’s downstairs cafe has a new look and menu. You’ll still find fresh, seasonal and local, but more rustic, simple, and with deeper flavors from all over Italy. Pastry Chef Jenny Raven now offers even more baked goods on the menu.

A state-of-the-art Berkel slicer from Italy and a dedicated salumi case show off Oliveto’s housemade offerings. New ovens have been added, as well as a new panini press. An original Faema E61 espresso machine, built in the 1960s, is part of a new to-go window for espresso drinks and small food orders.

Those on the Peninsula are eagerly awaiting the opening this winter of the Mayfield Bakery & Cafe in Palo Alto’s Town & Country Village. The bakery is the newest project from the Bacchus Management Group, which also owns the Village Pub in Woodside and Spruce restaurant in San Francisco.

Pastry Chef Nancy Pitta, formerly of Boulevard restaurant in San Francisco, will oversee the bakery. Look for eight to 10 different breads daily, French pastries, cakes, and other desserts.

The cafe, which will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, will feature a seasonal menu from Bacchus Executive Chef Gordon Drysdale and Mayfield Chef Andrew Hash, who used to work at Spruce and Hawthorne Lane in San Francisco. Expect dishes such as “Morning Grits with Berries and Brown Sugar Butter” and “Spit Roasted Brined Pork Chop with Crisp Pork Belly and Braised Chard.”

All the coffee served will be organic, fair-trade, and roasted by Bacchus’ ROAST Coffee Company in Oakland.