In San Francisco:

If you love tamales and can hold your tequila, head to “A Taste of Tequila and Tamales” in San Francisco on April 18.

The event, noon to 4:30 p.m. at Fort Mason Center, near the Marriott San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf, will feature a delicious assortment of those luscious  masa-wrapped specialities from Cocina Poblana, the Tamale Factory, Evelia, and others. Enjoy premium tequilas, too, from Jose Cuervo Tradicional and Tequila Don Julio.

Rancho Gordo also will be cooking up its unique heirloom beans. And Sabores del Sur will be handing out its famous alfajores cookie sandwiches.

Advance tickets are $35; tickets at the door are $40.

The event benefits the Benchmark Institute, a non-profit that teaches advocates how to use the law to help lower-income communities.

Join Seattle Chef Tom Douglas and Master Sommelier Andrea Immer as they host the “Perfect Pairing Party” at Macy’s Union Square Cellar, a short walk from the Campton Place Taj Hotel, at 6 p.m. April 7.

Immer will talk about her new stemware collection and demonstrate how to pair wines with Douglas’ dishes.

Tickets are $15 at the door. All proceeds benefit Meals on Wheels, which provides meals for homebound seniors. Reserve your spot here.

Speaking of Meals on Wheels, you absolutely won’t want to miss its 23rd annual mega gala on May 16 at Fort Mason’s Festival Pavilion, near the Fairmont Heritage Place.

The annual “Star Chefs & Vintners Gala” fund-raiser is the largest fund-raiser for the San Francisco organization. Last year’s event raised $1.1 million to provide meals to seniors.

Chef Nancy Oakes of Boulevard restaurant in San Francisco returns to oversee the extraordinary culinary event that features more than 70 chefs from Northern California’s top restaurants. Among this year’s participating chefs are: Mouhrad Lahlou of Aziza in San Francisco, Chris Cosentino of Incanto in San Francisco, Richard Reddington of Redd in Yountville, and Mark Sullivan of Spruce in San Francisco.

More than 75 vintners will be pouring, including Frog’s Leap Winery, Pride Mountain Vineyards, and Duckhorn Wine Company. If that weren’t enough, look for master mixologists to whip up exotic cocktails.

The evening begins with an extensive array of hors d’oeuvres created at chef stations. That’s followed by a three-course, sit-down dinner, with each course prepared by one of 27 chefs. The evening ends with a lavish dessert buffet.

Silent and live auction prizes include a party at a luxury Sun Valley, Idaho penthouse with food prepared by Oakes.

Tickets are $400. For more information, call (415) 343-1280.

In Pebble Beach and Monterey:

Celebrated chefs, Suzanne Goin of Lucques in Los Angeles, and Rick Bayless of Topolobampo and Frontera Grill, both in Chicago, will be the top honorees at this year’s “Cooking for Solutions” event, May 21-22, at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The annual event is all about spreading the gospel of sustainable seafood. The May 21 gala will feature gourmet eats from 75 restaurants and wines from more than 60 vintners. May 22, chefs will lead culinary outings and host cooking demonstrations.

Participating chefs include Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery + Cafe in Boston, Kevin Gillespie of Woodfire Grill in Atlanta and “Top Chef” fame, and Sam Choy of Sam Choy’s Breakfast, Lunch & Crab in Honolulu.

Ticket prices range from $75 to $275. Proceeds support the nonprofit aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, which has worked for the past decade to educate about the importance of maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems.

A la carte tickets are still available for the grand Pebble Beach Food & Wine event, April 8-11, which brings together more than 60 of the world’s best chefs and 250 acclaimed wineries.

A $100 ticket will get you the opportunity to watch Thomas Keller demonstrate recipes from his best-selling “Ad Hoc at Home” cookbook. Another $100 ticket will get you a bird’s eye view as four Master Sommeliers face off against eight unknown glasses of wine. And $175 will get you into one of the Grand Tastings, where 25 renowned chefs will be preparing gourmet eats under a 60,000-square-foot tent.

Even bigger spenders can plonk down $500 to attend “Tribute to a Legend: Jacques Pepin,” as superstar chefs Michel Richard of Citronelle in Washington DC, Ken Frank of La Toque in Napa, Ming Tsai of Blue Ginger in Massachusetts, Charlie Trotter of Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, and Gina DePalma of Babbo in New York create a fabulous meal to salute this culinary giant.

For a complete list of events, click here.