The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

Whether your cause is landmine removal in Afghanistan, or supporting people living with HIV/AIDS, there are lots of opportunities in the next week or so to dine well and do good, all at the same time.

 
Tony Kaczor, the fish fry guy, passed along his latest church supper dining tips, including a couple of upcoming Lebanese dinners. This Sunday, April 20th from noon to 6 p.m., Saint Maron Catholic Church, 602 University Ave., Minneapolis is hosting a Taste of Lebanon dinner, with a menu that includes raw and baked kibbee, cabbage rolls, beeef and green bean stew, salad and baklava for dessert, all for $15 for adults and $8 for kids. Reservations are a must; call 612-379-2758. And a week from Sunday, Holy Family Maronite Church, 203 E. Robie, St. Paul will host its Lebanese dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

On Monday, April 21, Da Afghan restaurant in Bloomington is hosting a benefit dinner to support landmine removal in Afghanistan. Half the $30 ticket price is tax-deductable, and they are going to put our quite a spread: stuffed grape leaves, chicken pilaw, kofta kabobs, tandoori chicken and lots more. For reservations, call the restaurant at 952-888-5824, or visit the restaurant's website at www.daafghan.com. You can also sendcontributions directly to: the Adopt-A-Minefield program, the United Nations Association, Minnesota Division, 2104 Stevens Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2533,

Jen Kinney, who lives in Minneapolis, is a single mother of a 5-year-old daughter, who caught a tough break - a rare brain disease called moyamoya, and then a stroke. Her friends are throwing fundraiser for her on Sunday, April 27^th from 4:00-9:00 p.m. at the Shout House in downtown Minneapolis. Tickets are $10 at the door, and include a buffet and raffle ticket. There will be drink specials throughout the evening, plus a silent auction and Shout House's famous dueling pianos.

I’m aiming to eat all three meals out next Thursday, when 134 local restaurants will be participating in Dining Out for Life. Proceeds support the Aliveness Project, a local non-profit that provides delivered meals, a food shelf, and other support for people with HIV/AIDS and their families.

Lots of my favorite places are on the list, but I’ll probably stick to some of the Platinum level (35 percent or more) participants. For breakfast, I might start with one of Bess Giannakakis’ terrific flapper pancakes filled with fruit and cream at at the Colossal Café; or else a chocolate croissant from Rustica. For lunch, the two leading contenders are the beef brisket sandwich at Blackbird and the corned beef at Pastrami Jack's in Eden Prairie, but for dinner, it’s the Vietnamese fusion cuisine at Ngon Vietnamese Bistro in Saint Paul.