JULY

Prix fixe dinners are lovely and all, but don’t you sometimes wish you could choose the courses yourself, rather than having to rely on the chef’s whims? Thanks to Grotto (37 Bowdoin Street, Boston), now you can. Throughout July, the restaurant is celebrating its second anniversary by offering a three-course, $30 build-your-own meal featuring any appetizer, entrée, and dessert from the regular menu. Call 617.227.3434 for reservations and information.

JULY 12

Ah, cheese — it’s a somewhat guilty pleasure for most of us. But there’ll be no guilt at L’Espalier (30 Gloucester Street, Boston) on July 12, at 7 pm, when the restaurant presents a four-course dinner featuring American artisanal cheeses, including wines with every course. The cost is $55; call 617.262.3023 for reservations and information.

JULY 13

You know it’s truly summer when the annual Backyard Barbeque at Rialto (Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett Street, Cambridge) rolls around. On July 13, at 6 pm, head over for the 10th installment of the popular event, featuring wines from area vineyards, paired with some of chef Jody Adams’s favorite summer dishes. The cost is $90; call 617.661.5050 for reservations and information.

JULY 14

We Americans celebrate the Fourth of July with burgers and chips. The French, on the other hand, really know how to celebrate a national holiday. Over at Pigalle (75 Charles Street South, Boston), for example, a special Bastille Day three-course menu on July 14 includes chicken-liver mousse, roasted halibut, and chocolate soufflé. The cost is $40, or $55 with wine. Call 617.423.4944. Or head to Brasserie Jo (120 Huntington Avenue, Boston) on the 14th for its Sidewalk Crêperie, featuring crêpes Suzette and chocolate crêpes for $4 apiece, plus lunch and dinner entrées for $17.89 in honor of Bastille Day. Call 617.425.3240.