JULY 31

You’re probably going to have a barbecue and beer sometime soon anyway; why not have it at Rouge (480 Columbus Avenue, Boston) on July 31? That’s when the restaurant teams up with Biking Towards a Cure and Harpoon Brewery to present BBQ & Beer, an event to benefit the Pan-Mass Challenge and the Jimmy Fund. The evening begins at 6 pm with a Harpoon-beer-and-passed-appetizer reception, followed by a barbecue buffet dinner featuring Andy Husbands’s award-winning offerings, including sweet-and-spicy smoked chicken, pulled pork, and vegetable gumbo. The cost is $50 in advance and $60 at the door, pending availability; call 617.266.4600 ext. 13 for reservations and information.

AUGUST

Want to know what the harvest tastes like? Where better to find out than at Harvest (44 Brattle Street, Cambridge)? Throughout the month of August, the restaurant offers three-course "Taste the Harvest" tasting menus featuring locally grown produce like heirloom tomatoes, corn, strawberries, and greens. Dinner tasting menus are $33 ($48 with half-glass wine pairings, $56 with full-glass wine pairings), while lunch tasting menus are $21 ($26 with a glass of chardonnay or merlot). Call 617.868.2255 for reservations and information.

AUGUST 6- 14

Shellfish haters need not apply. But if you’re a lobster lover, we’ve got the event for you. From August 6 through 14, head to Ristorante Marino (2465 Mass Ave, Cambridge) for the restaurant’s "Festa dell’Aragosta," or Lobster Feast. Chef John Palughi will be preparing an array of dishes featuring the scrumptious crustacean, including lobster ravioli, Italian lobster cakes, chilled lobster bisque, lobster fra diavolo, grilled lobster tail, Italian lobster pie, and lobster risotto. Call 617.868.5454 for reservations and information.