The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival presents its annual “grand tasting” event this weekend from noon to 4 p.m., Nov. 15, at Embarcadero Marina Park North in Downtown San Diego. Visitors can expect copious samples of gourmet cuisine and wine pours from more than 70 restaurants and 160 wineries. All of the participating chefs will compete for $50,000 in cash and prizes, which according to event coordinator Michelle Metter, means “they’ll be putting their best foot forward rather than just turning out food for the masses.” The event also features book signings by celebrity chefs, live entertainment and a tasting area hosted by the California Olive Oil Commission. Tickets are $100 in advance and $125 at the gates. For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1090.

Paris-born Patrick Halcewicz has opened Hexagone French Cuisine in the space formerly occupied by Gemelli restaurant at Fifth and Laurel streets. Halcewicz also owns the well-established French Market Grill in Rancho Bernardo. Hexagone’s menu features a slate of French classics such as bouillabaisse, frog legs, coq au vin, lamb shank with herbs and more. Simple décor is in place to give the restaurant a cozy bistro feel. The restaurant is open for lunch Monday through Friday, and dinner daily. For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1090.

Crazy Bowls and Wraps (CBW) from Missouri has made its California debut in Mission Valley with uniquely prepared tortilla wraps, salads and rice dishes, all presented in heavy red bowls with colorful tortilla chips. Customers first choose a specific wrap, salad or bowl listed on the menu, and then pair it with a choice of rice (brown, jasmine, whole wheat or quinoa) and a protein (tofu, flank steak, salmon or white or dark chicken). The possibilities are vast and the quality is impressive. Also appealing is the condiment station, which features garlicky hummus and various sauces and salsas. Six more locations in San Diego County are planned in the next year. For more information, visit www.gaylesbiantimes.com/links/1090.

An academic study by faculty members at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration found that restaurant customers spend more money when no dollar sign precedes prices on a menu. The research, conducted at the CIA’s St. Andrew’s Café in Hyde Park, N.Y., presented 201 guests randomly with three different menus; one using a dollar sign format, another listing prices with just the number and no dollar sign, and another with prices and the word “dollar” spelled out. Results showed that guests ordering from menus lacking an overt reference to money spent on average 8.15 percent more. The study’s authors concluded that seeing repeated references to dollars “initiates a pain of paying, causing customers to spend less.”

A rumor circulating last week that the Golden Spoon in Hillcrest gave $10,000 to the Yes on 8 campaign proved false after it became known that the donation was made by Amanda Crane, a franchisee of Golden Spoon yogurt shops in North County. According to Rick Parker, who operates the Hillcrest location on University Avenue: “I wouldn’t have even put my store in Hillcrest if I didn’t support gay and lesbian people. It’s one of the reasons why I came here.”