Cafe Centro in West Palm Beach's funky Northwood Village will provide some special eats for the Latin American Food & Wine Festival on Oct. 2 (Photo courtesy of Cafe Centro)

The sizzle

FOOD & WINE FIESTA IN NORTHWOOD VILLAGE: West Palm Beach’s funkiest dining and shopping district welcomes the inaugural Latin American Food & Wine Festival on Oct. 2.

The three-hour affair, organized by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County, goes from 6 to 9 p.m., featuring dishes from popular spots like Havana, Casa Cuba and Sarussi Café, and special festival menu items from neighborhood eateries like Cafe Centro.

And the vino, of course, flows from Argentina, Chile and Spain. It all happens between the 400 and 500 blocks of Northwood Road. Tickets are $25 per person. (You get a customized wine glass with the price of admission.) To buy tickets, call the chamber at (561) 832-1986 or visit www.pbhchamber.com .

THE GOLD MEDAL WINE TOUR kicks off next week, bringing prize-winning wines to local restaurants for dinners to benefit South Florida charities. The dinners are multi-course feasts punctuated with sips of some pretty fabulous wines (like Mumm Napa Rosé, 2007 Russian Hill Estate Pinot Noir, 2007 Castello di Amorosa Chardonnay, 2008 Rodney Strong Charlotte’s Home Sauvignon Blanc).

The first one happens Sept. 29 at Capri Ristorante Italiano, 39 S.E. First Ave., Boca Raton, where one can feast on salmon carpaccio with creamy gorgonzola and wild baby greens, homemade lobster ravioli with truffle butter, peppercorn filet mignon with porcini mushroom, and several other courses.

The next one happens Sept. 30 at Henry’s, 16850 Jog Road, Delray Beach, where the menu includes a confit of Peking duck leg with pommes sarladaise and sirloin of prime beef with glazed garlic and carrots, chanterelles, bone marrow and bordelaise syrup. The price of each dinner, $125, and helps fund two local charities: PROPEL, which provides educational opportunities to the underprivileged, and Tomorrow’s Rainbow, a grief assistance program for young people.

For reservations and information, contact Shari at (561) 504-VINE (8463) .

Openings

The Funky Buddha Lounge & Brewery is opening a bigger locale in Boca Raton. (Photo courtesy of Funk Buddha)

CRAFT BEER RISING: The Funky Buddha Lounge & Brewery debuts a new, roomier locale in Boca Raton on Saturday night. The featured attraction: the new microbrewery constructed by owners Ryan Sentz and Jim Bast, who first opened the bar four years ago in a smaller space at the same plaza.

“We built ourselves a small brew system that allows us to brew 40 gallons of beer at a time,” says Bast, a craft beer aficionado and Delray Beach firefighter. “We can experiment on different recipes. It lets us get creative.”

Creative, as in their Espresso Pitti Porter, a café-infused dark brew, and their Floridian beer, scented with orange peels and regional honey.

You can taste these and other Funky Buddha brews starting this weekend. The opening night party is 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. The Funky Buddha Lounge & Brewery is at 2621 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton; (561) 350-9818; www. thefunkybuddha.com .

FIORENTINA restaurant has opened at 707 Lake Ave. in Lake Worth, serving moderately priced Italian dishes. It takes the space formerly occupied by Ouzo Blue on the L-Dub’s main drag. Phone: (561) 588-9707 .

- Liz Balmaseda and Victoria Malmer

Oh My Chocolates offers gelatos made on-site and glittering cases filled with 75 varieties of chocolates.

Chocolate addicts, satisfy your appetites here

OH MY CHOCOLATES has opened at 219 Olive Ave., between Evernia and Datura streets in West Palm Beach. The shop offers gelato, made on-site, and glittering cases filled with 75 varieties of chocolates, including fleur de sel caramels, amaretto truffles and heavenly hash.

Owned by Raymond and Flor Nordine, Oh My Chocolates is filled with character, stuffed floor to ceiling with chocolates, gift boxes, silk flowers and plants and kitschy Christmas decorations.

The shop also features specialty coffees and a limited menu of light fare.

Oh My Chocolates is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Outdoor seating is available.

Phone: (561) 832-8017 .