Julia Child and more from The Food Gal

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Julia Child Restaurant Week To commemorate what would have been the late, great, Julia Child's 100th birthday this week, 100 restaurants around the country will be hosting tribute dinners through Aug. 15. Among them are RN74 in San Francisco, will offer a special $39 prix fixe dinner and a $29 prix fixe lunch featuring Child-inspired dishes, including vichyssoise and lamb stew with spring vegetables. Bouchon Bistro in Yountville will offer a $55.95 prix fixe or the choice of a la carte Child dishes such as salade nicoise and sole meuniere. Jardiniere in San Francisco will offer a $49 prix fixe on Aug. 13 that includes Child's favorite coq au vin and chocolate mousse. For a complete list of restaurants participating, click here.

Dan Gordon--Beer Maker and Musician Sure, we all know that the founder of Gordon Biersch Brewing Company knows how to make great beer. But how many knew that Dan Gordon also is an accomplished musician? You can get a listen at the San Jose Jazz Festival, when Gordon will be performing on trombone with two jazz ensembles on Aug. 12 on the Gordon Biersch stage, one of nine stages that will be set up downtown. At 12:30 p.m., he'll be on stage with the All Star Big Band. Following that performance, Gordon also will join up with Rick Walsh's Slide Madness. You might know Walsh from his musical arranging and copywriting for Mel Brooks' madcap musicals, "The Producers" and "Young Frankenstein." Gordon Biersch is San Jose's only bottling brewery, so it's only appropriate that the company is also the official beer sponsor of the jazz fest.

Still Time to See the World's Largest Lollypop  See's Candies has created one monster of a lollypop: It's 16-feet-7-inches tall and 7,003 pounds. And you can see it in all its sweet glory when it'll be on display in San Francisco at a couple of upcoming events. On Aug. 10, it'll be at Candlestick Park to add even more cheer when the San Francisco 49ers play a preseason game. See's will be handing out free lollypops that day, too. But no, they won't be this big. Then, on Aug. 12, the 49ers get in on the action again when the lollypop will star at the team's annual "Fan Fest" at Candlestick Park, where the 49ers will host a practice session. Again, look for free regular-sized lollypops to be doled out.