Apricots & Cherries are coming!
Washington State apricots are nearly ripe for the picking! Known for their tangy sweetness, each Washington State apricot is hand-picked for maturity with repeated visits to the trees, ensuring peak ripeness and optimal flavor. At home, apricots will also ripen at room temperature. To nudge the process along, place apricots in a paper bag with an apple. Great as a snack on its own, grilled, in desserts, served in chutneys and reductions, apricots are inherently delicious (and extremely nutritious!).

And cherry lovers, we’re getting more than a bowlful in 2009 due to a full bloom; a big, juicy and plentiful crop is expected out of Washington State! Look for sweet Bing Cherries in your local grocery store or farmer’s markets in mid-June.

For more information, please visit: www.wastatefruit.com and www.nwcherries.com.

First Coast to Coast Cinema-Eatery Opens in Seattle
The date night pastime of “dinner and a movie” once entailed visiting two locations but in Seattle that notion is about to change. The former Regal Theater site in Mountlake Terrace at 6009 SW 244th will unveil Cinebarre, a fresh new cinema-eatery concept for ages 21 and older. Expect made-to-order appetizers, entrees, beer and wine before and during matinee and evening screenings of first-run films. Plus, the popcorn features real melted butter! Cinebarre narrows its focus on savvy, active adults. It’s time to sit back and enjoy a meal and beverage, and watch a first-run movie the way it was meant to be!

Want to attend Cinebarre’s opening event on May 28? Click here for tickets to this exciting evening with food, drinks and a sneak peek at one of summer’s best blockbuster movies!

6009 SW 244th St., Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043. www.cinebarre.com.

$50 Haircut Mondays in June
Mondays can be a day you look forward to, after all! Get a custom cut from expert artists and save every Monday in June during Gene Juarez Salons & Spas’ Haircut Mondays. Enjoy $50 haircuts with select artists each Monday in June (excluding the South Hill location); men can enjoy $30 cuts at the Bellevue Gene Juarez Men’s Salon. Simply visit www.genejuarez.com, follow the “Special Offers” link to download and print the offer of your choice and call 425-373-3710 to schedule your service. Restrictions apply.

Visit a Gene Juarez Salons or Spas location or log on to www.genejuarez.com.

Father’s Day “Cupcake Relief” for Food Lifeline
Kids, grab your dad to get in on cupcakes for a cause. Morton’s brings dads and younger children together in the spirit of fun and giving back: Cupcake Relief for Food Lifeline. From 1 to 3 p.m. Father’s Day, June 21, dad and children can head to Morton’s for a dessert-making demonstration and cupcake decorating session. Dads are admitted free and children are $25 each. All proceeds will be donated to Food Lifeline, Washington's largest hunger relief agency. Food Lifeline works to provide nutritious food to more than 600,000 hungry people in Western Washington annually. Kids will enjoy the animated movie Wall-E while dad’s snack on tasty food, win door prizes and bid on displayed auction items for a great organization.

1511 Sixth Avenue, Seattle. 206-223-0550. www.mortons.com.

Voted Bellevue’s Best Happy Hour & Best Place to Be Seen!
The Bellevue Downtown Association bestowed this well-deserved honor for Pearl’s Happy Hour that extends seven nights a week, 3-6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close. Half price at Happy Hour graces Pearl’s bar menus (11 choices including pan-seared tiger prawns and Berkshire pork sliders, both of these just $6 during happy hour). Enjoy specialty cocktails including its famous Shiso Wild Drop with Finlandia Wild Berry vodka, house made lemon sour and more, or the Yellow Crimson Martini with Pearl vodka, lemons, fresh watermelon juice and a red melon cube; plus draft beers and more than 35 wines by the glass – all half price.

700 Bellevue Way NE, Lincoln Square, Bellevue. 425-455-0181. www.PearlBellevue.com.

Meet The Biscottis – Sunday, June 14
Starting Sunday, June 14, 5-8 p.m. join Parlor Live for a unique, interactive mafia musical dinner theater loaded with audience participation, improvisation and music. The show revolves around the comical exploits of the Biscotti family who have recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest from Bayonne, New Jersey. As the night progresses, you’ll get to know the Biscottis special survival “skills” all while enjoying a good old-fashioned Italian dinner. “Meet the Biscottis” is produced by Events on the Edge, whose highly successful interactive murder mysteries were on the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train more than 12 years. 21 years of age and over please. For dates and group bookings for one of the bi-monthly Parlor Live dinner theater performances visit www.parlorcollection.com.

Lincoln Square, 700 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue. 425-289-7000. www.ParlorCollection.com.

Papa loves a good meal! Father’s Day at tidbit bistro
Tidbit bistro’s cozy, neighborhood approachability is perfect for those who want a relaxing, inconspicuous meal out. Father’s Day at tidbit in Capitol Hill brings the option of a brunch or dinner. Choose from our Spanish and Italian inspired brunch selections including a grilled flat iron Steak & Eggs or one of four Benedict varieties highlighting the Spanish inspired chorizo Benedict or the Italian version with Parma prosciutto. Dinner’s tapa options entice with Misto di Affettati a selection of cured meats; entrees include a choice of Carne Gobernada Asturian-style beef tenderloin with blue cheese roasted garlic sauce and hand-cut frites or Salmon al Horno baked wild King salmon, with herbed breadcrumbs, marinated tomatoes and olives served with potato cake. For dessert consider a lemon, chocolate or cappuccino Tartufo or homemade gelato?

2359 10th Avenue East, Seattle. 206-323-0840. www.tidbitbistro.com.

Oh yes it’s ladies night (and the swinging’s right)
Ladies, your time to golf confidently has arrived! On select Tuesdays now to summer from 6 to 8 p.m., practice with other women while indulging in wine, cheese, and other diversions (geared for women i.e. jewelry designers, holistic beauty) at The Golf Club at Newcastle’s Ladies Night. This PGA pro-led series of open-to-the-public clinics bring a relaxed, low pressure environment in the Practice Facility in this swingin’ sisterhood. Clinics cover full swings, bunker techniques, chips and putts. Each clinic includes contests and prizes that test various golf skills. Session dates: Tuesdays, June 9, 23; July 7, 21; and August 4, 18. Each two-hour session is $60, and clinics may be individually selected. Book through Newcastle’s Gryphon Golf & Apparel Shop.

15500 Six Penny Lane, Newcastle. 425-793-4653. www.newcastlegolf.com.

Go “coastal” with Seabrook and SeattlePicks!
Baby, you’ve been working your keyboard-pounding fingers to the bone, and you’re due some quality R&R time. Ready to hit the coast, breathe the salt air, and catch a little Vitamin D au naturel? SeattlePicks has your number in a big way! Seabrook, on Washington’s Pacific Coast, offers rentals on gorgeous, fully-furnished beach cottages built in Northwest sea coast style (for a steal!); you also find a quaint café, a market, an endless beach front, and communal firesides. The only thing better than renting a cottage is winning a cottage stay with SeattlePicks: Visit our enduringly cool friends at www.seattlepicks.com now (visit Hip Happenings!) to get in on the contest details and you could be “going coastal” sooner than you think!

www.seattlepicks.com.

Seattle International Film Festival; Now - June 14
SIFF is the largest film festival in the nation. This year it proudly presents 392 films from 62 countries over the course of 25 days, with 31 World Premieres, 45 North American Premieres, and 13 US Premieres. If you missed the opening gala, don’t miss May 27, 7 p.m. when SIFF will present the Golden Space Needle Award for Outstanding Achievement in Directing to Spike Lee. The ceremony will include a montage of clips highlighting his diverse work as a director and pioneer of contemporary cinema. Prior to the screening of Passing Strange, Spike Lee will take the stage for an in-depth interview and Q&A session with the audience.

For more information, including show times email: boxoffice@siff.net, call 206-633-7151 or visit www.siff.net.