This week and next are good ones for getting out and about and sampling some fine food. There's a charity or two that could benefit while your palate does a dance.

Morton's The Steakhouse, 625 Liberty Ave., Downtown, will mark its 15th anniversary on Aug. 15 with a cocktail reception starting at 5 p.m. and benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Tickets are $55 each, with $20 of that going to the foundation, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. WDVE morning show personalities Jim Krenn and Randy Baumann will be celebrity bartenders, and their tips will go to the charity.

Reservations are being taken at 412-261-5055. The evening is part of the chain's "30 Wishes for 30 Years" campaign to grant wishes of 30 children. Locally, sales of $19.78 Prime Sirloin Burgers, a 12-ounce burger served with fries and only on the restaurant's Sunday menu, also benefit the campaign. Go to www.mortons.com/30wishes for more information.

A Taste of Art restaurant at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, 420 Blvd. of the Allies, Downtown, continues its celebration of the 250th anniversary of the city's founding with its summer menu.

Anniversary-inspired dishes include fried oysters, Steak au Poivre Salad (the steak is marinated in brandy, crusted with green peppercorns and grilled), Chicken Halupki (ground chicken and proscuitto wrapped in savoy cabbage, topped with crushed tomato coulis and served with roasted garlic mash potatoes), and an old-fashioned banana split. And there's lots more on the menu: Appetizers, $3.50; soups, $3; salads and sandwiches, $6.50; desserts, $3.

The restaurant is open Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For reservations: 412-291-6532 or e-mail Chef Roger Levine at rmlevine@aii.edu.

Summer a la carte students are Joseph Allison, Kawana Coleman, Jennifer Depietro, Kathlean Hancock, Cory B. Jones, Rebecca Kort, Paul Morrison, Crystal Murphy, Porscha Phillips and Michael Schiberl. Chef David Russo joins Chef Levine as instructor.

Seasonal stuff is the theme at Giant Eagle's Market District stores.

From 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Shadyside store, Paul Mustovic of Wexford Farms wil discuss food safety, environmentally friendly farming and, with Chef Karla Contreras, share fresh produce recipes.

On Sunday organic gardeners Jessica Walliser and Doug Oster, he of the Post-Gazette, will discuss what to plant to keep harvests going into the fall and what to do with all those tomatoes and cucumbers. 11 a.m. at the Bethel Park store; 2 to 4 p.m. at the Shadyside store.

Tomorrow at 10:30 a.m., Bethel Park, and 1:30 p.m., Shadyside, dietician Judy Dodd discusses recipes with the summer harvest. From 5 to 6 p.m. Monday at Bethel Park, she'll have "Cooking 101 for the College-Bound Student," discussing how to set up a kitchen, quick and easy recipes, food safety and more. The class repeats from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Aug. 27 at Shadyside.

And mark your calendars for Aug. 23, when the West Overton Museums hosts its 4th annual Heirloom Tomato Festival, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at West Overton Village, Scottdale. Taste more than 20 varieties of heirloom tomatoes and gourmet foods from vendors ranging from grist mills to lamb farmers. Adults, $10, children and students with ID, $6; children under 5 free. Go to www.westoverton.org for more information and an advance ticket sale discount. Phone: 724-887-7910.

Chef Lou Durbin will conduct a cheese tour of France with a sampling of the country's products from 7 to 8 p.m. tonight.

Next Thursday, he joins store trainer Mark Staley at noon in an adventure: Search the store for bargains and develop some great recipes with the finds. Whole Foods is at 5800 Centre Ave., Shadyside. Phone: 412-441-7960.