Carnival
To celebrate the world's best party, retail store Old Brazil will host samba music, Brazilian treats, wine and caipirinhas (pronounced ky-pee-REEN-ya), a potent mixture of cachaca (sugar cane liquor), limes and sugar over ice, on Saturday and Sunday, March 4-5. Along with the festivities will be a huge sale of textiles, furniture and jewelry at Casa Adobes Plaza, 7131 N. Oracle Road; 219-5700.
Fungus Among Us
Celebrate the Oregon truffle harvest at Janos restaurant. Beginning on March 1 and running the length of the truffle season, Janos will be shaving fresh Oregon truffles on every beef dish at no extra cost. Truffles are both difficult to find and perishable, and have been coveted by gourmets for their pungency and the extravagance created by their rarity. For centuries, truffle aficionados prized the delicacy for therapeutic and aphrodisiac qualities. Gnarled in appearance, truffles range in size from a small marble to a tennis ball. Truffle is a term that also describes the chocolate candies made from chocolate ganache, so named because they were originally coated with cocoa and formed into irregular shapes evocative of the rare fungus. Complementary chocolate truffles, as well as miniature cookies and petit fours, conclude every meal at Janos, located at 3770 E. Sunrise Drive; 615-6100.