Spring isn’t official for a couple of weeks, but daylight saving time is here and that’s the de facto start of spring as far as I’m concerned. An extra hour of light at the end of the day lifts my spirits and reminds me that soon something even better than spring will be here: Summer.

So pump up the bike tires, scrub those grill grates and get ready to start enjoying the outdoors. Sadly, the rain is on its way back this week, but the good news is that there’s so much to do you don’t have to be down about it.

It’s Memphis Black Restaurant Week and you can get out and grab good deals in 12 restaurants around town. Cap off the week on March 15 with the Soulful Food Truck Festival at Tiger Lane, noon-6 p.m.

Memphis Black Restaurant Week features a dozen restaurants in Year 5

On March 13, it’s a night for grown-ups as The Daily Memphian and Celtic Crossing host Whiskeys of the World. Celtic owner DJ Naylor will have a big tent set up behind the restaurant for the party, we’ll have 60+ whiskeys from about 10 countries, and they’re all rated 90+ points.

Some of these are reasonably priced bottles and you might come across one or two you want for your home bar. Some are pricey bottles that you won’t see very many places and sure, maybe you’ll find something there you want to add to your collection. And some are whiskeys you can’t get anywhere else, so these you can come, taste, and savor the memory.

We’ll have food, experts on hand to answer questions, and we’re planning small breakout sessions with whiskey expert Timothy Calwin from Dublin. We held a similar event for Irish whiskey last year, had a great time, and this year will be even better.

Tune in this afternoon to hear DJ and me talk about what to expect on the Destination: Delicious podcast. Meanwhile, get your tickets by clicking here and enter to win a free pair of tickets by going to The Daily Memphian Facebook page and signing up there. When you buy your tickets, you’ll need to pick the five-punch ($55) or nine-punch ($85) card.

When you arrive at the restaurant, 903 Cooper, Friday night, check in, show your ticket, we’ll give you your card and tasting notes, and you can grab a welcome cocktail, walk around and pick out which whiskeys you want to try. Some will require two punches, but most will take one. And if it turns out you want more, we’ll have extra punch cards available at the restaurant. It’s 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Celtic Crossing tasting to feature 60+ whiskeys

If you find yourself in need of recovery on March 14, there’s a coffee festival going on that’ll help you perk up. Grind City Xpo is at the Pipkin Building in the Mid-South Fairgrounds, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Expect 20+ vendors such as Muddy’s Bake Shop, City & State, Belltower Coffeehouse, French Truck Coffee and plenty more on site for the fun event that will benefit Protect Our Aquifer (“because you can’t have great coffee without great water”).

Look for:

• Coffee+Cocktails demonstrations from four pairs of baristas and bartenders
• Live music from Memphis musicians
• Discussion series with three panels led by industry pros
• Farm to Table: The Journey of a Coffee Bean
• Ask a barista
• Grind City Xpo sample mugs from Belltower Coffeehouse

Go to grindcitycoffee.com for tickets. They’re $35 for 10 a.m. entry; $25 for 11:30 a.m.; and $20 for 12:30 p.m.

On March 12, there’s a fun pre-event to the Xpo, a Thursday Night Throwdown latte art competition at Dr. Bean’s Coffee & Tea Emporium inside Puck Food Hall, 409 S. Main. It’s free to attend, and if you want to show off your latte skills, it’s only $7 for you to enter the contest. It’s 7-10 p.m.; sign up at grindcitycoffee.com. To watch, just show up.

There’s no column next week as I’m taking a spring break, but here are two events for the following week you’ll also want to have on your calendar.

Happy birthday to MemPops! It turns 4 and celebrates on March 21 with $2 pops at all locations all day. So stop by the original store at 1243 Ridgeway Road, the one in Crosstown Concourse, or in Collierville at 3670 Houston Levee Road, wish them a happy birthday and celebrate with your favorite flavor.

Get your reservations now for the Lexus Guest Chef Dinner Series at Catherine & Mary’s, 272 S. Main, on March 23. The month’s dinner features Kevin Fink, a Food + Wine “Best New Chef” in 2016, a James Beard semi-finalist in 2019 and owner of Emmer & Rye in Austin, which was named one of Bon Appetit’s “Best New Restaurants” in 2016.

The courses will alternate with Fink cooking one and C&M chef/owners Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman cooking another and so on. Dinner is $75 and an optional wine pairing is available; the price on that varies but is generally around $45. Book your tickets at resy.com. Proceeds from the 2020 series benefit The Madonna Learning Center of Memphis.