If you have read Bill Buford's terrific book Heat, in which the New Yorker writer plays out his very creative midlife crisis at Mario Batali's pasta station at Babbo, you of course know all about Dario Cecchini, the most famous butcher in the world. You may know about Cecchini anyway, as well you should. Well, next week you may get the chance to meet him in real life.

Next Thursday, April 19, at Valentino in Santa Monica, Piero Selvaggio is hosting Cecchini for a butchery class, a lunch and a dinner. (Sadly, only the lunch is still available, at a cost of $50, with a portion benefiting Meyer Children Hospital in Florence.) The lunch, held at noon and prepared by Valentino executive chefs Luciano Pellegrini and Nico Chessa, will feature a menu of traditional pork dishes from Panzano in Chianti, Cecchini's hometown.

And then Friday, April 20, from 1-3 p.m. the famed butcher will be at Mozza's Scuola di Pizza in Hollywood for a beef butchery demo. Yes, it's $150, but it includes lunch. If you're interested, call Valentino and the Scuola (numbers below.) Brush up on your Italian, no?

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