Today’s carry out is way better than pizza and chow mein.

We begin May’s celebrations with May Day, a holiday with an international following, but not much domestically. So don’t be looking for a May Day song, dance, libation, food—or a day off work. Moving on, usually in the same week, up pops Cinco de Mayo festivities. In Mexico this holiday is primarily historical, celebrating the military victory over the powerful army of the French. In the United States, we use the date to celebrate all of Mexican culture. According to National Public Radio’s Dan Pashman, “Cinco de Mayo, which has followed a similar path as St. Patrick's Day: Started by activists to celebrate Mexican culture; embraced by people just looking for a good time.”

Gently crunchy and tasting nothing like bananas, banana-blossom salads are typically served augmented by soup and rice as a whole meal.

Let asparagus, burrata, and green garlic grace your table.

“A bad actor who performs in an exaggerated or playful way when people are watching,” is a colloquial definition of a ham. Merriam-Webster and theatrics aside, April is the month when hams perform, but not on stage.

The tiny College Avenue restaurant currently features 13 grappas made by Vittorio Capovilla, the mad scientist of artisanal grappa producers.

Valencia’s most popular dish, arroz al horno, is a regular feature on the tapas restaurant’s menu, and it’s delicious.

Hillary Huffard and husband Luke Janson, both Alamedans, choose to create a lighthearted, approachable brewery.

Burma Superstar’s wok-tossed pea shoots serve as a fine complement to curries and noodles.

Named for the Roman god of war, month-wise, March shows a checkered past and offers a mottled future. Julius Caesar was stabbed on the Ides of March. Despite this timing, the month of July—and not the salad—remains his principal namesake. March has emerged as the center of the U.S. collegiate basketball universe. This month an annual bracketed tournament for 68 teams will crown a national champion through competitive elimination, aptly dubbed “March Madness.” On the religious front, Easter sometimes occurs as early as March 22, and Passover often begins in March. Weather-wise, March is the first month of spring. As to festivities, it’s the month when Americans celebrate National Nutrition, Women’s History, Fire Prevention, the American Red Cross, and—on March 17—St. Patrick’s Day.