Quick Bites: How to be a smart seafood eater, made easy, plus three festivals and bacon-flavored gravy.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch outreach manager Ryan Bigelow debones how and why to make conscious and sustainable choices on fish, shrimp, shellfish and more—without breaking the bank—at Monterey Hostel's free potluck talk series 6pm Monday, April 28, at 778 Hawthorne in New Monterey. (Bring something to share; the program starts at 6:45pm; 372-5762 for more.)

That's appetizing news for eaters familiar with the cluelessness, misdirection and paucity of sustainable options that shadows seafood eating and shopping in restaurants and markets—and the at-times-steep sticker prices for responsibly harvested fish.

The Weekly and Assistant Editor Kera Abraham helped pioneer coverage of Oceana North America's efforts to hold purveyors accountable for misinformation with a enterprising investigative cover story "Something Fishy: Seafood fraud disguises farmed salmon as wild, tilapia as snapper and sole as sand dabs. What's on your plate—and how did it get there?"

Now California Sen. Alex Padilla, D—Los Angeles, has introduced a bill in Sacramento, SB 1138, which would make it unlawful for any person to knowingly sell mislabeled seafood.

His office's announcement of the bill spotlights the fact that, while spending on seafood in the United States has grown to more than $80 billion annually, state law does not provide clear guidance regarding accurate labeling of seafood.

"The lack of standards has led to high rates of mislabeling throughout our state," it reads.

It refs the Oceana survey and its harrowing findings—including the discovery 84 percent of Southern California sushi samples were not the same fish they were labeled as. 

"The Oceana study revealed that half the tested seafood sold in California is routinely mislabeled. SB 1138 will change that. Honesty in seafood labeling is important to both our health and our oceans,” Padilla says. "It's quite simple, when the menu says 'halibut,' we should actually be served halibut. Seafood labeled 'red snapper" should actually be red snapper.'" 

SB 1138 is modeled after similar legislation passed in the state of Washington.

More quick bites follow, starting with more conscious food news:

• The Sustainable Foods Fair represents one of the most fun and affordable pieces of Cooking for Solutions weekend May 14-16. It's Saturday the 17th, with artisan food tastings, a Whole Foods market, "talk and taste" demos on the deck from stars like Jose Garces, Lorena Garcia and Nathan Lyon, free with admission, 10am-6pm.

• Last week, the state of Vermont passed H.112, what some advocates are calling this country’s first "no-strings-attached" law requiring the mandatory labeling of GMOs (genetically modified organisms), and prohibiting the practice of labeling GMO foods as “natural” or “all-natural.”

• Weekly food contributor Shiho Fukushima organizes an event with Dr. Beatrice Levinson of Monterey Bay Naturopathy that asks “How serious is the gluten epidemic and can it change the future of the restaurant industry?” 1pm Saturday, April 26, at Rio Grill. RSVP to glutenfreeshiho@gmail.com.

• A cool $10 from every corkage popped Wednesdays in May at Knuckles and Fireside Lounge at Hyatt Monterey (372-1234) goes to Hope Center for Monterey.

• Big Sur Food & Wine Festival made FlipKey.com's Top Food & Wine Festivals for 2014. The fact that FlipKey is a vacation rental website and said rentals are wildly controversial on the South Coast adds a little spice of irony.

• The 55th annual Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival moves to Monterey Fairgrounds May 31-June 1.

• Carmel Valley Garden Association's free 45th annual Garden Show, "Under the Valley Sun," happens 10am to 4pm, May 3-4, 2014 at Hidden Valley Music Seminars (659-0436 for more).

• Santa Lucia Highlands annual gala ($85) is May 17 at Mer Soleil. Thirty-plus of the very best wineries in the state.

• J & D’s Foods now has bacon flavored and gravy flavored weight loss shakes ($19.99, www.BaconTrim.com). For real.

• The 22nd annual Monterey County Vintners and Growers’ (375-9400) Winemakers Celebration pours 100-plus local wines on Dolores Street in Carmel 2-5pm Saturday, May 3, hopefully adding momentum to host the city’s farmers market on its streets and in its park rather than Sunset’s parking lot.

• Fun fact: Olive trees can live past 600. Tasty fact: Holman Ranch estate olive oil ($25/375ml) is superb thanks to a blend of Tuscan, Spanish and French varietals. It’s also now available online and at the tasting room (659-2640).

• Follow @MontereyMCA as I eat toward 1,600 tweets.

• Valley Hills Deli & BBQ does another bargain tasting/pairing session ($12) 5-7pm Wednesday, April 30, starring Antle Wines with bites like poached salmon, chicken-artichoke sausage and sirloin kebabs. RSVP at 293-8608.

• Beers are half off every Monday all day at reborn Bahama Grille (676-3568) on Main Street in Salinas (look for our review out Thursday).

• On May 2, Arroyo Seco Winegrowers hold a wine dinner at Will’s Fargo in Carmel Valley from 6-10pm ($125). info@arroyosecowinegrowers.com for more.