ORANGE BEACH, Ala. -- Good food and paired wine are on the menu when Mary’s Shelter Gulf Coast hosts “Forks and Corks” on Thursday, May 17 at Zen Restaurant, Orange Beach.

Zen owner Ginny Gilbert will provide a four-course gourmet dinner featuring salads, chicken, beef, dessert and wine to please the most discriminating taste. Tickets are $65 per person and seating is limited to 130, so make your plans now. Call 251-981-2988 to put your name on the list. The event will begin with cocktails at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6:30.

The first course includes Grilled Scallop Salad, Baby Greens, Orange Supremes, Spice Pecans, Parmesan Cheese, Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette and Tizano, Veneto, Italy, 2010. The second course features Roasted Chicken Roulade, Spinach, Feta Cheese, Roasted Peppers, Butter Baby Potatoes, Roseblum Zinfandel, Sonoma County, 2008.

Blackened N.Y. Strip heads the thirds course, with Shiitake Risotto, Pomegranate Demi Glaze and Daniel Gerhs Syrah, Paso Robles, 2009. The dinner concludes with Apple Pear Crisp, Caramel, Crème Chantilly and Dr. L Loosen Riesling, Germany, 2010.

Mary’s Shelter Gulf Coast is a home for adult homeless pregnant women. It provides a safe, loving place to help women make important decisions for themselves and their babies.

While at the shelter, the women can earn a GED and/or begin classes to further their education and work toward a career. After the baby is born and the mother has found work, she may enter the Transitional Housing program that subsidizes expenses for six months while she gets established in her new life. Adoption counseling is also available.

For information about Mary’s Shelter Gulf Coast, call (251) 986-6200 or toll-free (866) 823-4674. Email maryssheltergulfcoast@gulftel.com or visit the website, www.marysshletergulfcoast.org.