As the all-you-can-drink brunch represents the apogee of human achievement, just though we'd give you a little heads up on two of the newer brunch deals in town.

This Sunday, Le Royal Meridien launches their new brunch "La Vie en Rose," which will apparently try to appeal to a younger, hipper crowd with entertainment by a DJ, among other diversions. I've had their brunch a few times and always left happy and buzzing, but I would recommend getting there early because in the past they've run out of a few items towards the end (brie cheese in particular – what a travesty). Head on down this Sunday to rub shoulders with Shanghai's beloved cadre of journalist free loaders. Starts 12pm. 418rmb.

The other one I haven't tried out yet is Bonito's which sounds like good bang for your rmb, so I'm heading down there soon as well: 250rmb for all-you-can-eat tapas, montaditos, and Spanish dishes and free-flow on sangria and sparkling wine. Starts 12:30pm.

If a night time taxi ride has taken you past the western end of Huaihai Lu in the last few weeks, you have probably noticed the lack of drunken youth clumsily spilling out of Bon Bon's entrance. Rumors circulated that the club's extended closure (now over a month) was a result of everything from over-zealous bouncers, to a major sound system upgrade, to the government trying to moderate the city's nightlife during the Olympics.

While the club has kept mum (nothing on its website) about the closure, it now seems rather apparent that the club was asked to close temporarily by the powers that be. Whether authorities saw it as a security risk similar to The Shelter or simply didn't think legions of zombie drunk kids stumbling around was good for the city's image, remains to be seen. According to sources an exact reopening date has not yet been given the green light, but in all likelihood the club should be back by mid-September.

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We'd hate to be the cause of a stampede, but if you can take an hour off work this afternoon, you really should. Get down to Moganshan 50 for an historic event of immeasurable proportions: "Affordable Art."

Chinese art is being sold for as little as one-fifth its regular "value" at the Shanghai Affordable Art Fair, running from today to Monday, 11am to 7pm. That means the buyers seeking investment pieces already have a 3 hour head start on you.

Got paid today? Grab your brick of cash and go. Your friends will understand why you're not buying as much Chivas when you're the only one who has a Chinese painting worth more like 10,000 next week, and let's face it, probably worth 100,000rmb in the not so faraway future.

15,000 visitors attended and around 300 paintings were sold at China's inaugural AAF three years ago in Beijing. That's a lot of elbows to get through, and that was before the big art market boom. Prediction for SH 08 AAF: pandemonium!

The venerable ShanghART, the city's oldest gallery, and 10 others are selling over 200 works by 30-odd artists. A tip for all you snob/collector wannabes out there: look for Ding Yi, Xue Song, and Zhu Zhechi. They're the shizzle, the most important names to add to your living room other than Starck and Cristal.

In cab! Blackberry running out of juice! Ta.

This Friday Gin Gallery in 50 Moganshan hosts David Verbeek, the director of Shanghai Trance for a screening of his short films / photography projects "Colours of the New Lands."

On the slate is the locally-based auteur's short works including "Melody Z," "Yu-Lan," "Always November," and an excerpt from his 2008 feature length Shanghai Trance. Read an article about that film here.

No cover. Free beer. Starts 6pm.

Not really a dinning deal (although they do give you free snacks with your drinks), but the Otto expansion on Nanjing Lu has a real reasonable happy hour: buy-one-get-one free drinks -- and big Tsingtaos are only 30rmb.

So if we do the math that's 15rmb a pint on a real nice patio -- perfect for a sweltering day like today. They've also got non-beer drinks like "wine," but not as large a selection as they have at the main restaurant.

Other happy hour deals on the SmSh happy hour map.

German chef wunderbaaaar Stephan Stiller (soft) opens his new restaurant Stiller's this Saturday at The Cool Docks (a converted warehouse complex in the south Bund area). Stiller, you might remember, was the chef at Mimosa in Pier One.

The food at Stiller's will reflect the Germanic heritage of its chef -- sausages, sauerkraut and pork-knuckle -- but they'll class it up a bit...

Think schnitzel delectable enough for the last archduke of Prussia.

For more info on the restaurant, have a look at Stephan's development blog here.

It's been a while, but Pecha Kucha, is slated to return on August 29 at the Living Design Center.

A Japanese term, "Pecha Kucka" roughly translates to "chit-chat" or "annoying chatter," and is an event that usually offers up something in between. Twelve guest speakers working in the 'creative industries' -- "architects, interior designers, graphical designers, game designers, artists, fashion designers, inventors, creative students" -- volunteer to talk about whatever, provided they offer up some visuals and at least attempt in good faith to remain coherent and lucid for the duration of their presentation.

New ideas, old ideas, crazy ideas from the Shanghai community. Pecha Kucha this Friday at the Living Design Center. Runs from 8:30pm until 11pm. Cover: 40rmb.

'Twill be a bloodbath at The Blues Room this Wednesday with the second installment of their Battle of the Bands competition. Here is the line up -- look at them -- all young and hungry and chomping at the bit: Picasso Smiling, Major 7, No Name, Forbidden Zoo, and Sonnet.

The winner gets some recording time and some pedals from Tonerider. I don't recall the name of the band that won the last one, but I do, however, remember a particularly dramatic Sum 41 cover, a powerfully shirtless lead singer, and an audience that just went... Totally. Freakin’. Mental.

Starts 9pm. No cover.

Pull up a tree stump and a glass of wine with the good people of NEST International Artist Factory this Wednesday for their third "DesignerTalk" night, featuring Sacha Silva of A00 design.

Eco-conscious entrepreneurs tell all... at least about their businesses. Sacha Silva of A00 (that's A Zero Zero, not A Oh-Oh) is likely to draw a crowd, so book early. Silva is one half of the handsome design duo behind URBN hotel's past-meets-present-meets-posh elan, including that wall o' suitcases that's lauded in every review.

Lucy Young of Paper Tiger recycled paper giftwrap and Chris Buckley of Torana handmade Tibetan carpets will be on hand, as well, talking about something noble and enlightening.

"DesignerTalk" runs from 7pm-8:30pm this Wednesday at NEST. RSVP to info@nestshanghai.com or Danielle at 6466 9524.