By day, he's an attorney for a Westlake Village law firm. But at night — or at least on evenings when he plans to consume mass quantities of red meat — he is a cape-wearing, supersize-it hero who goes by the name Big Love. And as his nom de eating implies, everything about him is large, from the black wig that sits on his head like a giant Brillo pad to the 71-ounce bone-in steak he plans to eat around 9 p.m. Friday at Cafe Firenze in Moorpark.

This won't be Big Love's first go at a major hunk of meat. Dressed in normal street clothes, he stopped by the restaurant a few months ago with a friend and ordered a 34-ounce bone-in rib-eye that chef and co-owner Fabio Viviani assumed would have most diners asking for doggie bags. Not the 5-foot-10-inch Big Love — aka Jim Graue — who describes his own weight as "well over" 200 pounds.

"I ate the whole thing and said, Is that all you got?'"

Thus was the gauntlet thrown down. Big Love returned in late February to (carefully) chew his way through a 61.3-ounce bone-in rib-eye that Viviani aged and prepared especially for the occasion, which was documented by friends. The resulting video, titled "Fabio vs. Big Love: Big Steak Challenge" and featuring scenes of the rib-eye being prepared and eaten to music from the movie "Rocky," made its public debut two weeks ago on a TV screen hung amid the crystal chandeliers in the restaurant's bar. When the screening was over, Big Love and his physical trainer, Jerry Piani, were among those who presented a chastened Viviani with a T-shirt printed with the words "Big Love Won."

But Viviani isn't ready to accept defeat. A native of Florence, Italy, who dry-ages his meats the old-school way, Viviani led this reporter into the kitchen and over to the refrigerated, glass-doored case he has devoted to the process. He pointed to what looked like an entire side of beef on an upper shelf and explained that, for the red-meat rematch, he planned to cut away three ribs' worth. He would then remove all but the middle bone so the meat would compress as it ages. End result: a dangerously huge rib-eye that he plans to serve to Big Love with asparagus spears and some mashed potatoes. Financially, the dish will be worth more than $100. But for the winner, bragging rights will be priceless.

Cafe Firenze is at 563 W. Los Angeles Ave. For information, call 532-0048. Or, to see what else is on the menu, visit the Web site at http://www.cafefirenze.net.

CLASS ACT: Mary Grayr, owner and chef of Mary's Secret Garden, a vegan restaurant in downtown Ventura, will offer an introduction to raw foods cooking class from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday. For required reservations, $125 per person, call 64663.

RETIREMENT PARTY: When the master distiller for Jack Daniel's decides to call it a day, his going-away party promises to be something special. So it is for Jimmy Bedford, who plans to retire this spring after 40 years with the Tennessee whiskey maker — but not before holding forth during the "single barrel extravaganza" taking place 7 p.m. Saturday at the Deer Lodge near Ojai.

The event will start with cocktails and segue into a four-course whiskey dinner (dessert is bread pudding with Jack Daniel's cream and whiskey-soaked apples) before featuring live music by the Johnny Cash tribute band Big River.

Attendees will go home with instantly collectible, Bedford-autographed bottles of whiskey aged in the same (i.e. single) barrel. For reservations, $85, call 646-4256.

ON A QUEST: When I wrote last week about the opening of the McGrath Family Farm stand at 1012 W. Ventura Blvd. in Camarillo, several readers informed me that neither Mapquest nor Google was equipped to handle the address.

So here are some old-fashioned driving directions that are (practically) guaranteed to get you there: Take the Central Avenue exit off Highway 101. If you were traveling northbound, hook a left at the top of the exit and drive over the freeway. If you were traveling southbound, turn right at the top of the exit.

Drivers from both directions will reach a stop sign at the T intersection of Central Avenue and Ventura Boulevard. Turn right onto Ventura Boulevard (away from the general direction of the Camarillo Premium Outlets). Then make a left into the stand's parking lot, which is directly across the freeway from the Harley-Davidson dealership. If all else fails, call 983-1211.

The stand is open daily from 9 a.m. While you're there perusing the Gaviota strawberries, pea tendrils, baby turnips, baby broccoli and sunflowers, ask about the McGrath Family Farm CSA, or community supported agriculture program

Scheduled to go into effect Tuesday and run through Dec. 31, it will deliver a box of organic produce each week to subscribers, at a cost of $40 per week. The $1,600 total must be paid in advance; a $5 per-week discount is available for those who pick up their own boxes.

IN REVIEW: For restaurant critic Rita Moran's thoughts on Bistro Ella in Newbury Park, see Time Out in Thursday's Star.

— E-mail Lisa McKinnon at lmckinnon@VenturaCountyStar.com.