Chefs routinely chant, “It’s all about the ingredients.”
When it comes to a series of special dinners at Jack Falstaff in San Francisco, truer words were never spoken.
At the restaurant’s 2009 Growers Dinners, Executive Chef Jonnatan Leiva showcases the wonderful ingredients he sources regularly from growers he’s worked with for years. At the monthly dinners, guests get to mingle with the farmers whose seasonal ingredients are the star attraction of the four-course dinner. At each dinner, a San Francisco executive chef acts as guest chef to cook at least one course of the meal. Special beers or wines are specifically paired to the dishes, too.
This year’s series of dinners kicks off Feb. 24 with Hamada Farms in Kingsbury, CA. The family-owned farm, which was established in 1921, grows everything from persimmons and avocados to exotic citrus such as Oro Blanco, cocktail grapefruits, Tahitian pumelos, and African shaddock. The guest chef that night will be Staffan Terje, chef-owner of Perbacco.
The dinner is $85, including wine pairings. For reservations, call (415) 836-9239.
If you miss this dinner, you can still catch others in the future:
March 24: Liberty Ducks; and Jen Beisty, executive chef of Scala’s Bistro and former Bravo TV “Top Chef” contestant.
April 21: Pozzi Lamb Growers. No guest chef. Instead, Jack Falstaff’s Leiva will create the dinner he will cook at the James Beard House in New York in April.
May 19: Wine Forest Wild Mushrooms; and Chef Jamie Lauren of Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, and another former “Top Chef” contestant.
June 23: Bohemian Creamery; and Chef Dominique Crenn of Luce in the InterContinental Hotel.