Category Archives: Enticing Events

A Sweet Society

Posted on by 23 comments

How'd you like these raspberry-white chocolate sables delivered to you? (Photo courtesy of Tell Tale Preserve Company)

Executive Pastry Chef William Werner, one of the Bay Area’s top talents, won’t officially open his new Tell Tale Preserve Company on Union Square in San Francisco until November.

But those impatient for a taste of his confections have a novel option in the meantime: Become a member of its Tell Tale Society.

For a $35 a month subscription, you get a once-a-month delivery of house-made pastries, jams, candies and breads. Now, that’s my idea of high society.

Customers can either pick up their package at a designated location or have it shipped directly to them for an extra fee.

The once-a-month delivery bag. (Photo courtesy of Tell Tale Preserve Company)

The first burlap bag shipment of goodies is set to go out on Sept. 1. It will include an almond financier, plum-litchi pate de fruit, coffee-laced milk jam, caramels with volcanic sea salt, savory tomato-semolina bread, praline marshmallows, and raspberry-white chocolate sandwich cookies.

Werner, who has worked at Quince in San Francisco and the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, is building a patisserie and delicatessen on tucked-away Maiden Lane. Tell Tale Preserve Company is a collaboration between him and the Whisk Group, a Maryland boutique hospitality group.

Read more

The Newest in Wine Pairings — Lady Gaga Donuts and Cupcakes

Posted on by 21 comments

You’ve had cheese with your wine. You’ve had chocolate with your wine.

But you’ve probably never had the likes of a Lady Gaga donut with a Petite Syrah.

This Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 28, you can enjoy that unusual pairing that sounds as out there as one of Gaga’s outfits.

Poetic Cellars of Soquel is hosting this creative food-wine pairing. Psycho Donuts of Campbell is supplying all the donuts that day, including the pop star-inspired iced cake ones topped with fresh blueberries.

The winery is offering up even more donut-wine combos with the likes of “Apricotology fritters” with Chardonnay and Viognier; an Oreo cookie-like cake donut matched with Syrah; and S’Mores cake donuts with Poetic Cellars’ Bourdeaux blend, Ballad.

Read more

Spotlighting Summer Tomatoes

Posted on by 17 comments

Vine-ripened heirlooms are taking center stage right now.

Find these juicy beauties in all their glory at these Bay Area restaurants:

* Saratoga’s Sent Sovi hosts its third annual “Heirloom Tomato Dinner” on Aug. 26. Chef Josiah Slone will even feature some of his own homegrown ones at this special five-course meal that starts with “Lemon Boy Sake Cocktails” with tomato bites, and winds its way through slow-cooked lamb confit with poached tomato sauce before ending with tomato and peanut tart with pomegranate sorbet.

Price is $115, and includes paired wines.

If you can’t make it that particular night, have no fear; the restaurant will feature the tomato menu in lieu of its regular tasting menu, Aug. 27-29.

* Throughout August, the Lark Creek Restaurant Group will be creating inventive new dishes with Marvel Stripe, Purple Cherokee, Goliath and other heirloom varieties.

Look for dishes such as Dungeness crab and heirloom tomato salad with yellow tomato sorbet at One Market Restaurant in San Francisco; seafood-stuffed heirloom tomato with olives, capers, basil and lemon oil at Yankee Pier at Santana Row in San Jose; and Muscovy duck with white corn, summer squash, hickory-smoked bacon and heirloom tomato relish at the Tavern at Lark Creek in Larkspur.

* Gott’s Roadside in St. Helena, Napa and San Francisco is serving up its home-grown green tomatoes, fried with spicy chili aioli ($4.99), until supplies last.

The tomatoes are from its St. Helena garden, as is the fresh basil in its pesto on the menu.

* Also in Wine Country, the Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar in Sonoma will host its fifth annual “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes,” Sept. 14-20.

Tomatoes will take over the menu at this restaurant, which harvests about 48 pounds of tomatoes from its garden every day at the height of summer. Dishes to be featured include “Menage a Tomato with Housemade Mozzarella and Watermelon Gazpacho” and a “PBLT” sandwich with pork belly.

Read more

Scenes From SF Chefs 2010

Posted on by 20 comments

Didn’t make it to the SF Chefs 2010 extravaganza this past weekend at Union Square in San Francisco?

No fear. Here’s a glimpse of the opening festivities last Friday night, which featured a slew of chefs, mixologists and vintners doling out gourmet goodies under a billowing white tent on the square.

The big guns were out in force, too, including New York Chef David Burke and star restaurateur, Drew Nieporent of the Myriad Restaurant Group.

The event officially got underway with a sabering ceremony, where a bottle of bubbly was dramatically opened by using a long knife to slice off the top of it.

You can tell from the expressions of the crowd that it was quite the sight.

A bevy of chefs were in attendance, including Mourad Lahlou of Aziza in San Francisco, whose first cooking show is expected to debut on PBS in the fall of 2011. Filmed in Marrakech and the Bay Area, the show will shine the spotlight on both traditional and modern Moroccan cooking. He’s still looking for help from investors, too. So if you’ve done well in the stock market or with the Lotto lately, don’t be shy and drop him a line.

Read more

Indian Independence Day, New Beard Papa, Chocolate Meets Tofu & More

Posted on by 12 comments

South Bay and Peninsula News

Revel in festivities for Indian Independence Day, Aug. 15, when Junnoon restaurant in downtown Palo Alto, features live music and a special menu.

“A Tryst with Junnoon,” starting at 5:30 p.m., salutes India’s 63rd Independence Day with a $40 three-course menu that includes chicken tikka achari, made with saffron, green mustard and garlic. Each dish represents the colors of India’s flag — deep saffron, white and dark green. The prix fixe dishes also can be enjoyed à la carte.

Celebratory cocktails also will be available, including “Soul of a Nation” (peach schnapps, mango puree and Champagne), which represents the colors of Indian summers.

Advanced reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (650) 329-9644.

Sakoon in Mountain View also will be celebrating Indian Independence Day with a brunch buffet on Aug. 15.

In addition to regular favorites, the buffet that day also will offer new items such as Goan fish curry and lamb chettinad (with tomato, onion, garlic, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and black pepper powder).

Price is $17.95 per person and includes a free mimosa.

Another Beard Papa will open its doors in the Bay Area, this one in Milpitas at 1535 Landess Ave. in the Seasons Marketplace.

Read more

« Older Entries Recent Entries »