Category Archives: Enticing Events

Foodie Fun

Blueberry shortcake for a good cause. (Photo courtesy of McCormick & Kuleto's)

Indulge in a fresh-baked blueberry shortcake — for a good cause.

Through Aug. 31, McCormick & Kuleto’s in San Francisco is featuring that special dessert for $4.95. For every one sold, the restaurant will make a donation to the American Heart Association.

The shortcake is filled with orange-marinated blueberries and topped with a cloud of whipped cream and creme fraiche.

Enjoy brunch every Saturday and Sunday now at Palo Alto’s Shokolaat.

Shokolaat's eggs benedict on housemade brioche. (Photo courtesy of Shokolaat)

The new seasonal breakfast offerings, available 11:30a.m. to 2 p.m., include such delights as organic buttermilk pancakes served with chocolate or fresh berries; and vegetable omelet with Boursin and caramelized onions. Entrees are priced from $7 to $19.

Brunch with a musical flair is on the menu at 1300 on Fillmore in San Francisco. Every first and third Sundays of the month there, enjoy a gospel brunch.

House band, Future Perfect, features a father-daughter team who performs for an hour at each of two sittings: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The three-course brunch is $39 per person. It includes a bellini or mimosa, plus coffee or tea. The brunch features an assorted bread basket, a choice of entree, and a choice of dessert.

An a` la carte brunch is offered on the other Sundays of each month.

A jazz brunch is now being offered Sundays at Left Bank Menlo Park.

Enjoy the sounds of French singer Laurent Fourgo and his combo, while nibbling “Pain Perdu” (French toast with whipped cream and berries, $10.50) or “Salmon Crepes” (with poached salmon, poached eggs, leeks, and hollandaise sauce, $13.50).

Additionally, during Sunday brunch hours, noon to 3 p.m., and during Saturday lunch hours, the restaurant will offer a dessert buffet ($7) stocked with profiteroles, creme brulee, and a chocolate fountain.

Still another musical brunch can be enjoyed at Cetrella in Half Moon Bay from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 26, when members of Opera San Jose belt out arias from well-known operas.

Sunday brunch is $35 for prix fixe; a` la carte options also are available. Reservations are required.

Try a free sample of the new Flipped Out ice cream treat. (Photo courtesy of goodsmellmeow.tumblr.com)

Free Ben & Jerry’s, anyone?

Thought that would get your attention.  On four upcoming days in San Francisco, the gourmet ice cream purveyor will be handing out samples of its new Flipped Out ice cream treat. This new concoction is fudge sauce, ice cream and brownies, all contained in a cup that you flip over onto a serving plate to enjoy.

Just find your way to these locations for a sample:

July 18, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m, Union Square.

July 19, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Golden Gate Park.

July 21, 11 a.m., Justin Herman Plaza.

July 22, 3 p.m., Justin Herman Plaza.

And you apparently have to RSVP at the Ben & Jerry’s link above.

Meet "Top Chef'''s Fabio in Gilroy. (Photo courtesy of the Gilroy Garlic Festival)

Oooh, the pungent aroma is already in the air for the 31st annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, July 24-16, at Christmas Hill Park.

“Top Chef” fanatics will be happy to know that fan-favorite Chef Fabio Vivani will be host the July 26 “Garlic Showdown,” in which four Bay Area culinary professionals will compete in an “Iron Chef”-like competition.

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Foodie Events

Ahi tartare at Restaurant Michael Mina. (Photo courtesy of the Mina Group)

Restaurant Michael Mina in San Francisco is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a “birthday tasting menu.”

For $125 per person, guests can enjoy a meal of signature favorites. It starts with a trio of classics (lobster corndogs, ahi tuna tartare, and caviar parfait); then butter poached South African lobster tail; seared day boat scallops; Four Story Hills poularde (a young hen); Brandt Farm beef rib-eye; and finally, a delectable Trio of Dessert Classics (root beer float, strawberry mascarpone, white peach financier).

Paired wines are an additional $55.

The gourmet birthday meal is available through July 11.

Mina’s Clock Bar (across from his eponymous restaurant inside the Westin St. Francis) also celebrates its first year in business with five nights of guest bartenders who will be shaking up special cocktails, starting July 13.

Among the celeb bartenders who will be making appearances will be Scott Beattie (formerly of Cyrus in Healdsburg) on July 13, and Erik Adkins, of Heaven’s Dog in San Francisco, on July 16.

Clock Bar is open daily from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. For reservations or group bookings, contact Matthew Meidinger at (415) 397-9222.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar (with Northern California locations in Palo Alto and Walnut Creek) is serving up an Alaskan King crab legs feast for $99 for two people.

Alaskan crab summer special. (Photo courtesy of Fleming's)

The three-course meal includes butter lettuce salad with citrus vinaigrette, warm Yukon Gold potato salad, summer squash, and two berry cobblers with vanilla ice cream. Each guest then gets a choice of either 1 1/2 pounds of crab legs with drawn butter or 3/4 pound of crab legs plus a filet mignon.

This special is being offered through Aug. 31. If you reserve online, you’ll receive a $25 Fleming’s card at the end of the meal, which is valid for the month of September.

Fans of San Francisco’s Ferry Plaza Farmers Market will be glad to know that it’s now also open on Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This new market day features not only local produce for sale, but sustainable street foods to enjoy for lunch. Among the purveyors are: smoked hot dogs and peanut butter bacon brownies from 4505 Meats; Korean barbecue tacos and kimchee fried rice from Namu; pizza made to order from Pizza Politana; and smoked fish sandwiches from Cap’n Mike’s Holy Smoke.

Over in the East Bay, Pican Restaurant in Oakland is now serving weekday lunch and Sunday brunch.

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Foodie Happenings

The winery that put California on the map. (Photo courtesy of Chateau Montelena)

You’re invited to take part in a James Beard Foundation gala event to honor one of the Napa Valley’s — and the world’s — most lengendary wine-making families.

The Barrett family of Chateau Montelena helped put California wine on the map when its 1973 Chateau Montelena won the famous “Paris Tasting,” beating out all other wines, including notable French ones.

To honor the family’s historic contributions to the wine world, the foundation is hosting a Legends of Wine” event, July 11-12, in the Napa Valley.

It starts with a tasting, tour, and lunch at Chateau Montelena in Calistoga on July 11. A flight of Chardonnays, going back 15 years, will be sampled, along with a tasting of Estate Cabarnets. Lunch will be prepared by Chef Ken Frank of acclaimed La Toque restaurant in Napa. That night, dinner also will be prepared by Frank at his restaurant.

The next day, La Toque hosts a gala dinner with guest chefs that include Neal Fraser of Grace in Los Angeles, and Michel Richard of Citronelle in Washington, D.C.

VIP tickets that get you into all the events are $1,500 per person. If that’s too rich for your blood, the gala dinner is $500. For reservations, call (707) 257-5157. The event is a fund-raiser for the James Beard Foundation.

For more fabulous wines to enjoy, don’t miss Pinot Days San Francisco,” now through June 28.

The event thatl celebrates everyone’s favorite varietal, includes a grand festival that features more than 200 pinot producers from around the world, as well as winemaker dinners, and focused tastings. Tickets range in price from $50 to $150.

A wine deal at Terzo. (Photo courtesy of Art Gray)

Terzo restaurant in San Francisco has a deal for wine afficionados. Sunday through Thursday through Labor Day, the restaurant is offering all $40 and under wines on the menu at half-price for dinner guests. Just order two small plates or one large one per person to take advantage of the vino special.

To commemorate San Francisco’s Pride Parade on June 28, Macy’s Union Square Cellar is hosting a cooking demo, noon June 27, with some of the Bay Area’s top toques. They include Adam Jones of Market Street Grill in San Francisco; and Jennifer Biesty, former contestant on Bravo TV’s “Top Chef” and now chef at Scala’s Bistro in San Francisco.

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Feast On This

Husband and wife, chefs Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani, of Ame in San Francisco. (Photo courtesy of Ame)

* Wednesdays, head to Ame in San Francisco to enjoy a new three-course themed dinner that changes weekly.

That’s three courses with wine/beverage pairings for $55 per person.

The June 24 dinner highlights the distilled Japanese spirit, shochu. To whet your whistle, I’ll let you know what one of the featured dishes that night is “bo ssam” — braised pork belly that you wrap at the table with fried oysters and kimchi. It will be accompanied by “Imperial Jade,” a shiso cucumber-infused shochu cocktail with preserved Meyer lemon and soda, served on the rocks.

* Friday, a new contemporary Indian restaurant opens in downtown Mountain View.

Sakoon, named for the Indian word for “peace,” features a dramatic interior decorated with fiber-optic chandeliers, hand-carved wood panels, and a shimmering waterfall. Executive Chef Sachin Chopra, who previously headed the kitchen at Mantra in Palo Alto, serves up regional Indian cuisine with a modern touch.

* Find pork galore on June 27 at the “High on the Hog” event at Epic Roasthouse in San Francisco.

The al fresco afternoon soiree will feature Pinot Noir tastings, and Executive Chef Jan Birnbaum preparing a slow-roasted whole pig scented with fennel. If that’s not enough, wine writer Jordan McKay also will be on hand to sign copies of his book, “Passion for Pinot: A Journey Through America’s Pinot Noir Country” (Ten Speed Press).

Talk about goodie bags. Guests will get to take home a treat of pork cracklings’ seasoned with sea salt.

Price is $50 per person for everything; $20 for just the food; or $30 just for the wine tasting.

* San Mateo’s modern Filipino restaurant, Bistro Luneta, has added weekend brunch to its lineup.

Wake up to “Eggs Benedict” ($8.95), served with sun-dried tomatoes and Philippine sausage; or a “Fili-Panini Sandwich” ($8.95), a panini filled with pork adobo or barbecued pork. Beverage choices include calamansi juice made from the tiny Filipino citrus ($3.80), and a 1-liter “Sangria Flask” ($9).

Buttery croissant sandwich at Mayfield Bakery & Cafe. (Photo courtesy of the restaurant)

* Palo Alto’s Mayfield Bakery & Cafe also will start serving breakfast, beginning June 22.

Take a bite of a “Croissant Breakfast Sandwich.” A homemade croissant — but of course, with its fab bakery on site — is stuffed with Gruyere cheese, scrambled eggs, and your choice of bacon or ham.  Or dig into a bowl of “Semolina Pudding with Honeyed Cream,” a velvety porridge topped with brown sugar, and a dollop of cream cheese sweetened with maple syrup. Breakfast dishes will be priced from $8 to $15.

A new kids' cookbook by the former food editor of Sunset magazine.

* Treat your kids to a hands-on cooking demo at MacArthur Park restaurant in Palo Alto, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. June 20.

The event celebrates the new children’s cookbook by Jerry Ann DiVecchio, former food editor of Sunset magazine, and artist Francoise Kirkman, who also worked at the magazine. “You’ve Got Recipes” (Trafford Publishing) features waterproof, laminate pages, as well as a French-English glossary with a pronunciation guide for French terms used in the book.

The class is $25. The book is $27.95, and will be for sale at the class. Call (650) 321-9990 for reservations.

* The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco is getting its grill on.

June 26 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., get an education in meat from Ryan Farr of 4505 Meats, as he teaches a sausage-making and grilling class. He’ll be joined by meat purveyer, Steve McCarthy of Prather Ranch Meat Co., who will give the low-down on sustainable meat. Mixologist H. Joseph Ehrmann also will show you how to concoct seasonal, fresh cocktails.

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Winners of Food Gal’s “Whine, Wine, and Thine” Contest

Pondering contest winners over a nice glass of Pinot Noir.

Let me just say that you guys sure don’t make it easy.

About two dozen of you entered the very first Food Gal contest, “Whine, Wine, and Thine,” which asked you to share your favorite memory about wine.

Your anecdotes variously made me laugh, drop my jaw, brush away tears, and just plain grin from ear to ear.

Your passion and honesty made it very difficult to whittle the list down to just three winners. Basically, I wanted to give everyone a prize. Since I can’t exactly afford to do that, I am amending my prizes to include not only first-, second-, and third-place winners, but also TWO honorable mentions, each of whom will win one food or wine book from my collection. The rest of you already know that third place garners you two such books, second place wins three said books, and first place gets a whopping four books.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for participating. For those of you who weren’t victorious this time around, don’t worry. After the great response to this one, I’m sure I’ll hold another Food Gal contest in the months to come.

Without further adieu, here are the winners:

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