Category Archives: Enticing Events

Free Scoops of Humphry Slocombe in Cupertino, Plus More

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Betty the Truck will be doling out free scoops this Wednesday in Cupertino. (photo courtesy of Humphry Slocombe)

Betty the Truck will be doling out free scoops this Wednesday in Cupertino. (photo courtesy of Humphry Slocombe)

Humphry Slocombe Truck Rolls Into Cupertino With Free Scoops

From now on, you might want to time your shopping trips to Whole Foods Cupertino to take advantage of the fact that Betty the Truck, aka the Humphry Slocombe ice cream mobile, will be in the parking lot regularly.

In fact, this Wednesday, noon to 9 p.m., marks the start of this new attraction. For this inaugural date only, the truck will be doling out free scoops. Yes, free scoops of such creative, iconic flavors as Secret Breakfast (bourbon ice cream with house-made corn flakes), and Queer  Eye Cookies & Graham (chocolate cookies and graham crackers in olive oil ice cream).

Secret Breakfast cones. (photo courtesy of Humphry Slocombe)

Secret Breakfast cones. (photo courtesy of Humphry Slocombe)

You can also buy pints, including the newest Whole Foods exclusive flavor, Mango Mojito (mango ice cream with mint, lime and rum). It was created in collaboration with “Top Chef” competitor Chef Melissa King.

After this Wednesday free day, look for the truck in the parking lot at 20955 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Cupertino every day, noon to 9 p.m., unless it has prior commitments elsewhere. Just bring your wallet, though, as you’ll have to pay for those scoops from then on out.

Rev Up the Appetite for “Dine Downtown San Jose”

From July 19-28, you’ll find a host of special prix fixe menus, chef specials and other limited-time creations at 22 top San Jose restaurants.

It’s all part of the 11th annual “Dine Downtown San Jose.”

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Sushi Sundays at The Sea by Alexander’s Steakhouse

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The Sunday Sushi platter made for two at The Sea by Alexander's Steakhouse.

The Sunday Sushi platter (doubled in size here to serve two) at The Sea by Alexander’s Steakhouse.

 

After Meatless Mondays and Taco Tuesdays, now comes Sushi Sundays.

At least now at The Sea by Alexander’s Steakhouse in Palo Alto.

The upscale seafood-focused restaurant with the chic, Tiffany-like blue dining room can be a spendy experience, often more suited to a special occasion or a business account meal.

But on Sunday nights from now through Sept. 1, the restaurant is featuring a chef’s choice sushi platter for a reasonable $35 per person. Recently, I had a chance to try the new sushi special when I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant.

Sunday evenings are definitely a quieter time for the restaurant. Only a few people nursed drinks at the bar, while in the dining room, a few tables definitely seemed like they were celebrating a noteworthy moment.

The swank bar.

The swank bar.

The seafood theme carries over into the decor.

The seafood theme carries over into the decor.

We left ourselves in the hands of the kitchen and Executive Chef Yu Min Lin, who created a truncated tasting menu for us with the sushi platter included.

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Abstract Table’s Edible Art

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Buttery tasting, raw hamachi served in the "Kelp Forest'' dinner.

Buttery tasting, raw hamachi served in the “Kelp Forest” dinner.

 

Andrew Greene and Duncan Kwitkor know full well that folks eat with their eyes first.

After all, they are both painters who met as painting students at the San Francisco Art Institute.

Since starving artists may be a cliche yet also unfortunately a truism, Greene and Duncan soon turned their attention to their love of cooking in hopes of pursuing a more economically stable profession.

The result was Abstract Table, a pop-up dinner series that now has a home base after hours at The Gastropig, the fun brunch-lunch spot in Oakland, where Greene used to cook.

A week ago, though, Abstract Table returned to its roots, hosting a pop-up at the Naked Kitchen private events space in the Mission District of San Francisco. Typically, the five-course menu is $50; the seven-course one is $70.

Prepping for Abstract Table's pop-up at the Naked Kitchen in San Francisco.

Prepping for Abstract Table’s pop-up at the Naked Kitchen in San Francisco.

Chef Andrew Greene (far left) and chef Duncan Kwitkor (in green apron), along with their assistants.

Chef Andrew Greene (far left) and chef Duncan Kwitkor (in green apron), along with their assistants.

What’s fun about this space is that it’s essentially the main floor of a Victorian house, in which the kitchen has been outfitted with professional-grade appliances and the living room and dining room get set with tables for dinner guests. You’re free to wander around, too, to sneak peeks at all the action in the kitchen.

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Celebrate Bourdain Day by Indulging In Iceberg Wedge With Stilton and Pancetta

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Dig into Anthony Bourdain's easy and classically wonderful wedge salad on Bourdain Day.

Dig into Anthony Bourdain’s easy and classically wonderful wedge salad on Bourdain Day.

I am not normally one to pay much heed to National Fettuccine Alfredo Day, National Onion Rings Day, National Chop Suey Day or any other rather bogus food holiday of the like.

But when esteemed chefs Eric Ripert and Jose Andres declared June 25 to be “Anthony Bourdain Day,” I was all in.

Close friends of the author, chef, television host, cultural pundit, and larger-than-life icon, they wanted to honor Bourdain on what would have been his 63rd birthday. Tragically, the much-loved Bourdain too his own life last year.

Appetites cookbook

“Bourdain Day” was thus ordained to honor a man who traveled the world to parts unknown, and in the process, introduced us intimately to people and places we never would have seen in quite the same fresh, nuanced way.

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Join Yours Truly and Michelin-Starred Chef Peter Armellino For A Cooking Demo

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Few things in life are as heavenly as handmade pasta. Learn how to make it at home from a true expert — Chef Peter Armellino of Saratoga’s Pasta Armellino — when he joins yours truly for a cooking demo, 1 p.m. June 8 at Macy’s Valley Fair in Santa Clara.

Of course, Armellino is well known for the luxurious, sophisticated, fine-dining cuisine he creates at the Plumed Horse in Saratoga, where he’s held a Michelin star for years.

But pasta has always been especially near and dear to him. A year ago, he realized a dream of opening up a casual restaurant right across the street from the Plumed Horse to spotlight all manner of house-made pastas at approachable prices. It even has a street-front window, where passersby can watch cooks hand-forming and hand-cutting everything from tagliatelle to bucatini.

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