Cheese, Chocolates, Wines, Tributes and San Jose Eats On TV

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Delights from the California Artisan Cheese Festival. (Photo courtesy of Karen Preuss)

Deliriously delicious events you won’t want to miss:

*3rd Annual California Artisan Cheese Festival: The Sheraton Sonoma County in Petaluma will host this cheese extravaganza, March 20-23. Meet artisan cheesemakers at the March 20 reception and tasting. March 21, listen to a panel of experts including Laura Werlin and Clark Wolf.

Kelsie Kerr, director of the cooking school at Cavallo Point, will teach a cooking class about incorporating artisan cheese into everyday cooking. The March 21 gala dinner will feature five courses by a bevy of Bay Area chefs. At the Artisan Cheese Marketplace gets underway March 22, look for cooking demos by chefs such as Joey Altman.

Ticket prices range from $40 to $170. Ten percent of ticket sales will benefit five non-profits that support the artisan cheese-making community and its sustainability.

(Photo courtesy of the International Chocolate Salon)

* 3rd Annual International Chocolate Salon: Yes, chocolates, chocolates everywhere. That’s what you’ll find at this decadent event, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 21 at the Fort Mason Center’s Herbst Pavillion in San Francisco. Stroll through 30,000-square-feet of chocolate, wine, and confections to discover and taste. Chocolate demos, chef talks, and author signings also will be spotlighted.

More than 50 confectioners and wineries will be there, showing off their ware.

Yours truly, the Food Gal, will be there, too, as one of the tasting panel judges. Oh my. I better start fasting now in preparation.

Tickets are $25 for adults; $10 for children ages 6-12; and free for children under age 6 (limit two children per adult).

Chef Laurent Manrique of the Aqua Restaurant Group. (Photo courtesy of Justin Lewis)

* James Beard Foundation Benefit Dinner: Chef Laurent Manrique and his culinary friends will honor esteemed cookbook author Paula Wolfert at a special dinner, March 16, at the Fifth Floor in San Francisco.

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San Francisco’s Bong Su Restaurant Closes

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 Empress rice. (Photo courtesy of Bong Su restaurant)

After three years in business, Bong Su, the chic, modern-Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood, closed its doors after Saturday night’s dinner service.

Proprietors Anne Le Ziblatt and Tammy Huynh said they made the fateful decision because of concerns that the economic crisis would continue to worsen over the next year, and because of an on-going dispute with their landlord.

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Pastry Chef Goes Savory

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Spring garlic risotto with monkfish, as cooked by a pastry chef.

Diners at Parcel 104 restaurant in Santa Clara know all about Pastry Chef Carlos Sanchez’s dainty, exquisite desserts that end any dinner there on a sweet, memorable note.

But what you might not know is that the Colombian-born Sanchez also can handle the savory side of a meal.

Foie gras with candied kumquat.

This past Saturday, he hosted his fourth “Pastry Chef Goes Savory” special dinner there. In the past, he’s limited the guest list to about 35. This time around, though, he opened it up to the entire restaurant. More than 90 eager diners, including yours truly, enjoyed a six-course meal ($65; additional $34 for wine pairings), that was orchestrated from start to finish by the humble, soft-spoken Sanchez.

Crispy prawns with pineapple chutney.

Why does he choose to step into this atypical role one night a year?

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Deals

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Waterbar in San Francisco. (Photo courtesy of Val Atkinson)

Save a few pennies when you dine out. Here’s where:

Waterbar in San Francisco: An oyster of the day is $1 all day. Happy Hour, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, features a $5 “A Spa in Cabo” specialty drink (José Cuervo Reserva De La Familia Platino Tequila, cucumber).

Quattro Restaurant and Bar in the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley in East Palo Alto: Every Friday except holiday weekends, enjoy free corkage when you bring in your own bottle of wine. Sundays, indulge in a family-style dinner. Price is $25 per person for adults; kids under 18 pay the equivalent of their age. And available nightly, a new five-course $55 pre-fixe seasonal, tasting menu.

Morocco’s in San Jose: Tuesday nights are Ladies’ Nights. Every table that has four female diners will get a free bottle of wine.

Bocadillos Tapas and Wine Bar in San Francisco: To celebrate its fifth anniversary, the restaurant is offering a Happy Hour menu of $2 bite-sized tapas or pintxos. It’s available weekdays, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Items include organic kiwi and marinated beets on chevre; tortilla Espanola with Manchego cheese on toast; lambs tongue on pear chutney; and chicken with spicy pickled vegetables. The restaurant also has restructured its wine list into three price tiers: $25, $35, and $45. Wine flights also are available for $12.

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