In early August, San Francisco hosts a food and wine festival that celebrates the fantastic culinary world that exists in the Bay Area. The event -- entitled “SF Chefs. Food. Wine.” -- lasts four days and features a smorgasbord of chefs (including Jamie Lauren, Absinthe chef and popular contestant from last season’s Top Chef), farmers, winemakers, and culinary authors.
Two opening events take place on Thursday August 6. The Rising Star Chef Reunion from 6-10pm costs $125 and is held at Union Square, the location of the festival’s main tasting tent. Participants will taste foods made by more than 15 renowned local chefs – who will also be at the event – including the aforementioned Lauren, Melissa Chou (dessert chef at Aziza, a restaurant that critic Michael Bauer gave 3.5 out of 4 stars to in February), and Jonnatan Leiva (Jack Falstaff/Plumpjack – Jonnatan was a guest chef at a James Beard Foundation Dinner in April). Also included: cocktails from top San Francisco bars, champagne from Domaine Chandon, and Food Network’s Tyler Florence.
The other opening night event is a reception and dinner at E&O Trading Co. hosted by Epicurious.com; it’s also from 6-10pm and the price is $150. Participants include Epicurious editor-in-chief Tanya Steel, innovative chef Charles Phan (The Slanted Door), and Martin Yan (from popular TV show Yan Can Cook), and local farmers. During a reception, guests have the opportunity to meet chefs while enjoying appetizers and drinks, and during a four-course dinner the chefs will cook in an open kitchen for everyone’s viewing pleasure.
There are many events from Friday-Sunday, and day passes are available for $150 per day. Each pass includes two seminars (one in the morning and one in the afternoon), and access to the Grand Tasting Tent from noon–3:30 p.m. (Grand Tasting Tent features chefs serving food samples, vintners and brewers serving drink samples, and live chef demonstrations). The seminars are held at various hotels and restaurants. Friday’s seminar choices include a cooking demonstration from French chefs Hubert Keller (Fleur de Lys – and recent Top Chef Masters contestant) and Roland Passot (La Folie), an heirloom tomato program with chef Gary Danko and author Joanne Weir, and a hands-on sushi class. Saturday’s seminars include sustainable seafood with Gourmet’s Sara Moulton and molecular cocktails with Belvedere’s Stefanie Marco. Sunday includes sessions with Thomas Keller (from the infamous French Laundry) and Mourad Lahlou (Aziza’s owner and an Iron Chef America champion).
For Friday and Saturday there are also several lunch, dinner, and late-night events that have separate admission (prices range from $40-$250). At the ticket site you can view all options from a la carte pricing to packages including a two-day pass for $275 ($25 discount off the separate, $150/day pass price). The festival offers one free program: Real Food for Healthy Kids, which will be held Sunday at 10:30am at Macy's Cellar. The host is Tanya Steel (Epicurious), and kids are welcome. Request complimentary tickets via email: tickets@sfchefsfoodwine.com.
SF Chefs. Food. Wine. benefits four local charities. These are Feeding America (and one of the programs it sponsors, the San Francisco Food Bank), Meals on Wheels, Project Open Hand, and The Golden Gate Restaurant Association Scholarship Foundation (supports culinary and hospitality students with financial needs). In addition to helping these good causes, the festival is doing its part for sustainability. All of the disposable utensils and beverage containers being used are made from corn resin and will be composted, and all paper products will be recycled.
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