In a city that revolves around all things culinary, creating a standout wine, food and spirits event seems a tall order. The forthcoming SF Chefs 2010 aims to do that by being bigger – exponentially so – and by being organized by chefs and restaurateurs themselves.
The second annual event, which tents Union Square for walk-around tasting events and takes over nearby venues for seminars and dinners, is a celebration of what promoter Andrew Freeman calls “the No. 1 form of entertainment in San Francisco” – dining out.
It’s a chance to showcase the diversity and richness of the restaurant scene, says Umberto Gibin, co-owner of Perbacco and Barbacco.
The list of participating chefs, about 200, reads like a Bay Area who’s who, including Melissa Perello of Frances, Daniel Patterson of Coi, Nancy Oakes of Boulevard, Anjan Mitra of Dosa, Michael Mina and Gary Danko. More than 150 representatives from the wine and spirits world are also in the mix.
The centerpiece of the event Aug. 13 to 15 is three grand tastings in Union Square. Restaurant chefs, vintners and bar stars will offer samples, supplemented by cocktail, wine and cooking events in classrooms in the tent.
One of the biggest challenges for the chefs is to create 1,000 servings of a memorable small dish, knowing that each guest has more than two dozen others to taste.
For Perry Hoffman, chef of Etoile at Domaine Chandon, that means using tomatoes from the winery’s garden for tuna sashimi with tomato panzanella. Banks White of Five in Berkeley plans a bite-size serving of his signature appetizer: heritage pork belly with johnnycakes, tasso ham and hollandaise sauce.
Alexander Ong of Betelnet hasn’t yet decided on his dish, but agrees that whatever he serves “has to taste incredible.”
Ticket sales are limited to 1,500 for each session so that attendees can interact with the presenters, Freeman says. And unlike last year, where festivalgoers had to buy all-day tickets that included the tasting and various seminars, organizers this year have unbundled tickets so that those who do not want to attend the grand tastings ($75-$125) can go to events such as Saturday morning’s Family Feud Cook-Off ($20) pitting Delfina’s Craig Stoll and Anthony Strong against Spruce’s Mark Sullivan and Ben Cohn, for example, or Sunday’s Slam Dunk Pairings, a seminar on wine, food and cheese pairings ($45).
While proceeds generally benefit the scholarship fund of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, some events are fundraisers for local food-related charities such as the San Francisco Food Bank and Project Open Hand.
Other new events this year include seminars on topics ranging from the fine points of restaurant service to how to butcher a whole pig; after-parties Aug. 13 and 14; and Restaurant Week, running Aug. 9-15.
During Restaurant Week, which is similar to the twice-yearly Dine About Town, more than 65 participating establishments will offer menus featuring their chefs’ specialties at either $35 or $50.
By gearing the overall event to the restaurant industry as well as the public, SF Chefs 2010 becomes a forum to share ideas and knowledge, as well as a chance to socialize.
“We don’t get out to eat that often,” says Betelnut’s Ong, “so this is a chance to see what others are doing.”
Restaurant association Executive Director Kevin Westlye hopes the event grows into a fixture on the culinary calendar, like the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Florida and the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, both of which draw culinary luminaries and followers every year.
New York restaurateur Drew Nieporent, whose company owned Rubicon in San Francisco for 14 years until closing it in 2008, thinks that could happen.
Restaurant professionals need to interact with knowledgeable and interested people, like Bay Area diners, says Nieporent, who attended SF Chefs 2009 and is returning this year because, he says, “people really showed up – prominent restaurateurs, prominent chefs and people who were really interested in food.”
That gives the event “more dimensions,” says Christine Wente, senior vice president of Wente Vineyards. Wente will be doing everything from pouring wines to offering food from the winery’s kitchens to providing music – Karl Wente’s band will perform at the Aug. 13 Hog in the Fog tasting.
After each day’s tasting, many chefs say, they plan to mingle with each other – and members of the public – at parties open to ticket buyers.
Says Ong, “There’s nothing better than having a party.”
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/29/DD2V1EKNEF.DTL#ixzz0vymXWKZa. Cross posted and originally printed on SF Gate from Doug Levy.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
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