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San Francisco/Bay Area Culinary EventsHungry? Need to fill your culinary calendar? Here is where you will find all the restaurant and culinary happenings in San Francisco/Bay Area. We feature a calendar of special dinners, tasting menus, prix-fixe meals, food festivals and other culinary events, including regularly occurring food events as well as special one-time-only events featuring top chefs. Keep checking back so you can know all that's going on in the world of restaurant and food events in San Francisco/Bay Area. << back to San Francisco restaurant news
February 5-14
It's the hoppiest time of the year as San Francisco Beer Week chugs through the region from February 5-14, featuring more than 200 brew-centric events including dinners, brewery tours, demonstrations, seminars and, of course, many tastings. The ten-day celebration will honor craft beer's diversity and heritage in northern California, highlighting local brewers such as the Anchor Brewing Company, Magnolia, Gordon Biersch, Speakeasy and Thirsty Bear, as well as special guest brewers from the rest of the West Coast and beyond. Events will stretch the length of the Bay Area, beginning February 5 with an opening gala at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and ending Valentine's Day with a blow-out closing party at the Trumer Brauerei in Berkeley. Visit www.sfbeerweek.org for tickets, information and a list of events and participating venues.
February 18
Spenger's Fresh Fish Grotto presents “One Fermented Evening,” a special dinner at 6:30 p.m. The prix-fixe menu, prepared by executive chef Devon Boisen, will consist of five courses, each paired with a wine. The cost of the dinner is $79.95 per guest, excluding tax and gratuity. Call 510-845-7771 to reserve seats for the dinner. Advance reservations are required. Spenger's Fresh Fish Grotto, 1919 Fourth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510-845-7771.
Through February 27
McCormick & Kuleto's Seafood Restaurant in San Francisco and Spenger's Fresh Fish Grotto in Berkeley will both host New Zealand-inspired events at the beginning of 2010. Featured wines from that country will include Nobilo and The Crossing, and kiwis will figure prominently in special cocktails. New menu items for the event will include New Zealand shellfish stew in Riesling-cream broth; grilled Marlborough king salmon paired with caramelized apples in a Sauvignon Blanc reduction; and for the meat lover, grass-fed filet mignon Wellington with kiwi, blue cheese and onion tart. For dessert, try the Pavlova, New Zealand's favorite combination of meringue, lemon and kiwi. Guests also have a chance to win a trip for two to New Zealand. Call the desired restaurant for reservations, and visit www.mccormickandschmicks.com/explorenewzealand for more details.
March 11-13
San Francisco will play host to Burgundy aficionado Daniel Johnnes' ninth annual stateside La Paulée festival, a three-day celebration of Burgundian wines based on a near-century-old French tradition. The fête is an homage to La Paulée de Meursault, Burgundy's harvest celebration during which winemakers toast each other and the harvest with bottles from their cellars. The big-ticket event boasting more than 40 Burgundies will feature a collectors' lunch at Jardinière with guests Piere-Yves Colin-Morey and Etienne de Montille of Domaine de Montille; an all-Burgundy wine auction at the restaurant Michael Mina; vertical tastings at RN74; a rare Burgundy dinner at the Westin St. Francis featuring chefs Daniel Boulud, Michael Mina and Michel Troisgros; and a full day of seminars, top-tier local cuisine and tastings with guest speakers, including Veronique Drouhin of Joseph Drouhin and Jacques Lardiere of Maison Louis Jadot. The festival will culminate with a final gala dinner prepared by Mina, Boulud and Troisgros, paired with wines from all attending growers, with a charity auction to benefit Meals on Wheels. For tickets, prices and information, call 212-625-2519 or visit www.lapaulee.com.
April 8-11
The Pebble Beach Food & Wine festival will bring together wineries and chefs from around the world to the coastline of California for a variety of luncheons, dinners, cooking demonstrations and wine tastings. Experience meals and exclusive cooking demonstrations from chefs such as Thomas Keller (The French Laundry), Michel Richard (Michel Richard Citronelle) and William Bradley (Addison). The event includes many celebrity chefs and wineries in a selection of venues throughout scenic Pebble Beach. Tickets for individual events start at $100, and packages are available from $995 per person. For more information visit www.pebblebeachfoodandwine.com.
Wednesdays
Look for the special raw bar menu at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco's Lobby Lounge on Wednesdays from 5 p.m.-7 p.m., featuring fresh oysters, shellfish and no less than ten styles of farm-to-bar Bloody Marys. Wine pairings are also an option. Guests can choose à la carte or order a platter to share, including one featuring eight each of oysters and prawns, six clams and seaweed salad. The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, 600 Stockton St., San Francisco, CA 94108, 415-296-7465, 800-241-3333.
Ongoing
Urban Tavern now features a $7 daily lunch special that include five hours of free validated parking at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square. Daily changing items include spaghetti and meatballs on Tuesdays, Irish stew on Wednesdays, and pork posole on Sundays. Price is valid from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily; the regular lunch menu is also available. Urban Tavern, Hilton San Francisco, 333 O'Farrell St., San Francisco, CA 94102, 415-923-4400.
Fridays & Saturdays
Every Friday and Saturday night after 10 p.m., the Oakland and San Francisco locations of Yoshi's now offer 10 pieces of sushi for $10, excluding tax and gratuity. Yoshi's, Fillmore Heritage Center, 1330 Fillmore St., San Francisco, CA 94115, 415-655-5600.
Tuesdays
2223 Restaurant has a 12 Buck Tuesday Menu, with appetizers like roasted pepper and tomato soup, beet salad and smoked salmon flatbread for $6, while entrées like classic meatloaf, mushroom risotto and pulled chipotle pork shoulder are only $12. 2223 Restaurant, 2223 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94114, 415-431-0692.
Ongoing
One of the better prix-fixe menu deals in the city, Côté Sud lets you choose an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert off its appetizing French seaside-inspired menu for $27.50 before 6 p.m. Their duck confit with a potato galette is especially delicious. Côté Sud, 4238 18th St., 2nd Fl., San Francisco, CA 94114, 415-255-6565.
Mondays
Don’t let the beginning of the week get you down. On Monday nights at Luna Park, they’re making it easy to revert to the good ole days of childhood and forget your adult woes. Each Monday night there is a weekly art contest (each table has crayons and white paper placemats) and the “Feed Your Inner Child” menu with dishes like adult “Spaghetti-Os” and make-your-own bite size caramel apples, with a prix-fixe option for $22.95. (Don’t spill your milk.) Luna Park, 694 Valencia St., San Francisco, CA 94110, 415-553-8584. 
Monday-FridayDistinctive Embarcadero hotspot Waterbar offers lucky after-work revelers $1 oysters from 3 p.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays, complemented by $5 "Spa in Cabo" cocktails blended with tequila and cucumber. The view and setting alone are worth the price. Waterbar, 399 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105, 415-284-9922.
Tuesday through Friday
Absinthe Brasserie & Bar now offers a three-course, prix-fixe lunch for only $16. Running Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., the lunch features "Top Chef" contestant Jamie Lauren's choice of seasonal soup or salad such as chilled yellow corn purée with pickled chili oil and mint or butter lettuces with shaved radish, cucumber and cider vinaigrette, followed by a gourmet sandwich (heirloom tomato and pesto with goat cheese; open-faced deviled egg) and dessert from pastry chef Luis Villavelazquez. Excludes beverages, tax and gratuity. Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, 398 Hayes St., San Francisco, CA 94102, 415-551-1590.
Tuesday-Saturday
RNM offers a $28 prix-fixe menu from 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. It includes a variety of items, like a few of the small plates to start and a larger plate, like a pizza, duck breast or the mini burgers, and your choice of dessert (cheese plate not included). Orders must be into the kitchen by 7 p.m., so don’t be late! RNM, 598 Haight St., San Francisco, CA 94117, 415-551-7900.
Tuesdays
Andalu also hosts “Taco Tuesdays” with their fantastic tuna tartare tacos for only $1. Enjoy a glass of wine off their extensive list and it suddenly gets extra-special. Andalu, 3198 16th St., San Francisco, CA 94110, 415-621-2211.
Wednesdays
Craving fish ‘n’ chips? Magnolia fries some up each Wednesday, using a variety of fish that is sustainably farmed, from Scottish salmon to local rock cod. Magnolia, 1398 Haight St., San Francisco, CA 94117, 415-864-7468.
Friday-Saturday
Chef Mark Dommen uses the whole animal every Friday and Saturday night as part of One Market's Weekly Beast series. Along with the restaurant's usual seasonal menu that night, Dommen offers à la carte and five-course prix-fixe meals ($49 per person) showcasing humanely-raised animals from area farms and ranches. Beasts include goat and duck from Salmon Creek Ranch, Wyarte Farms lamb, Beeler Farms Duroc pig and Five Dot Ranch beef. As the name suggests, no portion of the animal is wasted in the creation of Dommen's rustic, high-end dishes. Wine pairings available for $20 more per person. One Market, 1 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94105, 415-777-5577.
Saturdays
Ozumo restaurant in Oakland offers a $39 prix-fixe Japanese dinner menu on Saturday nights, inclusive of wine or saké pairings. The menu is available from 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturdays, in any of the dining rooms or at the venue's dramatic bar. Walk-ins are welcome, though reservations are recommended. Ozumo, 2251 Broadway Ave., Oakland, CA 94612, 510-286-9866.
Sundays
Luella has started Kid’s Night each Sunday, so parents can bring their tykes in without fear of the restaurant shooting them the evil eye. The “little luella” menu is designed for diners under 10, with affordable dishes like chicken pot pie ($6) and mac ‘n’ cheese ($4), with sides like French fries ($2) or mashed potatoes ($2). Dessert brings ice cream sundaes or strawberry shortcake. Luella, 1896 Hyde St., San Francisco, CA 94109, 415-674-4343.
Sundays
Globe hosts a Sunday Farmer Dinner each Sunday, a prix-fixe menu for $29 that highlights chef Jason Tallent’s discoveries from the farmers market that weekend. Regulars have been coming for the past two years, so be sure to get there early enough before the ingredients run out. The special dinner is taken off the menu by 11 p.m. Globe, 290 Pacific Ave., San Francisco, CA 94111, 415-391-4132.
Sundays
Luce at the InterContinental San Francisco is now hosting Sunday Suppers, a “farm to table” tasting menu inspired by executive chef Dominique Crenn’s Saturday visits to the farmers’ market. $45 per person, and $65 with wine pairings. Luce, InterContinental San Francisco, 888 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94103, 415-616-6566.
Sundays-Thursdays
Local beloved Firefly has one of the city’s tastier prix-fixe deals: for $35 Sunday-Thursday, you can take your pick of any appetizer, entrée and dessert. You’ll be buzzing over their eclectic and comforting cuisine, like many have for more than a decade. Firefly, 4288 24th St., San Francisco, CA 94114, 415-821-7652.
Sundays
Weekend revelers can now rest and recuperate at the Park Chalet's Recovery Brunch. The garden restaurant and microbrewery near the ocean at the foot of Golden Gate Park features outdoor seating on sunnier days and, in foggy weather, cozy indoor dining next to a roaring fire. A heaping brunch buffet of American mainstays such as french toast, carved meats, chilled shrimp, and biscuits and gravy is available every Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., followed by live music in the park from 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Cost is $30 per person, $35 with bottomless Champagne. Kids eat for $19. Reservations strongly suggested. Park Chalet, Golden Gate Park, 1000 Great Hwy., San Francisco, CA 94121, 415-386-8439.  Wine
dinners & tastings at Novus Vinum.com |
RESTAURANT AWARDS
Just published! Our annual restaurant issue features the Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S., including San Francisco's Gary Danko, Masa's, Michael Mina and more!
A SEASON OF LOVE
Set the mood for love by reserving a table at one of the Best Romantic Restaurants in San Francisco, or view our list of Valentines Restaurants to find out which restaurants are offering unique menus just for February 14. Also, see who sets the standard for seductive dining across the country with our Top 10 Romantic Restaurants in the U.S. list.
