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. We've also got the latest San Francisco Restaurant News and Wine Events.
February 10-19
The Bay Area beer industry and its many fans will come together to celebrate each other for nine days and nights beginning February 10. Called SF Beer Week (but reaching well beyond the city borders --- and beyond the week), the festival will toast everyone on the area's impressive beer-making scene, from big-ticket local breweries such as Anchor Steam, Sierra Nevada and Speakeasy to "nanobrewers" crafting small-batch, innovative brews. All the area's favorite beer-centric establishments will be represented (such as Magnolia Gastropub & Brewery, Monk's Kettle, La Trappe, Toronado, ThirstyBear Brewing Company & Spanish Cuisine and many more), with a fairly overwhelming number of events, tastings, brewmaker dinners and new releases. Thanks to the San Francisco Brewer's Guild (http://sfbrewersguild.org/) for organizing and sponsoring. Look for the kickoff party on February 10, with tickets and the full event schedule available at http://sfbeerweek.org.
February 21
Left Bank Brasserie locations in Larkspur, Menlo Park and Santana Row in San Jose will celebrate Mardi Gras on Tuesday, February 21, with special day-long menus reflective of the spirit of New Orleans. Dishes may include beignets served with chicory cafe au lait; oysters Rockefeller; and duck and andouille jambalaya with crawfish simmered with Creole seasoning. Menus will vary by location, visit http://www.leftbank.com/ or call for details.
March 4
The 6th annual San Francisco International Chocolate Salon is a chocolate-lover's dream come true. Experience the finest in artisan, gourmet and premium chocolate at this day-long event. The Salon will feature chocolate tastings, demonstrations, chef and author talks, wine pairings and a live chocolate body frosting demonstration. New this year will be Celebrity Chef demos, the Chocolate Salon Fashion Bar and the 2nd annual SF Invitational Wine Salon. There will also be a fund-raising charity silent auction. The long list of participants includes Amano Artisan Chocolate, Cacao Atlanta Chocolate Co., Dolce Bella Chocolates and Café and Ghirardelli Chocolate. The Salon will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Fort Mason Conference Center. Adult admission is $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Catch the Early-Bird bargain until January 31 and pay only $17.95. For more information, visit www.SFChocolateSalon.com.
Ongoing
Il Cane Rosso in the Ferry Building offers hearty, three-course suppers every night from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. for $30 per person ($12.50 per child age 10 or under). Rustic, seasonal starters, mains and desserts made predominantly from pedigreed local ingredients are served family-style at communal tables. Affordable carafes of wine, bottled beers, naturally fermented sodas and other specialty beverages are also featured. Il Cane Rosso, San Francisco Ferry Building, One Ferry Building #41, San Francisco, CA 94111, 415-391-7599.
Mondays
California-French destination restaurant Jardinière offers themed ("Country French," "Into the Wild"), three-course, prix-fixe options every Monday night for $49 per person, complete with wine pairings from Jardinière's impressive list. Executive chef Morgan Mueller's menu may include first courses such as warm calamari salad with white beans, fennel and arugula, or pâté de campagne with pedigreed greens, crostini and sauce gribiche, and entrées such as coq au vin, local fish or cioppino. Reservations recommended. Jardiniere, 300 Grove St., San Francisco, CA 94102, 415-861-5555.
Monday-Friday
RN74 from Michael Mina and Rajat Parr has introduced a very happy, happy hour special. Glasses of featured red and white wine (rotating selections), select well drinks and bar snacks will all cost only $5 each. RN74's happy hour runs Mon.-Fri. from 3 p.m.-6 p.m., and again from 10 p.m. until close. RN74, Millennium Tower, 301 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94105, 415-543-7474.
Monday-Friday
Americano inside the Hotel Vitale offers a weekday express lunch menu for busy executives. The sit-down meal features a starter of soup or salad coupled with a panino or half order of pasta. Desserts---Satsumas, cookies---are handed to diners to take away with them. Cost is $18 per person and worth it for the hotel hot-spot's pretty Embarcadero location and views alone. Americano, Hotel Vitale, 8 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94105, 415-278-3777. 
Monday-FridayDistinctive Embarcadero hotspot Waterbar offers lucky after-work revelers $1 oysters from 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays. There's also happy hour from 3 p.m.-6 p.m. featuring $5 glasses of house wine, $3 beers and special cocktails. The view and setting alone are worth the price. Waterbar, 399 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105, 415-284-9922.
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.
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 ($45 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 $27 more per person. One Market, 1 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94105, 415-777-5577.
Sundays
Waterfront restaurant Chaya Brasserie hosts "wine and dine" Sunday evening events with half-price bottles of wine. Wines are local and international and the half-price discount applies across the list, representing significant value. Chaya Brasserie, 132 Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105, 415-777-8688.
Sundays
Italian standout Cotogna hosts rustic, four-course, family-style Sunday Suppers for between $45 and $50 per person, exclusive of tax, gratuity and beverage (the regular menu is not available). Menus change weekly and seasonally, and reservations are strongly suggested. Cotogna, 490 Pacific Ave., San Francisco, CA 94133, 415-775-8508.
Sundays
Alexander's Steakhouse offers prime rib every Sunday evening for only $35 per person. Cost includes a side dish and signature hamachi shooter. The restaurant opens at 5:30 p.m. Call for reservations. Alexander's Steakhouse, 448 Brannan St., San Francisco, CA 94107, 415-495-1111.
Sundays
Luella offers a 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, chicken noodle soup and fried chicken. 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 $39 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-Thursdays
Local beloved Firefly has one of the city’s tastier prix-fixe deals: for $36 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. Cost is $25 per person and includes bottomless Champagne. Reservations strongly suggested. Park Chalet, Golden Gate Park, 1000 Great Hwy., San Francisco, CA 94121, 415-386-8439.  View our calendar of Wine Dinners & Tastings in San Francisco |
RESTAURANT AWARDS
Subscribe to receive the 2012 edition of our annual restaurant issue, and check out our current Top 40 U.S. Restaurant selections, and more!
DINING ON A BUDGET
Splurging at top-rated restaurants is fun for special events, but where can you go for a good quality meal that won't break the bank? Gather the change out of your piggy bank and sofa cushions and take it to one of our selections for the best cheap eats in your area. Also, check out our picks for the Top 40 Cheap Eats in the U.S.
