SF Chefs. Food. Wine. 2009 – Urban BBQ & Chocolate Enchantment After Party in Union Square Coverage
By Lando • Aug 9th, 2009 • Category: UpdatesSaturday night, the heart of San Francisco’s Union Square was transformed into a spectacular food centric event featuring some of the city’s chefs and local wineries for the Urban BBQ Night. This wasn’t your ordinary barbecue, but a showcase of many chefs’ culinary talent with their takes on backyard cuisine.
Right from the moment you enter the venue, you are surrounded by all of the food, wine, and cocktail booths. To put it simply, “Where do I go? What do I eat first? Cocktail? Sure!” is the first thing to spring up in your head. With so much to choose from, several tours around the venue was the best approach. A little bite here. Stop. A little cocktail there. Stop. With of course, the occasional water break in between.
Throughout the night people rocked out to a Bay Area chefs band, The Back Burner Blues Band, for the Gumbo Jam. Not your ordinary jam session, but a food inspired session, where each member of the band contributing ingredients to a batch of gumbo being cooked. You also had several Bay Area artists busily working on pieces of art on their canvases as the night drew on.
Music and art may be one slice of this party, but you can’t have a barbecue without…
Starting from the top-left, going clockwise: Indulging in a Delectable Cake from Absinthe, a Dungeness Crab Chowder from the Blue Mermaid Chowder House, an Andouille Sausage Roll from 1300 on Fillmore, and BBQ Pulled Pork Shoulder Sliders with Slaw from Anchor & Hope.
A Short Rib Slider Coated in a Port Veal Reduction from Sears Fine Foods, Featured Wine from Wente Family Estates, Albacore Tuna Sashimi and a Refreshing Sweet Mint Watermelon Salad from Betelnut.
An Endless Array of Pastries from Eatz Catering, Niman Ranch Baby Back Ribs Glazed with Honey and Ginger from La Colonial, and a Hearty Chicken and Black Eyed Peas Soup from the San Francisco Soup Company.
A Smoked Catfish with Sweet Corn Bite from Miss Pearl’s Jam House, Pork Sliders, and Sweet Shrimp and Watermelon Salad, both from Urban Tavern.
Buckeye Road House Standing Out with Their Dungeness Crab Sliders – Not Pork! And, Ahwahnee Hotel’s Smoked Diestel Ranch Turkey Sopes.
Liqueur Infused Mojito Sorbet from Silver Moon Desserts, an Assortment of Chocolates from TCHO, a Serving of the Gumbo from the Gumbo Jam, and finally, a Sloppy Bob Featuring Ground Angus Beef on a Freshly Baked Bun from Best-O-Burger.
You can imagine seeing everyone bouncing booth to booth, eager to try what was available.
Cocktails from some of the city’s bars were also available to sample. The sound of cocktails being shaken can get you thirsty.
Cocktails from Nopa, Mojitos from 15 Romolo, Bourbon & Branch, and Sweet Pepper Margaritas from Cantina.
Just before the night came to a close, Chef and DJ Hubert Keller took the stage. Not only can you see him slicing it up on Top Chef Masters, but you can catch him on the turntables and hyping up the crowd, bringing on good vibes until the night came to an end. By looking at the expressions on the faces of those who attended, you could see that everyone was having a good time.
If this is what to expect if you invited some of these chefs to your own backyard, then by all means come on by place and I’ll provide the grill. I could only imagine if my own barbecues were as exciting as this one.
Just when you thought the evening was over, the Chocolate Enchantment after party was getting started atop the Westin St. Francis Hotel which gave a breathtaking view of city.
A decadent selection of Recchiuti and Ghirardelli chocolates were available. And any dessert lover would’ve been astounded by the beautiful display of chocolate confections by Pastry Chef Jean-Francois Houdre.
This was only one part of San Francisco’s, SF Chef. Food. Wine. event, that took place August 6th to the 9th. A special thanks to Foodbuzz for allowing us to provide coverage of last night’s event.
Lando is finding new food spots.
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Closing Comments
My favorites of the evening: The Dungeness Crab Chow – rich and peppery, Short Rib Sliders from Sears – the sauce and tenderness of the meat were the highlights, and (Not Pictured) Short Ribs from Fish & Farm – they were coated in a harissa honey sauce, giving the ribs a sweet chili like flare. It really makes me feel fortunate to live in such a incredible area where people appreciate great food.
Here are the restaurants/chefs in attendance Saturday evening’s Urban BBQ:
Joey Altman
Luis Villavelasquez – Absinthe
Percy Whatley – The Ahwahnee
Sarah Schafer – Anchor & Hope
Elizabeth Binder – Bar Bambino
Randy Lewis – Best O Burger
Alexander Ong – Betelnut
Steven Connolly – Blue Mermaid Chowder House & Bar
Robbie Lewis – Bon Appetit
Robert Price – Buckeye Roadhouse
Chris Kronner – Good Evening Thursday
Joseph Manzare – Joey & Eddies and Tres Agaves
Ron Pei – Laiola Restaurant
Joe Villanueva – Le Colonial
Bill Berkowitz – Max’s Restaurants
Peter Jackson – Miss Pearl’s Jam House
Ola Fendert – Oola Restaurant & Bar/Local Kitchen & Wine Merchant
Steve Sarver – SF Soup Company
Patty Blecha – Sears Fine Food
Colin Duggan – Urban Tavern
Sheri Tate – Silver Moon Desserts
Ron Pei – Laiola Restaurant
Tom Rhodes – Asia de Cuba
Michael Lamina – CAV Wine Bar
Mimi Young – Mi2Sweets
Chad Newton – Fish & Farm
David Lawrence – 1300 on Fillmore
Bars: 15 Romolo, Bar Agricole, Bourbon and Branch, Cantina, CONDUIT, Elixir, NOPA, Rye, and Smuggler’s Cove.
Wineries: Tamber Bey Vineyards, NOPA, Martellotto Wines, Scott Beattie Author Artisanal Cocktails, Charles Creek, Elixir, Gemini Spirits, Bar Agricole, Ruggeri, Smuggler’s Cove, Swanson Vineyards, CONDUIT, Miner Family Winery, Rye, Vya Vermouth Cocktails, Quady Dessert Wines,15 Romolo,Tres Sabores, Bourbon & Branch, Treasure Island Wines, Lodi Winegrape Commission, Wente Family Estates, New Zealand Winegrowers, The Show, Jargon, Menage a Trois, and Cantina.
Click for more info on the Urban BBQ here.
I have said this before and I will say it again…awesome post. the pix are so sexy. the food looks incredible. chocolate? how can you go wrong? =) foodbuzz is so great, aren’t they?
You got to love Foodbuzz!
wow! i am so jealous!!! awesome post, by the way…..you rock!
Oh man, now you make me regret not going to Saturday’s festivities. I went to every other day except that one. Needed a breather from all that driving up and back from the South Bay. Your pics make me feel like I was there, though. Nice job! ;)
Your pictures are outstanding! And yes, Foodbuzz is the best for getting folks like us out to these events. You got a GOOD one.
[...] first had a sample of Silver Moon Desserts at the SF Chefs.Food.Wine event a few weeks back. They were showcasing their Mojito Ice flavor. Little cups of white sorbet [...]