1. Design and dine
Chefs and architects team up to showcase the fine lines, curves and textures of both food and design at Farina. From 6:30 to 9 p.m. on September 18, the Mission District cucina hosts a $100, three-course private dining experience on the second floor of the unique focacciaria. Register online to join Monica Viarengo and Brett Terpeluk (the Farina architects/designers) and Paolo Laboa (the chef) for an evening of culinary and structural art.
2. Share your strength
Invite your friends out to a great San Francisco restaurant (Cav, Fifth Floor and PlumpJack Café are among the options) any time between September 21 and 28, and a portion of your check will be donated to Share Our Strength, an organization that helps feed hungry kids. So go ahead—order another appetizer, share another bottle and don’t skip out on dessert. Check out the restaurants participating in the Great American Dine Out here.
3. Holy mole
This is your not-to-miss opportunity to learn, hands-on, about the most famous of Mexican sauces—mole! Irma Calderon, chef and owner of Pastores, will demystify mole at La Cocina on September 24, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., when she will demonstrate how to make this rich and flavorful mixture. Opportunities to learn mole at the elbow of a Mexican expert don’t come up every day, so order your ticket ($100) now.
4. Indochine evening
Head to Ana Mandara on September 21 for an evening of fashion, cuisine and fine wine highlighting the talents of California chefs and vintners. Your $125 ticket (tax-deductible!) will support the Asian Chefs Foundation Annual Christmas Food Drive for the homeless, low-income families and youth programs. Call 510-883-9386 to plan your getaway, or email chau@chilipepperevents.com.
5. Start spreading the news
You can keep your piece of that Kit Kat Bar. I’ll have what Chloe Doutre-Rousel is having instead. The cocoa aficionado and author of The Chocolate Connoisseur will be at the Fog City News store on September 19 to share all the choco-knowledge that she has come across in her sweet travels. Learn to evaluate and appreciate a world of fine chocolate from noon to 2 p.m.
6. Come out wherever you are
Among the old warehouses and new high-rises are the sleepy residential neighborhoods of South Beach and Mission Bay. Discover the area during the Taste of South Beach/Mission Bay, which will bring together area restaurants, bars and markets for an all-day “block party” at South Park. Mingle with your neighbors and savor samples (available for purchase) from local businesses from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m—there will also be live entertainment and a children’s activity area.
7. Just another Malbec Monday
Local Kitchen and Wine Merchant is changing the way it does happy hour with a new $5 menu five days a week, Monday through Friday. On Mondays, select Malbec wines will be $5. On Tuesdays, you’ll see a world of whites. Wednesdays, the staff pours domestic reds into your glass, while on Thursdays you’ll get a discount tutorial in old-world whites. On Fridays, kick off the weekend with a selection of sparkling wines. If you get hungry during the 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. wine hour, a selection of appetizers will also be available (for a five-spot each, natch).
