I hope you don’t have too many plans already for next weekend (October 13th-14th), because there’s a lot going on.
First, Saturday October 13th is the ninth year of La Cocina’s San Francisco Street Food Festival, returning to the Powerstation in Dogpatch. There will be 30-plus chefs and restaurants, 90 percent of whom are women, like Reem Assil of Reem’s and Dyafa (2018 James Beard semifinalist) serving pali Cali man’oushe (flatbread with sumac-braised chicken); Nite Yun of Nyum Bai (Bon Appetit’s Hot Ten Restaurant of the Year) serving Cambodian lemongrass skewers with prahok ktiss dip and and pickled veggies; Isabel Claudido of El Buen Comer, serving chilaquiles verdes or rojos topped with eggs and fresh green salsa; Fernay McPherson of Minnie Bell’s who will be slinging her famous rosemary fried chicken (typically only available in the East Bay); and Hang Truong of Noodle Girl sharing Vietnamese pork belly and five-spice chicken banh mi sandwiches. Look for some new vendors too! There will also be cocktails from Third Rail Bar!
Festival tickets are $6 and can be purchased online at sfstreetfoodfest.com or for $10 at the gate (if still available). 100% of each ticket sold is donated to La Cocina. Last year’s festival sold out so be sure to get yours early! And bring cash. 11am-7pm. 420 23rd St. at Illinois.
And then on Sunday October 14th, it’s CUESA’s Sunday Supper: A Farm to City Feast. 40 top chefs will be preparing food outside (it’s quite the setup!), while guests will enjoy an opening reception inside (with hors d’oeuvres, oysters, and cocktails), followed by a four-course dinner in the Ferry Building Grand Hall, with paired wines and tableside presentations. There is also a fantastic silent auction and live auction too.
Funds from the Sunday Supper gala contribute more than 50 percent of the cost of CUESA’s education programs, which serve farmers, kids, and educators in cultivating a healthy food future that nourishes all. VIP ticket: $375 ($250 tax deductible), doors at 5pm; General Admission ticket: $300 ($200 tax deductible), doors at 5:45pm.
And then across the Bay all weekend, it’s the Treasure Island Music Festival, returning after a one-year hiatus in a new location at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland. Tickets are still on sale (both VIP and GA), and I am so fired up to see Tame Impala and Cigarettes After Sex on Sunday. The food lineup is thoughtfully curated to feature many Oakland and East Bay businesses—you’ll find food from Aburaya (bring on the Japanese fried chicken), bling bling dumpling, Curry Up Now, Gerard’s Paella, Itani Ramen, Little Star Pizza, Mi Granny’s Kitchen, Rockos Ice Cream Tacos, The GrilledCheezGuy, and more.
There will also be some great on-site art installations, with many created by local Bay Area residents. Don’t miss “Cosmic Voyager” from the SF-based art collective Chromaforms, a massive laser-cut, stainless steel sea turtle offering horoscope readings that change based on the date and time after participants press buttons on the turtle’s fin. Burners will be happy to see Barry Crawford’s “Mechatheusis,” a mechanical giant squid kinetic sculpture. There will also be Workshop’s Camp DIY if you want to get crafty (try shibori dyeing bandanas or sewing beer koozies!).
Festival gates and box office open daily at 11am, with music kicking off shortly at noon each day. The only way to get to and from the festival is via the official complimentary festival shuttle service at West Oakland BART, or rideshare to the festival’s designated festival drop-off/pick-up area nearby.
Feasting at CUESA’s Sunday Supper in the Ferry Building’s Grand Hall. Photo © Drew Altizer Photography.
