Bay Area Food Happenings

January has already been a busy month for restaurant openings in the Bay Area. But there’s a lot more going on in the food world in the Bay Area and beyond over the next week.

On Friday and Saturday (1/18 and 1/19), the Good Food Awards Ceremony and Marketplace will be held at the Ferry Building in San Francisco. Awards are handed out to American food producers and the farmers who provide their ingredients. In its third year, the awards are meant to honor “those who push their industries towards craftsmanship and sustainability while enhancing our agricultural landscape and building strong communities.” The Award Ceremony and Reception are being held on Friday night. On Saturday, the Marketplace will be held in conjunction with the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, as visitors will be able to taste and purchase some of the winning products directly from the producers.

Dine About Town in San Francisco kicked off this week but in the East Bay, both Oakland and Berkeley are celebrating their own food-related events. Oakland Restaurant Week is from January 18-27, with participating restaurants offering prix fixe menus at $20, $30 and $40 for both lunch and dinner. Participating restaurants include B-Side BBQ, Bellanico, Bocanova, Camino, Chop Bar, Hopscotch and many more. Berkeley is also holding its own restaurant week through January 20, with participating restaurants including Comal, FIVE, Gather and Revival Bar & Kitchen.

On Saturday, January 19, Half Moon Bay Brewing Company is celebrating the 10 year anniversary of its onsite brewery and award-winning Maverick beers and ales with live music in the Mavericks Beer Garden and release of the commemorative Anniversary Ale, a dry stout brewed with oats, Maris Otter and chocolate malts. The party is from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Up north, Napa is celebrating all things truffles with the Napa Truffle Festival taking place from January 18-21. Seminars, tours and meals will be held, bringing together the best chefs in the world known for their truffle cuisine with truffle experts/scientists. And if you haven’t gotten enough truffles, La Toque in Napa has started its famed Black Truffle Menu this month (usually runs through March) with Black Winter truffles featured in every course. The six-course meal is $200, with an optional wine pairing for $85.

Finally, the 2013 Chefs’ Holiday Sessions is still going strong at The Ahwahnee in Yosemite National Park. At each of the eight sessions, guests are invited to take part in a “Meet the Chefs” reception, cooking demos and tastings, kitchen tour and five-course dinner prepared by some of the best chefs around the country. Upcoming sessions include one with headliner Matt McNamara of Sons & Daughters from January 20-22 and one featuring David Bazirgan (Fifth Floor), Kim Alter (Haven) and Laurence Jossel (Nopa) from January 27-29.

 

 

Photo Credit: Good Food Awards, via Facebook