Add These March Food and Drink Events to Your Calendar
Chocolate everything! BBQ! Lots and lots of cheese! Marking the official beginning of spring, March is the most indulgent food month yet. If all the events below are not enough, know that Off the Grid is returning to the scene as well, with new vendors like the very hype-worthy El Garage Tacos. Feeling hungry? Here’s your game plan for the month.
March 6-7: Savor Chocolate at the Palace of Fine Arts
A first-ever festival dedicated to gourmet chocolate from all over the world? Say no more. Happening at the gorgeous Palace of Fine Arts for two sweet days, the festival will feature an international marketplace, panel discussions, tastings, demos, pairing classes and other fun activities around the one thing no one can live without. Tickets range from $34 for one-day admission, to $145 for a weekend pass, including the opening party. More details and tickets here.
March 7: Line Up for Matt Horn’s Barbecue
The much-anticipated Horn Barbecue will soon open its doors in Oakland. In the meantime, Matt Horn is popping into Hangar 1 Vodka‘s space in Alameda, serving his cult Texas-style classics. The pop-up starts at 1pm, but make sure to arrive a little early to secure a spot in line.
March 8: Celebrate Women in Food with La Cocina
Who better to celebrate female chefs than local powerhouse La Cocina? For a whole week, starting March 2nd and ending on March 8th, the non-profit will be running a series of female-led dinners. While tickets to most of them are sold out, the closing party, featuring Guadalupe Moreno of Mi Morena in collaboration with Ofelia Barajas of La Guerrera’s Kitchen + Mayra Velazquez of Xingones, still has spots left. Tickets can be purchased here.
March 16: Toast to Eat Something, the Cookbook
The beloved Jewish chain Wise Sons now has a cookbook, written by Bay Area food journalist Rachel Levine and illustrated by no other that George McCalman, the man behind San Francisco Chronicle’s singular Observed column. To celebrate the fun, mouthwatering book, The Mill is hosting a panel discussion with everyone involved. The event is free. Alcohol can be purchased on site.
March 17th: Attend a Block Party
Who forgot March is also the month of St. Patrick’s Day? Not the FiDi spot Schroeder’s; from 3pm – 8:30pm, they’re hosting a block party, with performances, beer, and appropriate street food like bratwurst, chicken sausage and corned beef and cabbage in a bun. Still got energy after all is said and done? There’s an after party. The event is free with registration. Food and drinks can be purchased separately.
March 27-29: At All the Cheese. But Really, All of It
You started the month with chocolate, so why not finish it strong with a cheese cornucopia. The California Artisan Cheese Festival is back for its 14th year, with a variety of dazzling events happening all over Northern California. Take a cheese farm tour, attend a glitzy Bites and Booze party, or head straight to the marketplace in Santa Rosa, to sample all the goods. Tickets are $25-$150, available here.
All Month Long: Cozy up at Campfire Room
Prairie, Anthony Strong’s Mission restaurant, is mixing things up this month by adding Campfire Room, a 14-person dining experience, to its offerings. The Campfire Room will offer 6-8 dishes from the restaurant’s charcoal grill, for the highly affordable price of $78-$88 a person. Think hand-cut pasta with Santa Barbara sea urchin, or coal-roasted squab with umeboshi brown butter; in the chef’s own words, “we don’t do fancy.” Ask for the Campfire Room when you make your reservation.
Photo Credit: Image courtesy of Dandelion Chocolate’s Facebook page
