Green city: At Bay Area Bites, Andrew Simmons muses on the city's dalliance with edible vegetation ― the urban farming movement that busted out in 2009 like fears about H1N1. What happened, Simmons suggests, is that the grassroots movement that sprouted in places like Alemany Farm and Little City Gardens got top-down validation from the likes of Mayor Newsom. Now, it's clear that planting broccoli in vacant city lots isn't exactly going to yield food self-sufficiency in the city and county of, but Simmons hints at the movement's power to engage something aspirational. Simmons:
The idea that relationships between gardeners might blossom along with the blighted spaces they plant is a compelling one ― that a vital, green space symbolizes a vibrant community ― but words like "soul" and "pride" carry a complexity their usage only occasionally signifies. Food does nurture us on a variety of levels, providing sustenance and pleasure, conjuring up memories of family, routines and valued moments in time: the tomato salad Mom started making every August, family trips to pick blueberries at a farm outside of town. What can a garden really do? It's true that greenery makes people happy ― whether it takes the form of a full-blown farm, or just a few plants on the windowsill of an apartment kitchen.
Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge
, which he'll chat about this weekend at Omnivore Books on Food.We're not being judgmental when we say that the event will be cheesy; we hear there'll be a free tasting featuring cheese from Harley Farms Goat Dairy of Pescadero.
Event details:
Gordon Edgar's Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge
Date: Sat., April 3, 3-4 p.m.
Location: Omnivore Books, 3885a Cesar Chavez (at Church), 282-4712
Cost: Free
Event details:
Underground Street Food Event
Date: Sat., April 3, 5-11 p.m.
Location: Parking lot on Laskie Street between Eighth and Ninth Streets
Cost: Free
Reservations: RSVP required
Magnolia's menu swaps out new items daily, next to a core of favorites. Kerleyesque dinner items include fried smelt, Scotch duck eggs, lamb shank braised in porter, and a seared breast with chicken hash and liver mousse called "chicken d'Oliver," named after the chef's little boy. That's sweet.
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Waterbar Easter Dinner
Where: 399 Embarcadero (at Folsom)
When: Sun., April 4
Time: 4 p.m.-8 p.m.
The deal: Three-course prix-fixe choices include asparagus gratin, seared scallop with peas, Madeira and fennel, olive-oil poached halibut with baby leeks and caviar, oak-roasted Alaskan cod, and petite beef filet. For dessert: brown butter pound cake and chocolate banana cream pie
Cost: $60; tax and gratuity extra
Reservations: Call 284-9922, or via OpenTable
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The focal point of Public House: Its mighty keg wall, which by our count holds nearly 80 barrels of suds. Indeed, craft brews are the attraction Des Jardins' version of the sports bar is hoping to get beer lovers to show up even on non-game nights (certified cicerone Eric Cripe served as beer consultant). Public House director of operations John Epperheimer previously told us there'd be 24 beers on tap, with 80 percent of total suds offerings being local.
By the way, if we know anything about media folk, we have a pretty good feeling a lot of that beer will get sucked down tonight.
Where: 448 Brannan (at Fourth St.)
When: Easter Sunday, April 4
Time: Seatings from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The deal: Four-course prix fixe from chef Douglas Bernstein includes Riverdog Farm honey ham, hot cross buns, soft-boiled Blue Farm eggs, and fruit sorbet. A la carte brunch items (waffle fried chicken, croque madame, sweet potato Benedict, etc.) round out the menu. Bonnets and white gloves optional.
Cost: $9-$36, depending on what you consume (proceeds benefit AIDS/LifeCycle); tax and gratuity extra
Add-ons: Bottomless adult cocktails are $12
Reservations: Call 904-4100, or go to OpenTable
We're a big fan, even so much as we must admit that we probably started writing about food in the first place because we loved the publication so much. Finally, we thought when we first read it, a world in print wherein food production and consumption are considered as illuminating a perspective on the way we live and think as visual art, film, literature, and music.
