Where: Ferry Building Marketplace, 1 Ferry Building (at Embarcadero)
When: Sun., July 10, 6-9 p.m.
Cost: $95 online via Eventbrite
The rundown: Summer is finally here, and so far it's been a stunner. We finally got to see what the fireworks looked like without fog, wore our bathing suits to the beach (and not just underneath warm clothes), and even found ourselves complaining that we couldn't sleep because it was too hot in San Francisco.
Weather like this means it's time to party. Do it in style on Sunday at CUESA's Summer Celebration.
The festivities begin with the convergence of 36 restaurants and food purveyors along with 21 beverage stations (5 nonalcoholic, 16 the way we like it) inside the Ferry Building. You can consume as much as you want; it's all included in the ticket price.
Food highlights include tomato gelée with burrata and Pantelleria capers from Tim Caspare of Cotogna; hand-carved pasture-raised lamb and pork grilled on-site by Ryan Farr of 4505 Meats; smoked hummus, marinated local squid, pickled melon, and blistered padron peppers from Sean Thomas of Blue Plate; and blueberry, white chocolate, & hazelnut sables from William Werner of the Tell Tale Preserve Co.
Food may be essential for survival, but nonetheless we always beeline for the cocktails. The event showcases local distilleries including Charbay, with the Hopped Sonoma Summertime Buck (Charbay Double & Twisted, Cocchi Americano Aperitif, honey, lemon, ginger beer, strawberry, cilantro), Distillery 209 with the Back Yard (green tea-infused Distillery No. 209 gin, lemon, BeeKind lavender-infused honey), and St. George Spirits mixing up Monkey Steals the Berry (St. George Absinthe Verte, Aqua Perfecta Framboise Eau de Vie, pineapple juice, lemon, strawberries, mint).
Additional cocktails will be provided by Fair Vodka (with an interesting sounding smoked pine-black tea punch), locally owned Campo De Encanto Picso and Square One Vodka, and Art in the Age, a Philadelphia art collective that also produces organic liquor.
With the amazing lineup of food and drink, proceeds benefiting Schoolyard to Market (a youth development and entrepreneurship program), and the amazing weather we're beginning to take for granted, it's a perfect way to celebrate a real summer in San Francisco.
