San Francisco is one of the few counties in California that doesn't have a county fair, and to our discredit. For all the dog-judging, carnie-haranguing, and deep-frying that we're spared, our urban county misses out on food competitions. If you've ever attended a county fair on jam-judging days, you realize that a blue ribbon is no easy A -- and that there are an awful lot of cooks out there there who want someone to evaluate their food crafts.
Taking the place of the county fair, then, is Oakland's Eat Real Fest, which will be held this weekend in Jack London Square. As part of the event, Eat Real and Punk Domestics have teamed up to organize contests for jam and preserve makers, picklers, home brewers, beekeepers, and booze artisans (to see the guidelines for submitting honey and spirits, click on the tiny "2" at the bottom of the page). Eat Real is accepting submissions tomorrow (Sept. 20) through Thursday at its offices at 65 Webster St., Oakland.
Come Saturday, SFoodie will be there as judges. Both SFoodie Editor W.
Blake Gray and I will be on the pickle panel, so bring us your pickled
peaches, your kimchi, and your bread-and-butters for us to relish (your
relishes, too!). No blue ribbons here -- the winners earn Whole Foods
gift cards, books, schwag, and as much glory as they want to claim for
themselves.
