Spicy Green Mango

Zip-pa-dee-doo-da, Zip-pa-dee-day, my oh! my what a wonderful FoodBuzz Food Festival in the Bay!  It's the weekend that convinced me to become a featured publisher for FoodBuzz; the weekend that as a publisher, your whopping $350 registration is waived;the weekend when there's no such thing as overeating and anybody who whines about being too full or too tired to eat will immediately draw a dirty stare. 

It's an annual pilgrimage to the mecca of all things food-related that's exclusively designed for food bloggers near and far (as far as Bulgaria!) who come brimming with salivation, energy, an insatiable appetite and as you would probably guess, cameras in hand, ready to capture all the tidbits of a festive occasion.  And just like many great holidays, it only comes once a year and last week, it was here! 

While I missed the first evening at the Herbst Pavilion because of a nutty traveling schedule and a flight that took longer than usual, I was still determined to make the most of my weekend. And that, I DID do!  Rather than attending the early morning workshops, I made up for lost time with a trip to the San Francisco Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building.

My lovely sidekick, food-paparazzi and dear friend, L, accompanied me throughout much of the day.  Starting with an early morning walk to the Ferry Plaza, we made a bee-line for the back end of the market.  It's the part of the market where all the amazing street vendors line their stalls with delectable delights that draw a swarm of hungry people, all waiting patiently to score their morning mash-up.

And what better way to start a heart-pumping weekend of good eats than with a cup of cappucinno and hot chocolate from the organic microroasters of Blue Bottle coffee?  Nothing can beat this..okay, maybe some sizzling apple wood bacon..mmm...but not in my coffee, of course.


RoliRoti, the mobile gourmet rotisserie, was a FoodBuzz vendor at the Friday Street Faire and as much as I wanted to wait in line for the crispy pork roasting with aromas so drool-worthy, it could possibly make a vegan swoon with envy, I had a limited time frame, so I'm dazzling you with some visuals instead.  Yes, that's their famous Rotisserie Porcheta sandwich featuring free range pork loin rolled into the actual pork belly!







And the sweet Lorraine from Drinkwell Softers, a lacto-fermented soda made locally in Dixon, CA had me nibbling on some fresh rose geranium and lemon verbena---all fresh from her farm!  How awesome is that?!  Okay, so I know what you're wondering:  What the heck is lacto-fermentation? Basically, when a beverage undergoes this process, you get fizzy bubbles that are naturally occuring, so that fizz you get from drinking it is all thanks to Momma Naturale.  My personal favorite was the plum soda that tickled my tasters with some fun fizzes....yup, in the words of my alter ego, "For shizzle, this fizzles!"

Oh, and don't you love the cute little bottles? If you follow my blog, you'll understand just how crazy I am of adorably presented food products of any sort. 



And then there were the friendly faces at 4505 Meats whose line, fortunately, were free right in the nick of time.  I told them I missed them at the Street Food Faire, but they told me I was wise to make up for it at the Ferry Building. I devoured (and I do think that's an understatement) their classic cheeseburger and my jaw nearly dropped.  The meat patty was tender and juicy, the bun was nicely toasted and buttered, and when it met my mouth, the burger really didn't stand a chance.  Next time, I'm trying their breakfast burger because it's topped with a poached egg!




And of course, the much-anticipated FoodBuzz Taste Pavilion at the Sony Metreon.  I walked over with my food blogger buddies:  the talented Liren of Kitchen Confidante, Trish of Dish by Trish and even befriended a new and adorably stylish Lisa of Style and Grace.   These ladies are just so amazing, so be sure to check out their blogs as well!

The key to attending any tasting event is to strategize!  Liren and I were starving, so we hit up the proteins as soon as we arrived and grabbed our complimentary wine glasses.  First up: 



And then we followed our noses over to the where the folks of Alaska Seafood were preparing salmon and halibut fish tacos with an assortment of fresh condiments, from corn salsa, fresh mango, diced avocado, pickled pink onions, radishes, shredded cabbage and that's just to name a few. 

While I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh toppings, I was secretly hoping that the fish had been more savory and seasoned in the end.  Oh well--my tummy was growling, so I gobbled up two tacos and washed it down with a gulp of Twenty First Amendment's Hell High watermelon wheat beer. 



And just in time for sweets, the folks at Mission Minis wowed the crowd with a whimsical display of their teeny weeny cupcakes.  And guess what else?  They were also filming for the Food Network's Cupcake Wars!  Eeeh!!  How exciting is that for them?  Goooo Mission Minis---represent for the Bay Area!



And so, after a tiresome 2 hours of noshing and standing, I definitely needed to recuperate in time for the gala dinner.  Kitchen Confidante and I headed straight for some Hika Sencha green tea at the Samovar tea lounge in the Yerba Buena Center.  So relaxing and very much needed, indeed.


The Grand Gala Dinner at the Ferry Building.  I won't bother with words and simply entertain you with a visual recap of my evening among great food and bloggers alike.






And what better way to seal the deal with a visit to San Francisco than with a shot of the city lights with a billboard sign cheering on the Giants..otherwise known as champions of the World Series.