Awwww yeah, we get another blast of Indian summer heat, and I am already happily plotting a week of evening bike rides and outdoor excursions. One place that should absolutely be on the top of your list is the patio at Saison, overlooking the hearth, where I had one of my most atmospheric and captivating meals last Friday. And with this last gasp of warm weather? If you can spring for the $98 tasting menu, go for it—it’s all kinds of special. (Look for a writeup soon.)
Whatcha doing Wednesday night? You really should be coming to the Wine & Spirits Top 100 tasting event! Not only because I will be there selling my book (come by and say hi!), but I just got the lineup of what the New & Notable restaurants (as voted by the magazine) will be serving, and let me tell you, it’s good. The afore-mentioned Saison will be serving their delicious chicken liver mousse with huckleberries, Asian pear, and rose, Nombe will have wagyu beef tataki, Comstock Saloon is bringing pickled eggs toast (Hangtown-style Firebrand bakery rye bread with pickled eggs, bacon, and oyster dressing), Hog Island will be shucking oysters… the list goes on. And Barefoot Coffee will have an espresso for you at the end of the night! Click here for tickets before 5:30pm tonight, when sales end! (And tablehopper readers get 10% off with code TBLEHOP10.)
Thursday I’m going to be swinging by Waterbar to toast chef Jacques Pépin, who will be hosting a 75th birthday reception with KQED from 6pm-8pm. (You can still get tickets—and there’s also a dinner menu available in the main dining room, which includes a hand-drawn menu by none other than Jacques himself.)
My week started with a bang on Sunday night, attending the clandestine industry party celebrating the 500th birthday of Benedictine at the Old Mint (have you been in the restored building yet?—it’s remarkable). The Bon Vivants know how to throw a soirée (and it was completely monk free)—plus we got a rare taste of Benedictine from 1935! And now I’m already looking to the weekend, which is all about the Treasure Island Music Festival—gonna go get rowdy both days, oh you know it.
Have fun out there.
Tomatoes and melons at Saison.View tablehopper Newsletter from Tuesday, Oct 12 2010
