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11/15/09

Saturday at Foodbuzz Food Festival, Part 2

Are you tired of my Foodbuzz recaps yet? Please say "no" or just wait a few more days: I promise to post something non-Foodbuzz related.

Saturday night (last weekend) was perhaps my most favorite part of the Foodbuzz Food Festival. We were put on a bus and driven to a produce warehouse in the middle of nowhere (or so it seemed).

That's where we had a truly outstanding dinner: Outstanding in the Field, which included great food, a lot of wine, chatting with friends we've made over the weekend and being surrounded by cartons of tomatoes, onions and huge containers of soy sauce.

We were greeted by the owner of the winery which produces 2008 Ca' del Solo Albarino.



While sipping the wine (and refilling it at least once) I walked around the warehouse taking photos of food and cool quotes:


Look at all the tables Outstanding in the Field set up for us!



The menu had an Asian feel, and most of the food was consumed using chopsticks.

Just so that you know, there wasn't too much light: we were enjoying candle light instead (the situation was different depending on where in the warehouse you were sitting).



And now to the food:

Mushroom dashi, maitake, shimeji, enoki mushrooms (in plain English, a delicious mushroom soup)

Udon, grilled Monterey calamari in a browned butter ponzu reduction, cucumber, kaiware, frisee & yellow pear tomato with chojang & sesame vinaigrette (served with 2007 Le Cigare Blanc)



not pictured, but consumed and really enjoyed:

Sea trout baked with dashikombu, fried garlic and Japanese curry powder

Mushroom risotto with koshihikari rice, crispy maitake mushrooms

Soy braised beef cheeks with oxtails, baby carrots and fingerling potato, OB Beer and denjang demi

Roasted brussels sprouts, ponzu fried garlic, guanciale, bonito flakes
(served with 2005 Le Cigare Volant): this was everyone's favorite course

Koshihikari rice pudding, cookie crumble and warren pear (with 2008 Vinferno): this was a disappointing end to the meal: I wasn't a huge fan of the dessert or the Vinferno.

After dinner, I was guilted into going salsa dancing with Anna. I'm sorry, but the people asking me to dance were horrible. One guy was not even moving to the beat of music, but wanted to teach me how to dance! Seriously!?

Sunday we enjoyed brunch at Lulu restaurant, said our final good-bye's to the people we met at the festival, also Foodbuzz employees, and then hung out with Anna's friends the rest of the day, before heading back to the airport.

Such an awesome long weekend.

I leave you with one "person" photo of me :)


11 comments:

♥peachkins♥ said...

that is fun!

Esi said...

1. LOVE the new header

2. Can we go back???

angela@spinachtiger said...

I'm not tired of it and I was there. My camera was acting up so I was left to take most pics with my iPhone so I'm enjoying everyone's posts and it's a weekend I don't want to forget

Unknown said...

I think these posts are great. This is the kind of thing I'd have loved to have gone too, but since its way too far away, reading your post gives me an idea of all the things that you get to do. It really does look like an awesome event.
Hubby wants to go to san francisco for his next birthday (not this december, but the next one). What is the weather like during this time of year? Was it a fun place to visit?

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed your recaps, fun to vicariously experience the festival!

Yasmeen said...

Must have been fun :D

Danica's Daily said...

I LOVE your pictures of the festival and recaps. It's so interesting to me to read everyone's recaps and learn something new. Like oh, I need to go back to try this or that :)

It was good to meet you at the festival.

Danica

The Duo Dishes said...

It's fun to read different people's experiences. We all met different people, ate different foods, visited other places. It's all good!

lisaiscooking said...

Sounds like such a great meal! Seeing all of this convinces me I have to attend next year.

Dewi said...

You must have lots of fun at the event. Lovely to see your pretty face here Olga.

Anonymous said...

I wish i could have come too. I missed all the fun. Grrr.. Well, there's always next year! Nice recaps. :)