It’s not every day you get a chance to walk down Union Street with a glass of wine in hand. So you won’t want to miss the opportunity this Thursday, October 10, from 4 pm to 8 pm, at the fourth annual Union Street Wine Walk. Stroll from Gough to Steiner and on Fillmore Street from Union to Lombard, sampling wine and hors d’oeuvres from local restaurants and merchants. Wander aimlessly for free, or buy a Tasting Wristband to receive a wine glass and a map of all the tasting locations. Purchase a ticket online for $20, or pick up a wristband on-site for $25 (cash only) at 2040 Union Street, across from the Metro Theater.
2) Pinot Noir + Wild Mushroom Festival
If the mere thought of matsutakes makes your mouth water, Lark Creek Restaurant Group has a special menu just for you. The group-wide Pinot Noir & Mushrooms Festival is underway during the month of October, which means you’ll find local wild mushrooms in a wide variety of chef-crafted dishes paired with luscious Pinot Noirs from throughout the region. Try Chef Ismael Macias’ Pan-Seared Day Boat Scallops with sweet and sour eggplant, chanterelles mushrooms, and a cumin sauce at Lark Creek Steak (Westfield Centre, 4th Floor). Indulge in Potato Gnocchi with chanterelle mushrooms, pea shoots and corn from Chef Mark Dommen at One Market Restaurant (1 Market Street). Or make your way to Fish Story in Napa (790 Main Street @ 3rd) for Chef Scott Ekstrom’s Wild Mushroom Consommé with shaved matsutakes, petite sea grass and radish sprouts. Featured wines include Anaba Pinot Noir and MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast, as well as Merry Edwards Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley and High Hook Pinot Noir from McMinnville, Oregon.
3) Sunday Brunch with Build-Your-Own Cocktails at Sens
There’s a new brunch in town where you can build your own cocktail while admiring the view of the Bay Bridge and Ferry Building. As of last week, Sens restaurant (4 Embarcadero Center, Promenade Level) is serving a Mediterranean-inspired brunch on Sundays with a $9 build-your-own Bloody Mary and Mimosa menu. Pick grapefruit or orange juice for your mimosa, and select from a variety of accoutrements for your Bloody Mary: choose your level of heat (mild to hot) and add an assortment of housemade pickled toppings such as stuffed olives, pickles, and bacon. Instead of the standard bacon and eggs breakfast, Chef Michel Adams’ menu includes Grilled Merguez Sausages & Eggs ($13) with house-made spiced lamb sausage, herbed fingerling potatoes and arugula, and Olive Oil Poached Tuna Fattoush ($14.50) with Little Gem lettuce, avocado, cucumbers, citrus, black olives, crispy pita and lemon vinaigrette. Sens serves brunch every Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm.
4) Oaxaca Dinner and Cocktail Pairing with Tango and Stache
Popular pop-up food artist Tango & Stache is launching a travel series of cocktail-paired dinners, starting this Tuesday, October 15. “El Viaje En Mexico” offers a taste of regional Mexico,through the food of Joshua Wilder Oakley (aka Tango & Stache). The first dinner - hosted by Naked Kitchen at an undisclosed location in the heart of the Mission District - spotlights traditional recipes of Oaxaca, paired with seasonal cocktail offerings inspired by the regional flavors of this iconic Mexican state. The menu includes Mezcal Ceviche of Monterey Squid and Spot Prawns from the Coastal Region, Garbanzos Guisados with Chorizo from the Isthmus Region, Tequila-braised Rabbit from Tuxtepec, and Market Pears with Piloncillo Poblano Sauce from Mixteca. Tickets for the four-course seated dinner on October 15 are available online for $95 per person, including dinner and cocktails. Choose from two seatings, at 6 pm and 8:30 pm. The November 19 dinner focuses on the region of Jalisco.
5) To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Conversation
If you could have a cocktail with anyone, would you pick Ernest Hemingway? If so, you’ll want to attend the Boothby Center’s upcoming literary cocktail conversation about Ernest Hemingway with Cal Davis Hemingway scholar Peter Hays and Philip Greene, co-founder of the Museum of the American Cocktail and author of To Have and Have Another - A Hemingway Cocktail Companion. Billed as a “spirited evening of discussion on all things Hemingway, literature and, of course, cocktails,” the event is scheduled for Monday, October 14 from 7 pm to 10 pm, at the Boothby Center (1161 Mission Street, #120, @ Angelo’s Alley). $45 tickets are available online and include cocktails made with Papa’s Pilar Rum by H. Joseph Ehrmann of Elixir.
