And we're off. The summer fetes celebrating the current season's harvests will dot the Bay Area for the next few months, and we couldn't be happier. And so should you. For starters, the second annual CUESA Summer Celebration goes down at the Ferry Building on Sunday from 6-9pm. Chefs from some of the city's best restaurants (e.g., Quince, Barbacco, Wise Sons, Maverick) will create hors d’oeuvres inspired by summer produce right from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Food will be paired with (controversial!) Napa Valley wines, esteemed cocktails (from Bourbon & Branch, Comstock Saloon, and Rye), craft beer, and more.
Tickets are $125, $85 of which is a tax deductible donation, by the way. And it all goes to benefit CUESA (Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture) a nonprofit formed to "educate urban consumers about sustainable agriculture and to create links between urban dwellers and local farmers."
But who's cooking, you ask? Let's see:
Ryan Farr, 4505 Meats
Chad Newton, American Box
Erica Holland-Toll, American Eatery
Grace Nguyen, Asian Box
Hector Diaz, B Restaurant and Bar
Staffan Terje, barbacco eno trattoria
Jen Musty, Batter Bakery
Ruggero Gadaldi, Beretta
Alex Ong, Betelnut
Bruce Hill, Erik Lowe & Aaron Toensing, BIX
Gillian Sara Shaw & Max Newman, Black Jet Baking Co.
Brett Emerson, Contigo
Tim Caspare, Cotogna
Sue Conley and Peggy Smith, Cowgirl Creamery & Sidekick
Mikiko Ando, DELICA
Joseph Ahearne, El Porteño
jW Foster, Fairmont San Francisco Hotel
Taylor Boetticher, Fatted Calf
Rick Robinson, Gott's Roadside
Alicia Jenish, Grand Café
Annie Somerville, Greens Restaurant
Tim Archuleta, ICHI Sushi
Lauren Kiino, Il Cane Rosso
Adam Carpenter, Jasper's Corner Tap & Kitchen
Claire Keane, La Cocina & Clairesquares
David Barzelay, Lazy Bear
Luis Villavelasquez, Les Elements Patisserie
Ben de Vries, luella
Vincent Russo, MarketBar
Scott Youkilis, Maverick
Meg Ray, Miette
Dennis Lee, Namu Gaji
Daniel Clayton & Trace Leighton, Origen - a farm to fork restaurant
Daniel Capra, Paula LeDuc Fine Catering
Michael Tusk, Quince
Alison Mountford, Square Meals
Adam Timney, Starbelly
Telmo Faria, Tacolicious
Adam Dulye, The Monk's Kettle & Abbot's Cellar
Matthew Dolan, Twenty Five Lusk
Evan Bloom, Wise Sons Deli
The night will also boast a whole beast carving station, a raffle, and photo booth. Details.