Thursday, December 15, 2005

Hungry Bay Hopper - Menu For Hope 2

The Perfect Prize Package for Adventurous Locals
Lunch at Tabla | Hangar One Tastings | Fizzy Lizzy Soda | Tante Marie Cooking Demonstrations | Dinner at Tres Agaves | Dinner at Couleur Cafe

photograph picture Menu for Hope 2 Perhaps you have noticed by now that Food Bloggers all over the world have pulled together to raise money for Unicef's efforts to help out Earthquake-stricken area of India and Pakistan. Here at Becks & Posh there are three prize packages up for grabs. We hope, that by tempting people with the opportunity to win the gifts our kind sponsors have generously donated, the people who enjoy our food blog will make a donation to Unicef.

Today I am featuring Prize #1, The Hungry Bay Hopper. I asked some of my favourite Bay Area food vendors to help me out. I wasn't prepared for the eagerness and generosity with which they all responded and gave to help this great cause. Please join me as I guide you through this amazing selection of goodies, some of my favourite things, that could all be yours with a donation...

photograph picture Tabla MarinUntil last Summer I worked in Marin. When my company moved to the City I knew the only thing I would really miss about not having to trek 16 miles over the Golden Gate Bridge every day would be Tabla. At least once a week, Fred and I would visit Tabla for lunch. Not only is the food delicious, it is all bought from local sustainable sources. Imaginative salads, fancy filled dosa and divine desserts, whoever wins in this prize is in for a real treat. We absolutely love the dosa with spicy potatoes, spinach and egg, followed by one of their dense chocolate brownies or their mint chocolate ice cream. If you win, lunch for 4, please will you take me? (Just kidding.) We still drive the 30+ mile round trip there for lunch some times, how can we resist?

Posts that reference Tabla: Mum would Love | Duck Confit | Beautiful | Local | Spring Colour

photograph picture Hangar One Vodka Over the bridge, at Alameda in the East bay, you will find Hangar One, a small company with an amazing selection of carefully made liquors. You might consider a taxi or a designated driver when you find out what is in store if you win this prize. Hangar One make some of the best vodkas I have ever imbibed and you could soon be trying them too. The lucky winner and 5 friends will be treated to a free tasting from their wide range of spirits with a total of three complimentary bottles to take home*. [*Excluding the limited release items, De Profundis and Heirloom]. I love their raspberry vodka so much, that last year I awarded them First Prize in the 2005 Independent Festival and Food Awards. Hangar One will hopefully have a couple of new products to check out by the time you pick up your prize. Tempted yet?

Posts that reference Hangar One: In the Beginning | Jammy Vodka | Truffles | In Vegas
photograph picture fizzy lizzy grapefruit
Fizzy Lizzy are my favourite most recent discovery. Until about 6 weeks ago I was precisely the kind of girl who totally shunned soda of any kind. Well, not quite. I have been known, it's true, to have been taken in by some fancy packaging, an unusual colour or a tempting sounding flavour combination of various sodas and I have tried quite a few. But! I have never stuck with any of them, until I discovered Fizzy Lizzy Grapefruit. This has everything I am looking for in a soda: Grapefruit, natural ingredients, the colour pink and a mild fizz. Better still, everything I am not looking for a soda isn't there. No corn syrup, no added sugar - hooray! I really can't get enough of this soda. It quenches my thirst completely. It's perfect. It's hard for me to get over my grapefruit obsession so, apart from the sweet-treat raspberry lemonade I haven't tried any other of their flavours, yet. Maybe the winner of this prize package will be able to report back on some of the other tastes when they've picked up a complimentary mixed case of Fizzy Lizzy Juices from their nearest Wholefoods.


photograph picture tante marie cooking school Earlier this year I took a Local, Artisanal cooking class at Tante Marie's Cooking School in San Francisco. I had such a lot of fun, I can't wait to sign up for another course. I resisted the pressures of work and turned down social engagements for four hours every week whilst I listened to local Artisans talk about their produce before teaming together with my class-mates to cook and then feast on delicious recipes. Tante Marie have kindly donated five of their afternoon Demonstration Classes for our lucky winner to enjoy.

Posts that reference Tante Marie: Guess Who? | Risotto | Something Fishy

photograph picture tres agaves san francisco After all that hard work you will deserve someone else cooking for you. Not far from the Embarcadero, close to the Ballpark, Tres Agaves, a high end Tequila bar serving Jaliscan food has recently just opened. It's loud, it's noisy, it's huge and it's full of people who know how to have good fun and enjoy themselves. What's more, they are serving some of the most interesting Mexican food in the City. Everything we tried on our recent visit was delicious, particularly the slow-roasted Pork carnitas, the spit-roasted chicken and the grilled corn. Our winner and 3 guests will be able to share a great meal, family style, courtesy of Tres Agaves. Oh - and of course, don't forget to try the Tequila!

photograph picture couleur cafe potrero hill san francisco Sometimes dining out is less about the food and more about the welcome. Fred and I are regulars in Belden Lane, a little street in central San Francisco packed with European restaurants and outside cafe tables. There we met Thierry who until recently was the manager at Plouf, a French restaurant specialising in mussels. We were upset when we found out that Thierry, my favourite manager in town, was leaving to head up his own new business, but then delighted to find out his new place would be in our own neighbourhood. If you are familiar with Chez Maman, you will find that Couleur Cafe is in the same vein. Reasonably priced small plates, salads, sandwiches, burgers and French cafe fare. Best of all, Couleur is open until 3am from Wednesday through Saturday - the perfect place to stop for a late night snack. The short wine list is very reasonably priced and you can be sure that Thierry will give you the warmest of welcomes. Couleur is open for breakfast and brunch too. Our prize winner will enjoy dinner for two, courtesy of Thierry and his team.

For the chance to win this fabulous prize package, please donate to Unicef by clicking on the following button. You will have one entry for every $5 you give. Important - If you would like to win this particular prize, please be sure to specify "Hungry Bay Hopper" in the comments section when you make your donation. If you want to first check out the other prizes I have up for grabs look here and here.


Thank you for your generosity.



PS. Thank you, everyone, for your support so far. Please feel free to forward details of this fundraising campaign to any food-loving friends in the Bay Area.

Archive Alert! On this day in 2004 The Seafood Pasta Kitchen in San Rafael had just opened.

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Hungry Bay Hopper - Menu For Hope 2

5 Comments:

  • At 15/12/05 09:28, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Sam:

    This is so impressive (actually, all of your efforts are spectacular!). Are demonstration classes ones where you get to do some cooking, or are you simply watching the great Tante Marie folks do their stuff?

     
  • At 15/12/05 09:57, Blogger cookiecrumb said…

    I'm knocked out, Sam. Very nice.

     
  • At 15/12/05 10:09, Blogger Sam said…

    Teri - the demos are just where you watch. I havent been to those, but they sound interesting. You can find more details on their website under classes/demonstrations but they dint have direct links which is why I couldn't link directly to them. Lots of different subjects and speakers.

    can I help you up Cookie? Maybe you need a sniff of Hangar One Vodka?

     
  • At 15/12/05 10:12, Blogger Rose said…

    WOW!

     
  • At 15/12/05 14:21, Blogger eat stuff said…

    I WISH I LIVED IN SF
    It is almost worth trying for and then paying for a flight once I win ;) Beleive me I am considering it!

    You have done such a fabulous job Sam.

     

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