2 weeks Ago
Though the Bay Area’s weather may not always mirror the conditions we tie to the seasons, a lineup of annual events — each featuring great food — reliably ushers in the arrival of fall. Chili time Sausalito kicks off the season with its 45th annual Chili Cook-Off from noon to 4 p.m.
Saturday when amateurs, professionals and connoisseurs gather at Dunphy Park on Bridgeway to share samples of their greatest creations with live music by San Francisco cosmic gospel/thunder rock band Tracorum. Kona Ice snow cones, beer, wine, margaritas and soda are available for sale. At 1 p.
m., spice seekers turn up the heat at the Hot Pepper Eating Contest, where preregistered contestants brace for an increasing level of fire as measured by the legendary Scoville Scale. The winner receives a Sunday wildlife and ecology sail for two aboard the Schooner Freda B.
Register at the website below. Entry to the event is free, but unlimited tastings with voting rights require a wristband. Purchase these in advance at Sausalito.
gov/chili ($25) or on-site on Saturday starting at 11:30 a.m. ($30) at the event booth.
Proceeds benefit the City of Sausalito’s Parks and Recreation Department. Oyster fest The Sausalito Community Boating Center presents its third annual Oyster Festival from noon to 3 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Dunphy Park in Sausalito with raw and baked oysters, mac and cheese, Caesar salad, garlic bread and a selection of beer and wine. Entertainment includes live music, a bocce tournament on the park’s oyster shell-surfaced court (email secretary@cassgidley.
org for details and to sign up) and maritime-themed, family-friendly activities. Admission is free. Proceeds from a la carte food and beverage sales support the Sausalito Community Boating Center’s mission to provide boating and maritime education to the community.
Spirited stroll San Rafael toasts Marin’s premium adult beverage scene with beer, wine, spirit and cider tastings and light snacks at its fifth annual Hops & Vines (& Spirits) Stroll from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Participating taprooms, boutiques, eateries, distilleries, wineries and other businesses are located on Fourth Street between Lincoln Avenue and the West End. A cable car shuttle provides a link between both ends, and the street remains open to cars. Register in advance for the event, presented by the San Rafael Business Improvement District, at downtownsanrafael.
org/hops-and-vines-stroll ($35). On event day, check in at the City Plaza ticket booth at 1000 Fourth St. in San Rafael to pick up a tasting glass, wristband and map of stops or to buy day-of tickets until 5:30 p.
m. ($45). The price includes all drink and snack samples.
Beach feast Take the idyllic roads to Dillon Beach Resort in West Marin for its Open Fire Beach Feast in a cypress grove at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Chef Lee Desrosiers of Sonoma-based Lee Desrosiers Private Dinners and Hell Chicken will prepare seasonal coastal selections made with hyper-local produce and proteins that are cooked over an open flame. His farm-supporting menus have earned him recognition over the past decade. Natural winemakers Evan Lewandowski and Sara Morgenstern will prepare the wine pairings from their newly released Dirty Gold label.
A welcome cocktail from the Dillon Beach bar cart and a Dillon Beach Resort blanket and beanie are included. The resort is at One Beach Ave. in Dillon Beach.
For event tickets ($195), overnight accommodations ($50 discount on cottage bookings during event with promo code OPENFIRE) or information on Dillon Beach Coastal Kitchen, go to dillonbeachresort.com . Cheese night There’s never a bad time to celebrate cheese and the 9th annual SF Cheese Fest from 6 to 9 p.
m. Saturday at San Francisco Ferry Building Grand Hall is just the ticket. Mingle with cheesemakers and get a taste of new offerings and beloved classics from a standout roster of artisan producers from across California as well as Washington and Utah.
Try more than 75 cheese varieties from 19 makers paired with charcuterie, preserves, chocolates, wine and beer while enjoying live music by Brooke & Mike and views of the San Francisco Bay. North Bay participants include Cowgirl Creamery, Cypress Grove, Laura Chenel, Marin French Cheese Co., Nicasio Valley Cheese Co.
, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. and Tomales Farmstead Creamery. General admission tickets ($98), available at sfcheesefest.
com, include unlimited food and beverage tastings. The SF Cheese Fest is the primary fundraiser for the California Artisan Cheese Guild and supports California-based artisan cheesemakers. Leanne Battelle is a freelance food writer and restaurant columnist.
Email her at [email protected] with news and recommendations and follow on Instagram @therealdealmarin for more on local food and updates on the launch of The Real Deal Marin restaurant search guide.
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