culture@sfbg.com
SHUCK IT ALL
Coming up in August is not one but two big oyster events, and both are on the same weekend. Double play! First is the third annual Oyster Bash at B Restaurant & Bar (720 Howard, SF. www.bsanfrancisco.com) in Yerba Buena Gardens on Saturday, Aug. 23, 1pm–4pm. It’s an all-you-can-eat event, and considering 12,000 oysters will be served, you have your work cut out for you: There will be a raw bar, grilled and steamed oysters, fried oyster po’boy sliders, and oyster shooters. There’s also an oyster shucking contest at 2:30pm (the first 20 people to sign up upon arrival are enrolled) and the winner will score “all you can eat” oysters at B Restaurant for an entire year. Tickets are $45 presale at bbaroysterbash2014.eventbrite.com and they will sell out! $65 at the door.
Then on Sunday, Aug. 24, you can head to Waterbar (399 Embarcadero, SF. www.waterbarsf.com) for the sixth annual OysterFest on its bayside patio. Known for having the largest selection of oysters in SF, Waterbar is keeping the quality top-notch and will only feature sustainable oysters at the event. There will also be plenty of bites from Waterbar and sister restaurant EPIC Roasthouse, plus Farmer Brown, Farallon, Fish, and Blue Island Oyster Farm; your ticket also includes some Napa Valley wines and craft beers too. Oysterfest runs 12pm–3pm. Tickets are $70 and available on Waterbar’s homepage.
BLOCK PARTY
It looks like it may be the last year for La Cocina’s mega Street Food Festival (Folsom from 20th St to 26th St, SF. www.sfstreetfoodfest.com) — well, unless they can find a new location. In the meantime, plan to show up hungry on Saturday Aug. 16, when there will be a staggering selection of food vendors serving food from around the globe, plus cocktails, and craft beer, all from 11am–7pm. Get your posse together, and check out the website for some ticketing and passport options. (Oh, and the night before is the Friday Night Fried Chicken Family Meal at SoMa Streat Food Park, a must for fried chicken lovers.)
On Saturday, Aug. 23, comes Noise Pop’s 20th Street Block Party (20th St between Bryant and Harrison, and Florida and Alabama between 19th and 20th streets, SF. www.20thstreetblockparty.com/2014), noon–6pm. And it’s free! There will be two stages, featuring national acts and emerging local musicians, including Rogue Wave, Cayucas, Myron & E, 1955, and 8th Grader. Also in the mix will be drinks and bites from neighborhood establishments flour + water, Trick Dog, Central Kitchen, Sightglass Coffee, Rhea’s Deli & Cafe, El Metate, and more. You can dance, eat, hang out, and check out some things like the Ne Timeas workshop tent (with culinary workshops throughout the day), a Southern Exposure interactive installation, and more. There’s also a VIP experience for $95 (line-jumping privileges at the food vendors and private restrooms).
ZIG FOR SISIG
And for those of you who aren’t heading to the playa for Burning Man, check out the Savor Filipino (www.savorfilipino.com) event at Justin Herman Plaza on Saturday, Aug. 30. It’s a free event, and there will be a bunch of different pavilions with options ranging from lechon baboy (roasted pig) and lumpia to chicken adobo and kare-kare. Oh yeah, and balut, in case you have wanted to cross that one off your “yeah, I tried it” list. There will also be some vegan and vegetarian options in the Garden Pavilion, so everyone wins. Bonus: All food served will feature humanely raised proteins, sustainable seafood, and organic, local produce. In between sessions of over-eating, you can check out some music and chef and author demos, and hang out in the beer garden. 10am–6pm.
Marcia Gagliardi is the founder of the weekly tablehopper e-column; subscribe for more at www.tablehopper.com. Get her app: Tablehopper’s Top Late-Night Eats. On Twitter: @tablehopper.