Noted food authority James Beard.This fall, the James Beard Foundation is hitting the road again with its national food tour,
This fall, the James Beard Foundation is hitting the road again with its national food tour, Taste America: “Local Flavor from Coast To Coast.”
Over six weekends from September 18 and November 7, ten cities across the U.S. will play host to the event series, which includes special dinners, chef demos and special tasting events.
For San Francisco’s part (October 23-24), the main event will be an Italian-themed dinner, “Big Night: The Ultimate Italian Dinner.”
The dinner will be held starting at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, October 23, at Bimbo’s 365 Club (1025 Columbus Ave., S.F.) in North Beach, and features an impressive line-up of local and national culinary talent.
Handling the hors d’oeuvres portion of the evening will be Suzette Gresham (Acquerello), Chris Marchino (Cotogna), Beard Award winner Craig Stoll (Delfina) and Beard nominee Staffan Terje (Perbacco). The dinner itself will be helmed by Beard winners Michael Tusk (Quince) and Tony Mantuano of Chicago’s Spiaggia.
Ticket prices start at $350 and go all the way up to $3,250 for a table for ten. A portion of the dinner proceeds go to the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America® Scholarship Fund.
At 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 24, Mantuano will participate in a cooking demo at Sur La Table (2224 Union St., S.F.). Throughout the day from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., there will also be product demos, tastings and book signings.
For more info and tickets: jbftasteamerica.org