Category News & Events

Save Room for Oakland’s Eat Real Food Festival

S'mores from Eat RealI’m going to be completely honest with you… At Parties That Cook, we LOVE food. (You better not be surprised!!)

To us, every day is like a mini food festival, but this weekend is extra special. The 5th Annual Eat Real Festival is coming to Oakland! <—- This is me refraining from adding ten well-deserved exclamation points. Having made the trek to the other side of the bay the last 2 years, I can tell you first hand: Eat Real is worth it.

With far too many food vendors to sample in one two days, you best plan your route wisely. As I try to hit trucks and vendors I’ve never tasted before, I’ve already started making space for Radio Africa, Bacon Bacon, Homeroom, Kasa Indian Eatery, Sugarfoot Grits (YUM — only vendor I’m breaking my rule for), and The Chairman.

Eat Real Fest 13Oh, and don’t forget about the sporadic demos happening throughout the day. You’ll finally be able to learn about things like butchery (can you say ham tasting?!), butter making, cheese, cocktails, and coffee roasting! And if you simply can’t stomach leaving without a souvenir, check out the Craft Market where master food crafters will be selling the best bites (to take home) like jams, jerky, cookies, truffles, cheeses, honey and more. Now that I think about it, one weekend just isn’t enough!

But don’t take my word for it, taste and see for yourself! You can always stay home and check back here for envy-inspiring food photos!

Is all that awesomeness not your cup o’ tea?
1. You’re weird. We can’t be friends.
2. Check out the 14th Annual World Veg Festival in Golden Gate Park!

UPDATE: Below are some photos from the big weekend. We told you what we’d be aiming to eat — and we did it!

Radio Africa's Jambalaya - AMAZING

Radio Africa’s Jambalaya – AMAZING

Homeroom's Garlic Mac n Cheese

Homeroom’s Garlic Mac n Cheese – YUM.

Sugarfoot Grits - Check out that thick-cut bacon.

Sugarfoot Grits – Check out that thick-cut bacon.

Sugarfoot Grits - The delightful owner was nice enough to give a BONUS sample!

Sugarfoot Grits – The delightful owner was nice enough to give a BONUS sample!

Garden Creamery's Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sando. Note the rice crispy treats!

Garden Creamery’s Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sando. Note the rice crispy treats!

Frozen Kuhsterd! LOVED the Thai Tea flavor. Pictured: Coffee

Frozen Kuhsterd! LOVED the Thai Tea flavor. Pictured: Coffee

Things got a little crazy when we switched back to savory: Poutine from The Whole Beast

Things got a little crazy when we switched back to savory: Poutine from The Whole Beast.

Rice Paper Scissors - Fresh Dumplings!

Rice Paper Scissors – Fresh Dumplings!

The Chairman's lines finally died down so we could sneak in these Spicy Chicken and Pork Belly bites.

The Chairman’s lines finally died down so we could sneak in these Spicy Chicken and Pork Belly bites.

Get Rid of the Dreaded Summer Slump: Try the Amazing Kitchen Race

Amazing Kitchen Race

Want to change the atmosphere in your office and get rid of the summer slump that creeps in every afternoon? It seems your colleagues crave the sun. They need a break from the corporate mindset to recharge their work ethic… and get rid of the Dracula eyes that come from staring at a computer screen for too long.

So you hit the interwebs and search for outdoor corporate team building events. As in any fairy tale, you find Parties That Cook — lucky you! We certainly have THE perfect event for your office: the Amazing Kitchen Race.

What’s so amazing about a “kitchen race”? Two words: Scavenger Hunt. This fast-paced, four hour competition has two components. First, we send your crew to gather clues planted around the city. Depending on what they find, they might just receive advantages in the kitchen cook-off to come.

[The best part is that, like the TV show, success requires team work. If a team fails to communicate and work together, they will be penalized during the cooking portion.]

With the scavenger hunt complete, teams head back to the kitchen for appetizers and drinks (because winning makes you thirsty). After a quick sorting of treasures, aka cache, each team is awarded advantages to use during the cooking session. With these in mind, the group tunes into a lively cooking demonstration by one of our lead chefs.

High Five!Let the cooking begin! Each team works together to create a dish from a tantalizing menu of international appetizers. As the clock winds down, the pressure mounts. Discombobulated teams may start to stress, while organized team players are cruising to the finish line.

Each team then presents its culinary masterpiece to the judges. Pull out all the stops; monologues, group cheers, interpretive dances, and poems are all great ways to prove your team deserves the “W” and let loose while you’re at it.

Mission AccomplishedAs the judges taste and deliberate, guests mingle and enjoy the variety of dishes. No matter who made the winning dish, every team strengthens their bond, feels accomplished, and remembers that work can be fun. Attendees thank us, thank their company, and thank the organizer (you!) for a perfectly executed event. Mission accomplished.