Tag food festival

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.

Parties That Cook Will Start Your Cravings for San Francisco’s Street Food Festival 2012

It’s almost here! What could be considered a foodie’s paradise is now just around the corner. As if we San Francisco kids haven’t been spoiled enough by the delicious edible options at Outside Lands, the 4th Annual San Francisco Street Food Festival will be taking over the Mission on Saturday, August 18. Finally.

As I’m sure we’ve mentioned before, this festival is hosted by La Cocina, a business incubator set out to help low-income entrepreneurs, primarily on women from culturally diverse and immigrant communities, launch and grow their food-related businesses. (Fun fact: We host our Mouthwatering Mission class in their shared commercial kitchen!) La Cocina also offers business services to help set these entrepreneurs up for success and make them self-sufficient.

Get excited: Over 80 vendors are expected, and about half of them are from La Cocina’s incubator program. With such a tantalizing list of vendors, you better believe some of us PTC gals will be in attendance!

That’s kind of a lot of food for one person in one day, so we recommend planning your attack in advance. Here’s a handy map of where vendors will be set up. The festival is scheduled from 11am – 7pm, giving you the opportunity to squeeze in all 3 meals — walking around between meals is probably a good idea.

Insider tip: Buy a Passport to the festival! While these handy vouchers won’t help the lines, they will help you avoid dealing with cash. There are a few tiers available, and the more you buy, the more you save. Good to know: You don’t actually have to use the entire passport value yourself. Bring friends or family and split the cost of food and drinks!

Don’t want it all to end? Check out the 2-day conference following the festivities. That’s right, the conference runs Sunday and Monday, with tasty brunch options available and loads of learning points to walk away with.

Want more info? Check out this great guide or this road map to the Street Food Fest, or click any of the links above!!