::: happy taste buds
Lindsay Meyer | Sunday, November 6, 2011
This has got to be the best Saturday afternoon of the year. For three hours, vendors from across the country converge atop of Metreon in a gorgeous event space called "City View." And for three hours, Foodbuzz Featured Publishers and their friends get to taste everything from goat yogurt to chocolate stout.
Vivian brought her A-game appetite and together we made it our #1 priority eat our way through the afternoon...
Our first stop was for Kikkoman's mango ponzu salsa. Next on the to-do list was cocktails! Skyy had a trio of unique flavor combinations. Vivian fell in love with her witch hazel from the first chocolatey-almond sip. I enjoyed the sicilian sunset, a bubbly-blood orange delight. We hit the Sabra station next, picking up pinwheels, hummus cups, and salsa to go!
I lost track after the hummus. It might have been the Biscotti Bari or the beautifully bottled Bloom Gin libations mixed by the DIY cocktails guys. There were the California endives (grown in the dark and served with a blue cheese, walnut, honey spread) and the grass-fed beef bites.
Between the sustainable seafood trifecta, the walnut bruschetta, and endless dips, I saved room for Three Twins ice cream and Mission Minis cupcakes. There was Jarlsberg cheese, Sargento cheese, Redwood Hill farm goat cheese, and Bellwether farms sheeps milk cheese. I had a Dry Creek zinfandel flight to balance the cheese, but I also had Bison Brewery beer, Fentiman's natural soda, Honeydrop tea, and Vignette Wine Country Soda (a non-alcoholic favorite!).
I was honored to meet Emily from Foodzie, who kindly invited me to their upcoming tasting room party! I loved their featured vendors and I was particularly delighted by the sweet and savory chutneys and confits from Sonoma restaurant The Girl and the Fig.
It was fun to see Tiny Urban Kitchen and take what has become an annual photograph! Between pictures with friends and pictures of food, I nibbled on toffee, salsa, BBQ meatballs, BBQ beef, fudge, and Godiva truffles. It sounds weird when I list them in that order. And yes, after a couple of hours, I eventually started to feel full. I think the TCHO chocolate tasting sort of put me over the edge!
At home, I assessed my "haul." Kids might get trick-or-treating on October 31st, but grown ups get Foodbuzz Taste Pavilion's the first Saturday afternoon of every November. Look at the loot! I swooped plenty of 18 Rabbits goodies, Ticings, black truffle 479 popcorn, a four-pack of Cascal's fermented soda, and an awesome OXO hand mixer (which will come in handy when I get around to trying that new triple chocolate cake mix)! Thanks to the awesome sponsors that make dreams like this come true...
Reader Comments (1)
So many amazing eats!! I'm so sad I didn't make it to the festival this year.