San Francisco Food Blog

MCCLA

Taste the burn.

​Mole to Die For is the theme of Wednesday's Dia de Los Muertos mole contest at Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (2868 Mission at 25th St.), Nov. 18, 7-10 p.m. This is the fifth year professional and home chefs alike will vie for cash prizes and local fame. (Sorry, procrastinators, the entry deadline was two days ago). Amateurs and pros will be judged in separate categories. Judges are S.F. sculptor Viva Paredes, and Eva Ackerman and Hugo Rodriguez of Gracias Madre (2211 Mission at 18th St.), Café Gratitude's Mexican food spin-off slated to open Dec. 14.

The battle unfolds in MCCLA's second-floor gallery space. Tickets are $7. If you're expecting to chomp on a big old turkey leg slathered in sauce, you're out of luck. Organizers specify that meat can be cooked with the mole, but must be removed before serving. Small plates of rice and beans will be available for palate cleansing between samples.

bookcellarinc.com

Just don't put turkey in the cupcakes, okay?

​Iron Cupcake San Francisco is in a savory state of mind right now. Last month's bout took on the theme of Oktoberfest, and this month the attention turns to the even broader challenge of representing Thanksgiving in cupcake form.

There's still plenty of time to brainstorm ideas for this competition, which takes place Monday, Nov. 23, at 7 p.m. at Leland Tea Company (1416 Bush at Polk). Bakers need to preregister by the 22nd and will get in free. It's five bucks for the rest of us, but that includes a house tea to drink and copious amounts of what's sure to be an interesting array of cupcakes.

While the organizers do list turkey in their list of suggested ingredients, we implore you to avoid the bird altogether. That's just gross.

foodnetwork.com

​The title for the third SF Food Wars challenge is Holiday Fixins-Off, a grand slam of sides with style. Organizer Jeannie Choe is currently calling all competitors. Choe is never short of prospective entrants vying for the 20 available slots, but she's hoping to cast a wider net for this one, so don't be shy if you think you've got the winning dish in your recipe arsenal. Tickets go on sale on the site on Monday, Nov. 16, at noon. Act fast if you want 'em, because the last battle sold out in about an hour.

Full disclosure: This blogger will be one of the guest judges, and will consider bribes starting now.

timeoutnewyork/Flickr

Not that Fieri.

​Billed as the world's largest tomato sauce competition, Boss of the Sauce hits North Beach Sunday. For this third annual Boss event celebrating Italian heritage, restaurants will have their tomato sauce creations judged by both public volunteers and celeb judges. Tasting tickets begin at $20. Pasta from Il Porcellino and Palio d'Asti. Beer from Bira Moretti, with Elizabeth Spencer wines and Café Razzi coffee. It takes place at Saints Peter and Paul Church (666 Filbert at Stockton), from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (doors open at noon). And who knows, footage from the event just might end up on Food Network. And sure, while the event is organized by FIERI, it has nothing to do with the wispy-haired and man-jewelery-rocking Guy.

T. Palmer

​This month's cooking competition at Omnivore Books (3885A Cesar Chavez at Church) focuses on the pumpkin. The event, which takes place on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 4 to 5 p.m., is free for contestants and $5 for tasters. Push the boundaries of what's gastronomically possible with the orange globe, be voted the people's choice, and Omnivore will split the proceeds with you.

revjim5000/Flickr

The length to beat: 300 feet.

​Yeah, this is how we roll: Food history may be made on Sunday, Nov. 8, when a group in Berkeley attempts to make the world's longest California roll.

Eight years ago, a group in Maui set a record for a 300-foot-long roll. The Cal organizers hope to beat the record and "bring the California roll record back to Cal!" Eaters, you will be able to eat the results of the sushi made with crab (or, um, krab), cucumber, and avocado, all wrapped in vinegared rice -- after the proper photos and documentation take place. In Japan, the California roll has gained popularity, and is known as kashu-maki (literally, "California roll"). Credit for the roll's invention usually goes to Ichiro Manashita, of L.A.'s Tokyo Kaikan restaurant, sometime in the early 1970s.

The Berkeley roll-a-thon happens at Sather Gate on the Cal campus, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Organizers are planning to set up 56 tables for the event, which is sponsored by U.C.'s Center for Japanese Studies and Cal Dining. You can sign up as an unaffiliated individual or as part of a team -- register here. But keep in mind that team leaders are expected to show up tomorrow at 8 p.m. for a practice roll in the Unit 1 Residential Halls All-Purpose Room (College at Bowditch, Berkeley).

​The San Francisco chapter of Iron Cupcake has been active with monthly cooking competitions for the past year, and has tasked local bakers to use ingredients such as squash, pepper, and curry in their creations. To celebrate its birthday, this month's Iron Cupcake San Francisco challenge straps on the lederhosen and takes on an Oktoberfest theme. Follow the St. Pauli girls to Leland Tea Company (1416 Bush at Polk) tonight at 7 p.m. to taste and judge a spread of mini cupcakes all made with beer. The $5 cover scores gluttonous eating and a house tea to drink.

The only vegetarian offering: Peach cupcakes with gummy eggs and bacon.

​The usually businesslike lobby of the building on Second Street that houses CBS Interactive (yes, that CBS) looked like the lawn of a suburban elementary school this afternoon. Folding tables strewn with carefully labeled homemade baked goods were set up on the polished floors, not far from the modernish cube-shaped furniture. Behind the tables, a flat-screen TV showed, bizarrely, a rotating slide show of soothing images: kitties, flowers, etc. But the kitties and cube-couches were easily overpowered by the pervasive smell of bacon.

Every year a group of CBS Interactive employees hold a bake-off to raise funds for a nonprofit and to foster friendly competition between co-workers. This year's beneficiary was Habitat for Humanity. And for the first time ever, the bake sale had a theme. Everything up for grabs today was made with either bacon or faux-bacon.

​ Chocolate-bacon cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting. The pig had no comment.
​These maple bacon bites oozed with creamy filling.
​Tiny apple-bacon crumble cakes were selling like, uh, hot cakes.
​ Not all the wares were traditional baked goods. One person brought bacon-caramel apples, while another had whipped up bacon brittle.
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​This baker didn't shy away from the secret ingredient. On these cupcakes, sprigs of fried bacon adorned healthy dollops of frosting .
​There was a little something for everybody. Those who didn't have a sweet tooth could snap up these bacon cheesy poofs.
​What's a bake sale without chocolate chip cookies? Bits of bacon were bursting out of these gooey versions of the childhood favorite.

Tamara Palmer

Sweetiecups' "La Vie en Brie"

​We thought we were way over cupcakes, but as we told a friend, "If cupcakes were always as good as the ones we had at the SF Food Wars Mini Cupcake Clash, we'd be happy!" (Or words to that effect.)

Sunday was a perfect day for cupcaking in the delightful courtyard next to Stable Café, temperate and a little overcast. We were charmed by the scene: eager attendees, who'd paid a more-than-reasonable $10 to sample what turned out to be 22 different mini cupcakes, wandering down a Willie Wonka dream-alley lined with tables laden with sweets. Creativity abounded, in the naming of the teams as well as their confections, and also in costumes and the ineffable art of display. Who could resist the two mustached girls (Team Mustache, bien sur) who cooked up beer-flavored bites called "Guinness Gasm"? Or the Sweetiecups, with their carefully-decorated pear/walnut cakes iced with brie, paired with tiny cups of white wine? Or the three-tiered cheerful yellow-and-white-checked gingham stand of Hella Fat's "My Grandma's Bananas"?

Savory oddities included olive oil cupcakes with vinaigrette-flavored frosting, and bacon poppers hiding cherry tomatoes, iced with chive cream cheese. We loved the little bacon-and-maple syrup Piggycakes, too.

bdjsb7/Flickr

Um, not like that.

​This just in from the Tweetdeck: This Sunday's Mini Cupcake Clash -- SFoodie's own Tamara Palmer is one of the judges -- at Stable Café (2128 Folsom at 17th St.) may be sold out, but today, SF Food Wars announced it was offering the chance to win two tickets. Tweet sffoodwars a pic of yourself doing your best impression of a cupcake by 6 p.m. today, and you might win two free tickets. Because cupcakes are generally for happy times, we're guessing that expressing some cheer and fluffiness -- however you interpret that -- is a good tactic for winning. Think adorable and tasty. A splash of sprinkles and frosting may not hurt your chances, either.

Magnoliamcgeepie.blogspot.com

Past winner Jessica Appelgren is on this year's judging panel.

​All kinds of pie will be on hand for the third annual pie contest at Mission Pie (2901 Mission at 25th St.) this Sunday. Anyone can get in the game -- roll out, fill, and bake up your own particular specialty, and you're good. If you're thinking of sticking with seasonal, current Mission Pie offerings include apple, pumpkin, mixed berry, plum frangipane, walnut, banana cream, and vegan pear-raspberry, but don't feel obliged to copy any of those. Sunday's festivities start at 1 p.m.; submissions are accepted until 2:30 p.m. Judging takes place from 2:30 to 4 p.m., and the winners will be announced around 4. A special guest is promised (any guesses?). One of the judges is Jessica Appelgren, a former winner herself (for apple huckleberry) and went on to become a Blue Ribbon winner at the San Mateo County Fair this summer.

Orange County Girl/Flickr

They only look girlie.

​Last time around it was a sick-ass slog through 20 versions of mac and cheese sportin' blue cheese, fatback -- even miso. But SF Food Wars' next throwdown centers around a food group altogether sweeter and kitten-fluffier: cupcakes. Mini ones, which might make the October 18 at Stable Cafe (2128 Folsom at 17th St.) seem practically adorable.

Don't count on it.

SF Food Wars Mini Cupcake Clash promises to be just as pointy-elbow brutal as the Mac Battle Royale w/ Cheese. Today, SFFW sent out a call for entries -- amateurs and professionals alike are welcome to battle (drop an e-mail to heyyou@sffoodwars.com - go to sffoodwars.com first to see what info to include). A potentially nauseating twist: You can enter savories, if you think they'll be irresistible to the judges, who include SFoodie contributor Tamara Palmer and Gobba Gobba Hey's Steven Gdula.

Event tickets ($10) go on sale next Monday, September 28 at noon. Clear your calendar, since you'll have to e-mail pretty much precisely at noon -- only 170 tix are available. They're guaranteed to go like mini cupcakes.

T. Palmer

Super Mario-inspired cupcakes from the 2008 competition.

​Last year's inaugural CupcakeCamp competition was so rabid, you had to really want to eat the cupcakes against all odds to have even half a chance to snag one. Trays, which came out once every 10 minutes, took no more than two seconds to be cleared.

With all the talk of an impending cupcake crash, crowds might be even more enthusiastic and chaotic this year before the bottom falls out. Cupcakes will come out every 15 minutes instead of 10, which should only increase the anticipation. Prospective cupcake contestants need to register their entries by September 27; categories include Best Halloween Cupcake, Best Decorated, Best Unique Ingredients, and Best Breakfast-Inspired. The actual event takes place on Sunday, October 4, from 2-5 p.m. at Automattic (Pier 38, Embarcadero and Brannan).

gardening.about.com

The first step in deceptively delicious cupcakes?

​The Bay Area's eclectic competitive cooks should rejoice at September's secret ingredient for the monthly Iron Cupcake San Francisco battle. Think you can make deceptively delicious cupcakes using squash? Get the ideas flowing in time for the actual bake-off on Monday, September 28, at 6 p.m. (location to be announced on the meetup page). Five bucks admission gets you a drink and what will doubtless be a creative array of veggie-loaded cupcakes.

paul79uf/Flickr

Imagine the possibilities.

​We'll have to wait and see if the latest fatty food from the State Fair of Texas -- deep-fried butter -- ever becomes the subject of a food eating contest in the Joey Chestnut style. Chances are that watching anyone eat a deep-fried butter stick may make viewers feel icky, amused, nauseated, and fascinated, all in one fell swoop.

Yesterday, fair organizers named deep-fried butter as one of eight finalists for food competitions at the fair's annual Big Texas Awards. We're still trying to decide if fat fried in fat is a kind of easy fallback, or exponentially more creative than the kind of typical artery-clogging fair fare we spotted recently at the San Mateo County Fair: deep-fried veggies, deep-fried Twinkies, deep-fried Oreos, and huge hunky hot dogs. What we do know is this: As for the rest of the Big Texas finalists, others up for consideration seemed to take a more complicated route from an ingredient standpoint. That includes stuffed cherry peppers, deep-fried peaches and cream (is that a porn title just waiting to happen?), and country-fried pork chips, meant to be dipped in gravy.

The "winners" from this group will be announced on Monday.

chandoo.org

​After last month's mighty fried chicken battle, eating enthusiast Celia Sack has announced a new cooking competition. Bring your best personally-baked pies (cut into bite-sized portions) to Sack's shop Omnivore Books (3885A Cesar Chavez at Church) on Thursday, September 10, at 6 p.m. and compete for the chance to win top honors as well as half the door money (if you ain't bakin', it'll cost you $5 to eat and judge the hour-long contest).

Pie knows no boundaries, but prospective entrants might take advantage of the fruit that will then be (or still be) in season in September. According to the seasonality chart at CUESA, it'll be a great time to use apples, Asian pears, blackberries, dates, figs, nectarines, peaches, strawberries, and more.   

SF Asian Chefs Association

Team USA (in red) reacts to winning Silver.

​In its third appearance at the Taipei World Culinary Contest, Team USA brought home Silver. The squad was composed of five chefs from S.F., all members of the San Francisco Asian Chefs Association: Philippe Striffeler of Hotel Nikko, Ty Mahler of Roy's, Scott Whitman of Sushi Ran, Arturo Moscoso from the Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach, and Damon Bartham of the California Culinary Academy. For the first time ever, the S.F. team advanced to the second day of the competition. The final elimination round on day three was between Northern Taiwan, which scored the Grand Prize, and Fuzhou, which took home Gold.

Judge Susur Lee, the famed Toronto chef who recently opened Shang in New York City, told Swiss-born Striffeler that the judges were amazed that a team with no Asian members got so far in the competition. According to Philippe's wife Marcia, who blogged the cook-off, the judges considered Team USA to be the absolute best at presentation and innovation.

Death by dairy: Mac Battle Royale w/ Cheese

​It's been more than 24 hours since SF Food Wars held its inaugural cooking competition at Stable Cafe (2128 Folsom at 17th St.). Even a day later, I am still weighted with quease for cheese, slogging through the day in a carbohydrate haze.

When organizer Jeannie Choe kindly asked me to be one of the guest judges for the Mac Battle Royale w/Cheese (aka mac and cheese battle), it sounded like a dream. I accepted without even thinking about it. Later, the reality set in: How exactly did I plan to handle sampling 20 different and incredibly eccentric entries, especially with a notoriously delicate tummy?

Life's rough as a cheese judge.

​The best solution available: An industrial-sized box of lactose intolerance medication, a vow to eat no more than two bites of each dish, a wing, and a prayer. For the most part, it worked, until the cavalcade of divergent flavors started to sink in.

Truffle. Peanut butter. Vadouvan. Fatback. Duck. Bourbon. Chicharrones (twice). Bacon (too many times to count).

Oh, and cheese. Did I mention cheese?

Asian Chefs Association

The bronze-winning 2007 San Francisco team in Taipei.

​The Taipei World Culinary Contest has again asked the San Francisco Asian Chefs Association to represent the U.S.A. in a grueling three-day culinary competition. From August 20 to August 23, the home team will go up against teams from China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and northern and southern Taiwan in a grand Asian food cook-off. It'll be the third time San Francisco is participating. In 2007, the local team brought home the bronze.

This year's team includes Philippe Striffeler of the Hotel Nikko, Ty Mahler of Roy's, Scott Whitman of Sushi Ran, Arturo Moscoso from the Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach, and Damon Bartham of the California Culinary Academy (the CCA has been providing practice kitchens, and will send five of its top students as assistants).

Striffeler told SFoodie that each chef has his own specialty. "I do the appetizers, but also the organization," he said "making sure they're all on time. I'm Swiss, after all!" San Francisco's Asian Chefs Association counts among its members many non-Asians like Striffeler, a veteran of kitchens in Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, and Vietnam. Ty Mahler of Roy's, who was on the 2007 team, enjoys the camaraderie. "We work together so well," he said. "We break it down, like a French brigade. Scott and I specialize in seafood, but I like doing it all."

*amber e*/Flickr

Live to fight another day.

It's too late to enter a recipe for SF Food Wars' August 23rd Mac Battle Royale w/ Cheese at the Stable Café (2128 Folsom at 17th St.), which was announced only yesterday. Before Food Wars closed the list, some 60 competitors -- three times as many as the Stable will hold -- had signed up. The 170 tickets ($10 each -- profits go to the San Francisco Food Bank) sold out instantly, too.

So why are we telling you about the event? Three reasons. First, SFoodie's own Tamara Palmer is one of the esteemed judges (hint: we hear she likes bacon). Second, we admire Food Wars' puns: The event starts, in wording on its Web site, "at 1 p.m. sharp (cheddar) and runs till (amook) 4 p.m."

And third, there's always next time -- follow SF Food Wars on Twitter and Facebook to learn about future wars. Jeannie Choe, who self-describes as SF Food Wars' gatekeeper, told us they're definitely planning more Battle Royales, and said she was delighted and overwhelmed by the instantaneous response. "I was afraid nobody would sign up," she said.

The next war will be announced at the mac 'n' cheese event. But we hear it'll be suh-weet!

foodnetwork.com

Think you can do better than this Guy?

Are you a local amateur or pro chef who thinks they can outfire Northern California's own Guy Fieri (or any other star of the Food Network, for that matter) with their charisma and culinary know-how? Fieri won the second season of The Next Food Network Star back in 2006, and now the cable channel is currently casting for the forthcoming sixth season, which will air in 2010.

Per the ad on Craigslist, bring a filled-out application, a resume, and two recent photos of yourself to the San Francisco casting call of The Next Food Network Star on Sunday, July 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at W San Francisco (181 Third St. at Howard). You just might start the path towards having your own cooking show on television.

exo.net

Iron Science Teacher fruit cake battle.

With a crafty nod to TV's Iron Chef franchise, a local battle called Iron Science Teacher has a similar premise: Take a secret ingredient and use it to make something, in this case a science demo that will fly in an actual classroom. The secret ingredient in Iron Science Teacher is often an edible one, though that's not a requirement. Past picks have included chocolate, potatoes, fruitcake, sugar, and, um, bones.

Iron Science Teacher heats up the Exploratorium (3601 Lyon at Jefferson) as Bay Area educators vie for bragging rights on Friday, July 10, and Friday, July 17, from noon to 1 p.m. The competition is free with regular Exploratorium admission ($14), or watch the Web broadcast live.

Willie Mae's Scotch House

In a crispy twist from its usual schedule of readings and talks, Omnivore Books (3885A Cesar Chavez at Church) will soon host its first Fried Chicken Taste-Off. Are you a breast or thigh master? Bring your own home-cooked fried chicken to compete for the chance to win all the door proceeds (non-battling chicken eaters will pay $5 for the privilege to taste and rate the entrants' handiwork). The finger-lickin' good action takes place at the bookstore on Thursday, July 9, from 6 to 7 p.m. Bonus: Omnivore owner Celia Sack will offer complimentary wine.

Jay/Flickr

These could get you free beer.

Are you a taco master? Do your friends bypass taquerias and trucks to feast on your famed homemade tacos de lengua? The folks at Oakland's upcoming Eat Real Festival, a celebration of street food in Jack London Square the weekend of August 28, want you to send them your favorite recipe, with bonus points for tortillas and salsa from scratch.

Winner gets two tickets to Eat Real's Beer Shed (value: $40, or $50 at the door), which promises to offer the best of Northern California's artisanal beers, selected by David McLean of Magnolia Brewpub. In addition, the recipe will be posted on the Civil Eats Web site, and included in the taco-themed produce and fruit box Eat Real is developing with the Fruit Guys, the office fruit delivery service. Send your recipe posthaste to info@eatrealfest.com, since the contest ends July 6.

Tammy Green/Flickr

Victory chicken dances are considered bad form.

Quick: Get your ass to any nearby produce market and start scrambling like hell for pluots and huckleberries.

Originally scheduled for next Monday, the monthly Iron Cupcake Challenge is going down tonight, 7 p.m., at Leland Tea Company (1416 Bush at Polk). (Long story, something to do with host venue Leland Tea getting all bollixed up with street construction next week, making it inaccessible.) Tonight's theme? Summer/seasonal fruits.

For Iron Cupcake novices, here's the deal. You show up between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. with already baked cupcakes (at least two dozen minis), create a fetching display, announce your brilliant creation, and cross your fingers. All baker-contestants vote for the victor.

Note to the eventual winner: End-zone victory shuffles and cupcake spikes are strongly discouraged.

Exploring the intersection between "art, craft, education, and performance," Oakland's Rock Paper Scissors Collective hosts a multitude of classes and activities ranging from sewing and jewelry making to Pilates and 'zine crafting. But this Saturday, May 9, RPSC jumps on the cupcake craze with its 1st Annual Cupcake Bakeoff, which takes place from 2-4 p.m. at 2278 Telegraph (at 23rd St., in Oakland). Admission is $4 and includes a taste of the 10 competing cupcakes and an opportunity to help declare the winning bite. There will also be a cookbook with recipes from all the contestants for sale. Proceeds will benefit the Community Collaborations Donation Campaign, RPSC's outreach program promoting creativity and resourcefulness in underserved communities in Oakland.

Douglas Keane

Douglas Keane of Cyrus Surprise Winner for Best Chef, Pacific, and Nate Appleman's Third Time is Charm as He Wins Best Rising Star Chef

At last night's James Beard Awards, in something of an upset, Douglas Keane of Cyrus in Healdsburg won Best Chef, Pacific, over fellow nominees Jeremy Fox (Ubuntu, Napa), Loretta Keller (Coco 500, San Francisco), David Kinch (Manresa, Los Gatos), and Daniel Patterson (Coi, San Francisco). Most of the nominees, all of whom we spoke to last week, thought that Kinch would win -- Keane himself said "I think David may be the best chef in the country." 

Jennifer Sauer

Chef Jeremy Fox

The James Beard Awards (popularly known as the Oscars of the food world) will be awarded Monday, May 4. This year all five chefs nominated for the category of Best Chef: Pacific - an area that covers California and Hawaii -- come from the Bay Area: Jeremy Fox of Ubuntu in Napa, Douglas Keane of Cyrus in Healdsburg, Loretta Keller of Coco500 in San Francisco, David Kinch of Manresa in Los Gatos, and Daniel Patterson of Coi in San Francisco.

Conversations with all five of them this week revealed them to be a remarkably collegial and generous bunch. When these chefs say that it's an honor to be nominated alongside each other, and they'd be happy if any of them won, you believe them. They're also looking forward to eating in NYC - one hot place, Corton, nominated this year for Best New Restaurant, is hosting three of them.

David Kinch said, regarding his chances, "I'm not holding my breath. Everyone who's nominated this year I can call my friend - it's a really cool group to be included in. Jeremy Fox is one of my old guys - I'm very proud, like a father to him." He's leaving for New York "after service on Saturday, taking the red-eye. We get off the plane and go straight to brunch at Prune - I've never been there. I'll be going with Jeremy. And we're having dinner at Corton - partnered with Drew Nieporent, Paul Liebrandt is just doing solid, delicious food. I'm also looking forward to a couple of off-the radar Japanese places that I'm going to try. One on-the-radar one that I'm also going to is Yakitori Totto."

Kinch is the name that comes up most often when the chefs prognosticate the winner. Douglas Keane is nominated for the third year in a row. He lost to Traci des Jardins of Jardiniere in 2007 and Craig Stoll of Delfina in 2008 - San Francisco is on a roll. He laughs "Always a bridesmaid!," and says "I think David Kinch may be the best chef in the country." He adds "I know Loretta, I know David very well, Daniel I've done events with, and Jeremy - it's a great honor to be included. I try not to read too much into the awards. All the accolades are great - they're fun, icing on the cake, and help bring in business - but we do no more than 85 covers every night, and we're only as good as the last meal." He'll be away from Napa only 48 hours, and looks forward to "trying some dim sum in Chinatown."

This month's theme for the local chapter of Iron Cupcake is breakfast. Whether that means sweet like pancakes and maple syrup or savory like bacon and eggs, there's plenty of room to play with the breakfast idea, and anyone may enter (details are on the official meetup page). The competition is open to the public and will take place on March 30 at 6 p.m. at the Leland Tea Company (1416 Bush).

With separate divisions for amateur chefs, restaurants and corporations, the 28th Annual Santa Cruz Clam Chowder Cook-Off & Festival offers a unique cooking competition for all levels. The event, which has its own silly theme song, takes place on Saturday, February 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (400 Beach St., Santa Cruz). Admission is free and chowder tasting kits are $8, with proceeds to benefit the city's Parks and Recreation Department.