Pause your Netflix cheating ways and take in some live food/art -- Nucky Thompson and all his gun play and illicit hot sex can hold! The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is serving up a too-tempting multimedia free exhibit with the Kitchen Sisters called "The Making Of..." which has 100 artisans making everything from hotrods to kimchi, violins to submerged turntables throughout the museum. Since SFMOMA is shuttering for renovations, "The Making Of..." is something of a til-we-meet-again fiesta.

On Friday May 31, there will be an added spectacle that even has the potential halo effect via "The Making of a Charitable Food Movement" which provides real sustenance for folks that need it. Mission Street Food's Karen Leibowitz says their event is definitely an experiment. Originally she talked to Kitchen Sister Davia Nelson about participating and thought they would do a pop-up restaurant. It was quickly obvious that something bigger made sense. Anthony Myint explains how their personal business philosophy is at play, "We've been involved with restaurants with a charitable agenda. I suspect that if we didn't have a charitable agenda, and lowered prices, people would still be interested."

See also: Art and Food Join Forces at SFMOMA's Collaboration With Hip S.F. Restaurants
Blue Bottle at SFMOMA Rolls Out New Artistic Desserts Ahead of Cookbook

More »

La Cocina

Chef Gabrielle Hamilton, owner/operator of the acclaimed restaurant, Prune, in New York City and New York Times best selling author of Blood, Bones and Butter was in San Francisco last Tuesday night volunteering her time as the chef for La Cocina's Inaugural Gala. The event raised more than $100,000 to benefit the small business incubator.

Although Hamilton has received much enthusiastic praise from her peers for her restaurant and writing (with Anthony Bourdain going as far as saying her book is the "Simply the best memoir by a chef ever. Ever.") and buzz about a Hollywood movie deal, it doesn't appear to have gone to her head. Hamilton found time to be the chef at the May 14 gala at the Bently Reserve in San Francisco serving a delicious four course meal: Cold sorrel soup with salted whipped cream and marble potatoes; grilled Devil's Gulch quail on seeded toast with warm parsley vinaigrette; rabbit fricasee with morels, peas, and pearl onions; buttered mixed carrots with honeycomb, celery hearts victor; and Breton butter cake with cold candied oranges and Dandelion dark chocolate shards to 250 guests.

More »

La Cocina, the food business incubator for low-income and immigrant women entrepreneurs, is hosting its inaugural gala tonight, and to accompany it there's an online silent auction that has some tasty Bay Area-centric prizes.

See also: Art and Food Join Forces at SFMOMA's Collaboration With Hip S.F. Restaurants

More »

Taste of Portreo

More than 28 of San Francisco's top restaurants and bars will be serving their tasty wares at this year's Taste of Potrero fundraiser on Thursday, May 9. This third annual event benefits Daniel Webster Elementary School, a public school in Potrero Hill that was scheduled for closure in 2006, but has been able to stay alive through fundraising.

San Francisco heavy-hitters, including State Bird Provisions (SF Weekly's best new restaurant of 2012), Beretta, Hard Water, Lolinda, Smitten Ice Creamery, Wise Sons Deli, Commonwealth, Trick Dog bar, Hi-Lo BBQ, and many other local favorites will be joining their flavorful forces from 7 p.m. to midnight at SomArts, located on 934 Brannan St. They will be raising funds for the vulnerable school where 50 percent of its students are socially and economically disadvantaged and 60 percent are in the free and reduced lunch program.

100 percent of the proceeds from Thursday night's event will go to the Daniel Webster PTA to fund for a math program, literacy program, two classroom teachers, a computer teacher, and a PE instructor.

More »

Courtesy of Speed Rack

Last year's winner, Jill Webster

This Sunday the Oscars aren't the only show worth watching. Go cheer your favorite nominees for leading female bartender in a bar drama at the second annual breast cancer fundraiser Speed Rack. The competition is the first nationwide competition designed to highlight up-and-coming women in the cocktail industry, and give back to those impacted by breast cancer.

Starring an all-star cast of leading bartending ladies, this cocktail-studded event makes the perfect pre-game for your Oscar viewing. Set the TiVo on the Oscars, and go do a little good.

See also: SF Female Bartenders Breaking the Speed Rack Barrier

More »

Soda Popinski's

What feels better than a few drinks after work with some friends? Simultaneously making the world a better place while doing it.

This Thursday (Jan. 31), Soda Popinski's in Nob Hill will host a happy hour benefitting buildOn, an organization that mobilizes urban youth to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through community service and education. BuildOn's San Francisco Young Professionals board will be guest bartending from 6 to 8 p.m., and offering two-for-one drinks between 6 and 7 p.m. All tips during the event will be donated back to the organization's work in the Bay Area. In addition to the drink specials, a free can of beer goes to each person who donates a coat to the cause.

See also: List of Restaurants Implicated in Health Insurance Fraud Crackdown Released
Class Alert! Master Knife Skills, Soba Noodles, and Valentine's Sweets
The World As You Know It Has Ended: Trader Joe's Raises Price of "Two Buck Chuck"

More »

Wine and Wishes

Share Our Strength Dinner
Where: Spruce, 3640 Sacramento (at Spruce), 931-5100
When: Tues., Jan. 22, 6 p.m.
Cost: $250
The rundown: Give us the chance to see celeb chefs (including Food Network alum Amanda Freitag) and taste a sweet chocolate cremeaux from Belinda Leong and we'll find a way to put together $250 for a charity dinner. Then there's the "good cause" feel good effect: Share Our Strength is a fiscally responsible charity that raises funds to end childhood hunger. Tasting food from Craig Stoll, Anthony Strong, Jason Berthold, Mark Sullivan & John Madriaga only sweetens the deal. (This writer is a longtime volunteer and one time project manager for SOS).

See also:
- Food & Farm Film Fest Screens at Roxie Theater in March
- Schulzies Bread Pudding Readies for Opening, Seeks More Funding on Kickstarter

More »

Flickr/Thomas Hawk

Food & Farm Film Fest takes place on Mar. 29-31 at Roxie Theater.

Food & Farm Film Fest

Where: Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St. (at Valencia), 863-1087
When: Mar. 29-31
Cost: $90 for full festival pass and opening party at Four Barrel (purchase in advance via Brown Paper Tickets)

The rundown: The slate of six screenings that will make up the first-ever Food & Farm Film Fest has yet to be announced, but full festival passes are now on sale for those earlybird types (events will be sold separately closer to the date as well). Public submissions of short films under 30 minutes are still being considered, with the winning selections to be notified at the beginning of February.

See Also:
- Jiro Dreams of Sushi Plays Sad and Quirky with the Japanese Work Ethic
- Weird and Random Glimpses of Food on Film

More »

Tamara Palmer

A birds' eye view of graduation at San Francisco Baking Institute.

Eater brings the unfortunate word that San Francisco Baking Institute, which has trained many local professionals and armed them with the skills to open their own businesses, may have to remain closed while it is mired in state red tape to get their application for license renewal approved. The renewal was prompted by a change in state law. The 16-year-old school was ordered closed on December 21 as the application has yet to be processed.

Founder Michel Suas, a chef and author who also operates the Castro bakery Thorough Bread and Pastry, is considered a consummate bread god. He's helped colleagues like Thomas Keller, Alice Waters, and Nancy Silverton perfect the rising art. And now it's time to help him.

See Also:
- S.F. Rising: Epi From Thorough Bread and Pastry
- Sweet Beat: Thorough Bread and Pastry's Chocolate Bread

More »

Whiskey Waxing Mustache and Beard Competition
When: Weds., Nov. 28, 6-9 p.m.
Where: Comstock Saloon
Cost: $10 donation at the door; food at menu prices.
The rundown: If you or someone you know is growing a majestic mustache for Movember and feel like getting some credit, head over to Comstock Saloon. Next Wednesday, the North Beach bar will be hosting a competition to see who has the best mustache and beard, as well as who has the best whiskey-drinking style. Whiskey-themed prizes will be awarded to first place, second place, and honorable mention.

See also:
- Donate One Warm Coat, Scarf a Sweet Treat

More »