San Francisco Street Food Festival 2012

 

 

 

Well I told you about it a few weeks back, so if you missed it you have no one to blame but yourself. Last week’s fourth annual “San Francisco Food Festival” was the best ever; it seems that this event just gets better every year. If you didn’t make it I hope you will put it on your calender and try to go next year. The food was great and the weather was awesome.

 

 

This was the recipe of the day:

• 80 food vendors
• 6 city blocks
• Buckets of sunshine
• Throngs of enthusiastic and congenial foodies
• Numerous dedicated volunteers
• Limitless creativity
• Immeasurable commitment

Toss together the first five ingredients. Add limitless creativity and immeasurable commitment.  Allow to simmer until reaching desired doneness. Stick a fork in it if you aren’t sure! You are now ready to serve, enjoy, revel, share, and by all means give thanks.

 

I can only imagine how much hard work goes into putting on an event of this scale, but the organizers sure do a great job. The spirit of camaraderie and community was palpable. Here are a few pictures I took to share.

 

 

 Here are a few tips for when you go next year:

• Follow ‘SFstreetfood’ and’ La Cocina’ on Twitter to keep abreast of the most current information. Before the festival you will be able to get a list of who is going to be there. You might want to highlight the food and vendors that you most want to try. The hardest part with so many choices is deciding what to eat. If you fill up too soon you may wish you had practiced a little restraint. You can always go early, go home take a nap, and then go back for seconds… hey, it worked for me. Don’t panic if you see a long line; there is a reason for that line! In any case, they move quickly, and it is a great chance to socialize and chat up a stranger.
• Be sure to bring sun screen as it is often sunny in the mission, even when the rest of the city is cold and grey (this was certainly the case this year) .
• Go with a group. Even though the portions are small, sharing with others is a great way to try more goodies.
• Purchase a passport online before you go. It will save time and money, and you can share the food tickets with as many friends, family, and strangers as you want to.

 

‘La Cocina’ is a great organization and this event is a major fundraiser for the great work they do all year round.  Be generous and consider making a small donation when you arrive. It isn’t required, but it is greatly appreciated as it helps support their programs (which enrich us all), keeps the festival possible and just makes you feel good. Take the time to visit them online here to see what they are all about. You can also visit them at their booth at the ‘San Francisco Ferry Building’.

See you there in 2013!

Links:

San Francisco Street Food Festival:  http://www.sfstreetfoodfest.com/ and on Twitter: http://twitter.com/streetfoodsf

La Cocina: http://www.lacocinasf.org/ and on Twitter: http://twitter.com/lacocinasf

San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace: http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/ and on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SFFerryBuilding