Spring has sprung and so has an abundance of food-and-drink events throughout the MidPeninsula. Don’t miss the seasonal debuts of several farmer's markets, the returns of Redwood City Restaurant Week and Mountain View’s annual A La Carte & Art festival, plus other specialty food events. Several local farmers markets are launching soon for the season, including in downtown Palo Alto, Los Altos and Menlo Park. Palo Alto Weekly file photo.
Dine Out for Earth
Have a hankering for a six-course meal cooked by some of the Bay Area’s top chefs? Head to environmental awareness group Rock the Earth’s annual fundraising event, Dine Out, at Calafia Cafe in Palo Alto on Sunday, April 10. The event will feature food prepared by Calafia's own Frank Otte, Tim Archuleta of Ichi Sushi in San Francisco, Gordon Drysdale of Sweetwater in Mill Valley, Nate Keller of Zesty (a Menlo Park office caterer), Mark Dommen of One Market in San Francisco, Sophina Uong of Revival Bar & Kitchen in Berkeley and Sean Thomas of Blue Plate in San Francisco. The event will be hosted by Calafia chef-owner Charlie Ayers, a member of Rock the Earth’s advisory board. Cost: $115 per person (Feb. 29-April 15); $160 at the door (if available). For more information and to purchase tickets, go to rocktheearth.org.
Redwood City Restaurant Week
Redwood City Restaurant Week is returning for the second year from Thursday, April 21, through Wednesday, April 27. Throughout the week, customers can dine on special menu items at discounted prices at the following participating restaurants: Aly's on Main, Angelica’s, Arya Global Cuisine, Bangkok Bay, City Pub, Crouching Tiger, Donato Enoteca, Green Leaf Asian Bistro, Kemuri Japanese Baru, La Viga, LV Mar, Main & Elm, Sakana Sushi, Sakura Teppanyaki & Sushi, The Striped Pig, Vino Santo and Zadna. To view the restaurants' special menus and for more information, go to redwoodcityrestaurantweek.com.
520 Chef's Table
Chilled yogurt soup, fried calamari with tahini remodeled, Persian fish with saffron, grilled quail with Lebanese sausage — hungry yet? Sign up for this month's 520 Chef’s Table event at the Garden Court Hotel in downtown Palo Alto to dine on these menu items and others. The monthly multi-course, communal dinner is offered every third Thursday of the month, 6:30-9:30 p.m., and features a special menu designed by Executive Chef Clive Berkman. Attendance is capped at 24 diners. Ticket price ($65 per person) also includes a specialty cocktail and wine pairings. For more information and to make reservations, go to gardencourt.com.
Diners enjoy a special multi-course meal in a communal setting at a 520 Chef's Table dinner in 2014. Photo by Ciera Pasturel/Palo Alto Weekly.
Chocolate and tea class
Learn about different kinds of chocolate and those that best pair with tea during a class led by the executive pastry chef of Quattro at the Four Seasons Silicon Valley in East Palo Alto. The class will be held on Saturday, April 23, from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Cost: $70 per person. To book, call 650-566-1200.
Enoteca 100 Primavera Italian Wine Tasting
Donato Enoteca in Redwood City will be hosting an extensive wine-tasting event on Saturday, April 30, with 50-plus samples of Benvenuto Barolo, Barbaresco and Nebbiolo wines, plus food and live jazz. The event runs from 1-4 p.m. Cost: $90 per person. Space is limited; to register, go to eventbrite.com.
Facebook Farmers Market
Facebook's new farmers market will open for a second season on Saturday, April 30, and run through Dec. 3. A kickoff event will feature produce, food, wine, craft beers, entertainment, cooking demos and live music. The market takes place Saturdays, 2-5 p.m. For more information, go to facebook.com.
A La Carte & Art
Mountain View’s 20th annual A La Carte & Art festival will take place this year on Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1. Castro Street will be home for the weekend to an array of local food vendors, including Oren’s Hummus, as well as craft beers and wine purveyors and fresh produce. The festival also features live music, art, kids activities and a classic car show. The Castro Street festival will run each day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, go to ulcerate.miramarevents.com.
Downtown Los Altos Farmer’s Market
It’s that time of year: The Downtown Los Altos Farmer’s Market will reopen for the season on Thursday, May 5. The market will run Thursdays 4-8 p.m. at 2nd and State streets through September. For more information, go to cafarmersmkts.com.
Silicon Valley Irish Fleadh
Get your fill of Guinness, corned beef and shepherd’s pie at this year’s Silicon Valley Irish Fleadh on Saturday, May 7, and Sunday, May 8, in downtown Mountain View. The all-things-Irish festival will offer food, drink, music, arts and crafts and other activities from noon to 8 p.m. each day at Hope and Dana streets. For more information, go to svirishfleadh.com.
Downtown Palo Alto Farmers Market
The Downtown Palo Alto Farmers Market will officially open for the season on Saturday, May 14. The market runs every Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon, through December. Each market features a different live band; check pafarmersmarket.org for updates and a schedule.
'Tuscany on the Grill' at Quattro
Follow alongside Quattro Executive Chef Marco Fossati as he travels to a local farmers market to pick produce and returns to the Four Seasons hotel restaurant to use the ingredients to create an Italian-style brunch on Quattro's outdoor terrace on Saturday, May 14. The event is limited to 20 guests and includes transportation to and from the market as well as the brunch, which comes with Italian wine pairings. Cost: $140 per person. For more information and to book a spot, call 650-566-1200.
MacArthur Park's 'BBQ Road Trip'
From now through October, MacArthur Park in Palo Alto will each month highlight regional barbecue from different states across the country. The culinary road trip kicked off in February with New Orleans-style food, travels to North Carolina in April, then Kentucky in May, California in June, Texas in July, Georgia in August, Tennessee in September and Chicago for October. The North Carolina menu includes dishes like pulled pork shoulder with Lexington-style barbecue sauce, hushpuppies and cole slaw and North Carolina-style barbecue chicken, with mac and cheese and collard greens. For more information and to make a reservation, go to macarthurparkpaloalto.com.
