@loveforbutter bake sale
Local pastry chef John Shelsta (@loveforbutter on Instagram) started holding weekend pop-ups in Palo Alto this year to epic success, regularly selling out. Get there early for his holiday bake sale on Saturday, Dec. 17, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Zola, 565 Bryant St., Palo Alto.
Pastry chef John Shelsta, above, is holding a year-end holiday bake sale in Palo Alto on Dec. 17. Photo by Michelle Le.
Latke competition
Get excited for the start of Hanukkah by watching four teams compete in a holiday latke-off at Whole Foods in Los Altos on Monday, Dec. 19. The potato pancakes will be judged by Effie Speigler, executive chef for the Oakland Coliseum; Kenji Lopez-Alt, managing culinary director for SeriousEats.com and author of "The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science;" Hadar Harris, executive director of the Northern California Innocence Project; and Andrew Siporen, a team leader for Whole Foods. They will also lead a discussion about what makes a great latke. The latke competition starts at 7 p.m., followed by the discussion at 8:30 p.m. and a "Food Lab" giveaway/book signing with Lopez-Alt at 8:45 p.m. Shoppers can sample the latkes during the competition. For more information, view the Facebook event.
Winter ale extravaganza at The Refuge
Head to The Refuge in downtown Menlo Park on Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 5 p.m. for holiday winter ale tastings that comes with a free gift (while supplies last). The beer and pastrami haven is located at 1143 Crane St.
Borrone MarketBar pop-up
Menlo Park's Borrone MarketBar isn't reopening yet, but it's returning temporarily for another holiday pop-up market. Pick up homemade focaccia, appetizers, pasta, desserts and more on Thursday, Dec. 22, and Friday, Dec. 23, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1010 El Camino Real. Pre-orders are encouraged; call 650-600-8095. View the full offerings here.
Borrone MarketBar chef and co-owner Josh Pebbles helps a customer with a to-go order in 2014. Photo by Natalia Nazarova/Palo Alto Weekly.
Chestnut roasting at Shoreline Lake
What says the holidays more than chestnuts roasting on an open fire? Head to Shoreline Lake in Mountain View to do just that (barring inclement weather) on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 15-16, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 17-18, 1-3 p.m. at 3160 N. Shoreline Blvd. For more information, go to shorelinelake.com.
