by Gary Meyer

One of the Bay Area’s largest and most exciting celebrations of food and libations will return for its seventh edition next weekend, August 20-23, when Eat Drink SF (formerly known as SF Chefs) takes over Fort Mason for 150 cooking masters from more than 100 restaurants to offer samples of their finest culinary delights at a series of Grand Tasting sessions.

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Additionally there will be wine, beer and cocktails to sample, food and beverage classes and cooking demonstrations by chefs including Michael Chiarello, Elizabeth Falkner, Charles Phan,Michael Tusk, Tony Gemignani and Olympic Gold Medalist/cookbook author Brian Boitano, plus panels and parties.

Mat Schuster is Executive Chef and owner of Canela Bistro & Wine Bar. He will be participating at the Saturday Night Grand Tasting plus a Sunday Brunch and agreed to share one of his current favorite seasonal recipes, “Summer Tomatoes with Pickled Okra, Watermelon Radish and Pedro Ximenez Vinaigrette.” It can be found here.

Eat Drink SF starts off with some preview events. The Taco Throwdown on Thursday, August 23 should be tasty, messy fun with 17 restaurants including non-traditional taco makers like ICHI Sushi and the Delfina group offering their unique takes on the street food in a competition judged by experts and you. Nine tequila and Mezcal-centric cocktails will be offered. At the Foundry, 1425 Folsom Street, SF.

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Super Duper Burgers hosts guest chefs all week.

The official launch, with a Friday evening Grand Tasting, starts things off in a big way with more food and drink than you can imagine. For example Anjan and Emily Mitra, owners of San Francisco’s two Dosa restaurants will bring their Corn & Curry Leaf Soup to the Friday night Grand Tasting. Learn how to make it once you get home here.

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The trend continue on Saturday in a day packed with both Afternoon and Evening Grand Tastings, “Spring, Sizzle, Sip: Your Guide to Expert Seasoning, Grilling and Beer Pairing,” “Classic Cocktail A-Game: The Art, Stories and Up-the-Sleeve Tricks,” and “Blind Wine Tasting with Top SF Sommeliers & You.”

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Wind down from the frantic pace of tastings on Sunday by relaxing at a spectacular brunch in any number of San Francisco’s favorite restaurants. You make reservations directly with the venues listed here. Or spend the afternoon at Foreign Cinema (see last week’s EatDrinkFilms) for the Ultimate Brunch. Take a look at this Sneak Preview of the offerings.

The weekend’s events benefit CUESA and the Golden Gate Restaurant Association Scholarship Foundation.

For complete information, schedule of events, and to buy tickets, visit Eat Drink SF.

Gary Meyer started his first theater in the family barn when he was twelve years old. He directed a monster movie there, and wanted to show it on the set. It became The Above-the-Ground Theatre, where over 250 films were screened, along with live productions, workshops and the publication of a literary/arts/satire zine, Nort! and a film newsletter, Ciné.  After film school at SFSU, his first job as a booker for United Artists Theatres was a “grad school” that prepared him to co-found Landmark Theatres in 1975. It was the first national arthouse chain in the US focused on creative marketing strategies to build loyal audiences for non-Hollywood fare. After selling Landmark, he consulted on many projects, including Sundance Cinemas and the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Rose Cinemas; created the Dockers Classically Independent Film Festival and Tube Film Festival for the X Games; and resurrected the 1926 Balboa Theatre in San Francisco. Meyer joined the Telluride Film Festival in 1998, becoming a Festival Co-Director in 2007-2014.  He founded the online magazine, EatDrinkFilms.com in April 2014, and is preparing the EatDrinkFilms Festival for Summer, 2016 with a national tour to follow. A day of food films will be presented as part of Food Day on October 24 in San Francisco.