By Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri Krasov
Local, Seasonal, Sustainable, Organic are the usual deities of the San Francisco culinary pantheon, and the closing event at the Grand Tasting Tent on Union Square was all about seasonal tomatoes, and cooking demos by local star chefs.
Chef Adam Jones of Palomino (GM Eric Jacoby) treated the public to a creative gazpacho made of red and yellow tomatoes. Prepared separately by color, both pureed substances were poured into tasting cups simultaneously from different jars, making for a festive presentation of borderline orange cool and spicy soup. Yum!
Gordon Drysdale of Pizza Antica topped fat rye toasts with wild mushrooms for a very special bruschetta.
Deepak Kaul of Serpentine put his Alaskan halibut crudo on Armenian cucumber, fattened with “bacon” avocado, and enhanced with green tomato relish, green coriander flowers, maple syrup, cider vinegar, chili oil, and chive blossoms. (How many ingredients can a creative chef balance on a cucumber slice?).
Other highlights included Sean O’Toole’s (Bardessono) jamon iberico over tomato, lemon, and basil relish; Bruce Hill’s (Bix) Gulf shrimp bites with pimento and romesco sauce; Xavier Salomon’s (The Ritz Carlton-Half Moon Bay) smoked salmon tartar topped with fancy summer corn ice-cream, and Kevin Weber’s (Cliff House) amazing dessert of butterscotch pots de crème in hollowed egg shells.
No wait; there was also a tasty bresaola and tomato combo from Flour+Water (Thomas McNaughton – 2010 SF Bay Area Rising Star Chef); a yummy tomato hummus from Terzo (Mark Gordon, GM Marc Sittenfield); and many more goodies from Spruce (Ben Cohn and Mark Sullivan), Max’s (Juan Loeza, DOO Bill Berkowitz), Meritage at the Claremont (Josh Thomsen), Kendall-Jackson (chef Justin Wangler), Barbacco (Sarah Burchard) and others. Of course, no California tasting would be complete without plentiful local libations.
Among more than a dozen wine growers, besides Domaine Chandon, Wente, and Kendall-Jackson wines, some memorable sangria was concocted out of the latter’s pinot noir, verjus, and fruit mixed with molasses (no sugar added).
San Francisco Brewers Guild was duly represented by some of the city’s best beer producers, filling up glasses with all shades of amber. Rich Higgins of Social Kitchen and Brewery intrigued this reporter with his L’enfant Terrible ale, not really suitable for les enfants, and not at all terrible. More information at www.sfchefs2010.com, and at Golden Gate Restaurant Association, www.ggra.org.
Local, Seasonal, Sustainable, Organic are the usual deities of the San Francisco culinary pantheon, and the closing event at the Grand Tasting Tent on Union Square was all about seasonal tomatoes, and cooking demos by local star chefs. 
Chef Adam Jones of Palomino (GM Eric Jacoby) treated the public to a creative gazpacho made of red and yellow tomatoes. Prepared separately by color, both pureed substances were poured into tasting cups simultaneously from different jars, making for a festive presentation of borderline orange cool and spicy soup. Yum! 
Gordon Drysdale of Pizza Antica topped fat rye toasts with wild mushrooms for a very special bruschetta. 
Deepak Kaul of Serpentine put his Alaskan halibut crudo on Armenian cucumber, fattened with “bacon” avocado, and enhanced with green tomato relish, green coriander flowers, maple syrup, cider vinegar, chili oil, and chive blossoms. (How many ingredients can a creative chef balance on a cucumber slice?). 
Other highlights included Sean O’Toole’s (Bardessono) jamon iberico over tomato, lemon, and basil relish; Bruce Hill’s (Bix) Gulf shrimp bites with pimento and romesco sauce; Xavier Salomon’s (The Ritz Carlton-Half Moon Bay) smoked salmon tartar topped with fancy summer corn ice-cream, and Kevin Weber’s (Cliff House) amazing dessert of butterscotch pots de crème in hollowed egg shells. 
No wait; there was also a tasty bresaola and tomato combo from Flour+Water (Thomas McNaughton – 2010 SF Bay Area Rising Star Chef); a yummy tomato hummus from Terzo (Mark Gordon, GM Marc Sittenfield); and many more goodies from Spruce (Ben Cohn and Mark Sullivan), Max’s (Juan Loeza, DOO Bill Berkowitz), Meritage at the Claremont (Josh Thomsen), Kendall-Jackson (chef Justin Wangler), Barbacco (Sarah Burchard) and others. Of course, no California tasting would be complete without plentiful local libations. 
Among more than a dozen wine growers, besides Domaine Chandon, Wente, and Kendall-Jackson wines, some memorable sangria was concocted out of the latter’s pinot noir, verjus, and fruit mixed with molasses (no sugar added). 
San Francisco Brewers Guild was duly represented by some of the city’s best beer producers, filling up glasses with all shades of amber. Rich Higgins of Social Kitchen and Brewery intrigued this reporter with his L’enfant Terrible ale, not really suitable for les enfants, and not at all terrible. More information at www.sfchefs2010.com, and at Golden Gate Restaurant Association, www.ggra.org.
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