Field Notes is my monthly column where I share a few of the events and other items of note taking place in any given month. These are just a few of the food and food-adjacent events that have caught my attention in November.
7 Paintings at The Ameswell (on-going)
I don’t get many opportunities to experience a meal where art melds with technology, music, and storytelling but that’s exactly what happened at 7 Paintings, at The Ameswell Hotel in Mountain View, an interactive meal experience with an animated painting of the Mona Lisa as guide. Launched in September, 7 Paintings is that rare creature – food as art – that you, the diner, create alongside moving image graphics and other modern marvels.
I and my friend, Lotus, ate our way through seven courses (one meaty, one vegetarian) inspired by da Vinci, Banksy, Picasso, Dalí, Pollock, Warhol and Van Gogh. The fun is in the perception shift: We solved codes to open boxes revealing delicious treasure, sprayed sea bass with “perfume,” and lifted steak from a Campbell’s soup can…while it rolled away. My favorite two moments? When the Chef-Narrator “dropped” from the ceiling of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and “ran” across my plate and when Dali’s clock “melted” over my wrist. I didn’t mind making my own paintings of “Starry Night” with chocolate, either.
It was spirited, delicious fun. And entirely date night and family-friendly.
Nightly seatings are at 6 p.m. and last roughly 2 1/2 hours.
$195 (with gratuity) for the classic menu (vegetarian option available for $179); $85 for the children’s menu.
Dandelion’s 12 Nights of Chocolate (Nov 5 – 16)
Taking place at Dandelion Chocolate’s 16th Street Factory in San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood, the elves switch out their confection workshop in favor of chocolate-inspired everything. Yes, there will be dinners with a chocolate as the unifying theme as well as dessert and music pairings, movies, and more.
A few highlights include:
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Three screenings of 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder with hot chocolate and special snacks on November 16.
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A guided coffee and chocolate tasting that highlights how coffee and cacao — grown in similar climates and nurtured with care — mirror and contrast one another on November 11.
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A pairing of music & chocolate featuring cellist Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir with Tertulia Chamber Music paired with single-origin chocolate and desserts on November 13.
$50-150, depending on the event.
This series is more than a feast: all net proceeds benefit the SF-Marin Food Bank, a partnership that has already helped provide more than 300,000 meals to families in need.
Dates, Details and Reservations
Tuesday Trivia at Saluhall (Nov 11, 18 and 25)
photo credit: Kristen Loken
Trivia company (that is a thing, apparently) Geeks Who Drink invites you and your people to test your knowledge of pop culture, history, and everything in between. The commitment is low level – no ticket needed and it’s free, although RSVPs are encouraged. Meet at Mid-Market’s mega food court, Saluhall Level 2. and choose from Indonesian at Saté and Soto, a burger from Smish Smash, vegan Puerto Rican from Casa Borinquena or a curry wrap at Curry Up Now.
This event is free and open to the public. Food and drink are pay-as-you-go.
Preview of Napa Valley Standard (Nov 12 – 15)
In what is being billed as a preview series of Napa Valley’s newest marquee event, the CIA at Greystone in St. Helena acts as home base for a food and wine festival stacked with epic culinary experiences known as the Napa Valley Standard. Drop by Meadowood for lunch crafted by Executive Chef Alejandro Ayala and renowned Chef Christopher Kostow. Or experience a Provençal-inspired lunch from legendary Chef Roland Passot in collaboration with Executive Chef Robert Curry of Auberge du Soleil, among other events.
All 10 participating chefs and wineries will be cooking for the walk-around tasting at the CIA at Greystone on November 13. Will this be the taste of Napa’s future?
$225-750 per ticket, which includes all food and beverages
Dates, Details and Reservations
The Art of Tea with Kathy Fang (Nov 16)
In celebration of the launch of her cookbook, House of Nanking: Family Recipes from San Francisco’s Favorite Chinese Restaurant, Chef Kathy Fang with St. Regis’ executive chef Joe Tiano is hosting Afternoon Tea in the St. Regis Tea Salon. On offer? A traditional tea service with Fang’s authentic Shanghainese savory bites, like shiitake mushroom and Chinese sausage quiche, BBQ pork hand pie, and shrimp har gao. Don’t worry, there will be sweets, too, such as yuzu lychee tart, black sesame macaron, and almond coconut cake. Fang will be on-hand to chat or sign copies of her book, which are included with the ticket price.
Sunday, November 16, 2 – 4 p.m.
$175 per person which includes a copy of her cookbook.
