Kat's 9 Lives

I ♥ San Francisco! A great big thank you to Andrew Freeman & CO Hospitality and Restaurant Consultants for the media passes. Booking a last minute flight up to SF was worth it to enjoy the culinary genius that SF has to offer. Saturday started off with a bang at the Sugar Party held at the Westin St. Francis in Union Square.
Pink and sweet was the decor for the party. It felt like a sugar rave! Where sugar was the enticing drug being served up! =) Don't worry there were tons of drinks available and all the Pastry Chefs were present to showcase their talents. Everyone was feeling the music and enjoying the sweets.
Care for some Whoopee? Maple Whoopee Pie that is! Served up with Blue Bottle Coffee Milksake by Chef Christine Law from Anchor & Hope. Add a dash of alcohol into one of SF's leading coffee, Blue Bottle Coffee, you have a room full of people with a big smile on their faces.
Chef Ethan Howard from Cavallo Point pulled out his "Flufferberry" recipe. Starting from the bottom up : Peanut Macaroon, Marshmallow Ice Cream, Peanut Buttercream, and Strawberry Preserves. I really enjoyed this modern take on PB & J sandwiches. The peanut macaroon was nice and chewy. All the different textures worked perfectly together for a smooth and delicious PB & J macaroon sandwich!
One of my favorite creameries, Bi-Rite Creamery, partnered with Chef Emily Luchetti from Farallon to serve up a delectable dessert. They served a Peach Split with Crème Fraiche Ice Cream, Butterscotch Sauce, and fresh Raspberries. I have to say the butterscotch sauce was simply divine! So smooth and sweet. Wish I could get a bottle of that to use at home.
What I saw at this station was the superb camaraderie that these Chefs had. Even though they have their own station to manage, Chef Falkner was perusing around to check out Chef Luchetti's dessert and offered to help her team out. It's great to see how nice and wonderful these Chefs are. Watching what transpired really gave me a warm feeling in my heart. I guess you can say a "pay it forward" occurred, which I'll explain later. =)
A dear friend and fantastic Chef, Chef Dominique Crenn of Luce was out there in full force. Her tweet about Textured Corn and Foie Gras made me drool! Hard to imagine the combo for dessert but she worked her magic. Using her signature White Truffle Powder to top off the the Corn Sorbet, Foie Gras Terrine, and Popcorn was genius.
Take a break and enjoy a freshly brewed cup of coffee from Starbucks. At first I thought they were Blue Bottle Coffee because I've never seen Starbucks brew it like this.
Marshmallow was a popular component for the night. Chef Catherine Schimenti of Michael Minalocated right inside the Westin St. Francis offered a Smoked Vanilla Bean Parfait with Cashew Butter, Fudge, and Marshmallow. I am not a huge fan of marshmallow but I loved how the top was nicely toasted giving that extra crunch.
Chef Schimenti outdid herself because there were so many spectacular treats to nibble on besides the main dessert. There were Caramel and Pistachio mini Macaroons that were soft and chewy. In a glass vase was a nice Brittle to munch on.
Absinthe had a playful display of dry ice, water, and green light. Chef Luis Vallavelazquez partnered with Smitten Ice Cream, Robyn Goldman, for a refreshing treat of Cantaloupe, Lavender, and Lemon.
Chef Nick Flores of RN74 treated us with a Blackberry-Coconut Verrine made with Blackberry Creme, Kaffir Lime Panna Cotta, and Coconut Sorbet. Paired on the plate was a macaroon and chocolate.
If you love sweets and want to taste some of the best that SF has to offer then this would be your dream come true. I feel very fortunate this year because I got to savor these great events. Last year I only attended the Grand Tasting Tent, which I simply adored! This year I got to role out in style all thanks to Andrew Freeman & CO. I had my dessert, Sugar Party, before dinner, Fork It Over, and proud of it!