Bon Appetit Cooks for Alice Waters....What an evening!

When we heard that Alice Waters (from "Chez Panisse") is coming to USF to get honored by the "California Prize" ..we at, at Bon Appetit, began working and getting organized very early. We met and met and talked and imagined all the challenges..from cooking and frying outside..to prepping in a small area. Dinner for 235 pp. Follow me and you will see that, nothing is impossible for the Bon Appetit Team. Seven days to go
We began to try the recipes

Then the tent arrives...
We began talking logistics in the back of the house, another small tent next to the big tent..

While the tent was getting set up

we were already baking
and cooking and getting ready...Then the night arrives
Our tables looked majestuous



Our appetizers looked like paintings

the wines were the best ones from France

We even invented the "romantic frying" under the dark nights of San Francisco

The waiting staff was getting the last training
In the back of the house our team was working fast and efficiently.


At the end, the reward was grand

Thanks for your visit Alice, see you soon in your kitchen!

Meeting Farmer John...Maker of Squared Pumpkins...

When you hear him, you melt...Farmer, Biggest Pumpkin Prize in the USA, Swiss educated, Californian adopted...and Mayor of Half Moon Bay!!! Meet this fun man who once said "Pumpkins are like people. They come in all colors, sizes and shapes. But on the inside they're all the same." Well...Farmer John, you made us smile and Thanks for this huge zucchini....
"Farmer John has another trick up his sleeve too: his giant square pumpkins. Using custom wooden boxes and super clamps, he constrains the growth of the Giant Atlantics to a small box, creating a perfect square. He holds the record for the largest square pumpkin, at 235 pounds. He's sold square pumpkins to a Reno casino to be turned into dice."

Thanks for not spraying your corn....I know this little worm is having a great lunch...

2009 North Beach Parade…You never know who you will meet…

A fun day under the clouds. A musical feast. And celebrities from Italy.....

More Italian guests...


The Blue Angels were in town

so was the U.S. Senator Mark Leno

Meeting the Secretary General of Amnesty International. Irene Khan

Our conversation was very interesting: in two minutes, she was able to tell me about her projects. Well Irene, when I was 19, I used to translate documents for Amnesty International from English into Spanish....I never thought I might meet you Madame Secretary General. An honor. (Picture taken by Barbara Butkus)

Meeting Chef Hubert Keller from TOP CHEF

Hubert Keller opened a “Burger Bar” on top of MACY'S, in San Francisco.
Well that was a wonderful evening: eating the BEST burger but having the Chef at our table taking about his show “TOP CHEF” and discussing a recipe for 15 minutes!
Great menu. and great dessert no??

and the view is unbelievable especially when you know the Maitre d’. Thanks Cassie!

Kjell Magne Bondevik: Ex-Prime Minister of Norway

Very interesting to jump from food into politics but well this is part of my job, having fun. I went to hear the Prime Minister now in charge of the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights..and it was fascinating. He actually spent the whole evening talking about the situation of the Muslims in Europe. The best part is to find this on your seat