11.10.2009

Fun Filled Foodbuzz Festival!

Put two hundred and fifty-plus food fanatical fiends in one room. Fill it with unlimited drinks and mass amounts of delectable delights. What do you get? 48 hours of non-stop eating at First Annual Foodbuzz Food Blogger Festival in San Francisco.

The weekend began with a welcome reception happy hour on the gorgeous Hotel Vitale terrace overlooking the Bay Bridge. It quickly moved on to a frenzied food fair of San Francisco’s finest food trucks all gathered at the historic Ferry Building.

Having enjoyed my share of amazing food truck selections around Los Angeles, I have to say with all humility that LA has nothing on the food trucks of San Francisco. San Francisco’s mobile eateries are innovative, fresh, and nothing short of brilliant.

From pizza to cupcakes, meat pies to oysters, the Taste of SF Street Food Fare had it all.


Mission Minis are gourmet mini cupcakes that are baked fresh daily throughout a number of locations around the San Francisco area. They were presented on a tier of cake heaven with more flavors than the heart could dream of. I of course sampled one of everything. For me the standout flavors were the Strawberry Lemonade and Swiss Almond Coconut. The next day at the Tasting Pavillion I had another sample of each of my favorites.

The Pie Truck offers delicious baked hand held savory pies. My favorite was the Steak and Gruyere. Buttery, flakey dough encapsulating a hot a gooey mix of nutty Gruyere and toothsome steak.

While the cupcakes and meat pies were out of this world fantastic, they did not hold a flame to Roli Roti’s Porchetta Sandwiches. I found myself chanting “I love crispy skin!” after eating one of these impressive sandwiches. Roli Roti is the country’s first mobile rotisserie. They roast pork belly rolled together with pork lion. The fatty drippings glaze yellow potatoes lying below. The pork majestically turns on the metal spit while its skin slowly begins to crispy and harden. The pork is then taken off the spit and placed on the cutting board where the flavors are allowed to mellow and blend before being cut into thick rounds, rubbed with sea salt, and covered in chopped parsley. The meat is crammed between two hearty pieces of ciabatta bread and ready to dive into. I ate this fatty treat in 2.5 seconds, the oil dripping down my chin. When all was said and done I was left to marvel at the flavors. The juicy pork loin, the crunchy crispy pork skin, and the fatty bits squished in between. The flavors were so bright and rich. LA needs a Roli Roti’s!

To be continued…























11 comments:

  1. "48 hours of non-stop eating" pretty much sums it up! My stomach still hasn't recovered. Love the pics, wish we could have gotten a chance to meet. Next time!

    - Alison

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  2. I wish I had known about all these food options when I was living in the bay area!

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  3. So jealous! Next year I'm coming with all of you!!! (or stowing away in your suitcase)

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  4. Amanda- I want to go back too!
    Gastronomer- how can we work on bringing this truck to LA? hmm...
    DIana- yes! you are definitely coming with next time!

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  5. Also check out Christina's recap at http://hotpinkmanolo.livejournal.com/18546.html

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  6. I want another sandwich. Like now!

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  7. It was quite a bit of fun! Drooling over memories of that pork sandwich ;)

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  8. ..rhode island & nantucket is my sleeper foodie destinations ..shhhhh

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  9. Great to meet you in San Fran for this fabulous festival..it was amazing and your pictures are beautiful...looking forward to keeping in touch. Have a great day...

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