San Francisco’s Secret Dining Society Dinner Hits a Golden Note
Chefs from one of San Francisco’s hottest restaurants and a Margarita of the Year finalist: it’s no wonder our #SecretDiningSociety guests were wowed.
Jun. 15, 2016
San Francisco ranks high as one of the best restaurant cities in the country. One reason? It’s hard to beat California’s produce.
During our latest Secret Dining Society dinner, held in the Bay Area, guests experienced the best and brightest of region’s cuisine, featuring fresh vegetables and fruits. Of course, the seasonal cocktails shared this spirit.
The Location
Guests gathered at the Drever Estate in Tiburon in Marin County, a picturesque area just a short drive north of San Francisco.
The evening kicked off with cocktails, canapes and spectacular views of the Bay on the terrace. Highlights included Smoke and Mirrors, featuring Patrón Silver with a tea syrup and Champagne, anda sourdough, sauerkraut, pecorino and ricotta pancake. Dinner was served in a separate tented area, where a clown and a contortionist dazzled the crowd.
The Talent
Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, the husband-and-wife team behind one of the city’s most popular dim sum restaurants, brought their signature gastronomic flair to the private affair.
“We want to cook food that’s approachable and that you want to actually eat,” Brioza says. “But we also want to surprise people a little bit.”
LA-based bartender Rosie Ruiz, a Margarita of the Year finalist, created a cocktail menu to complement the farm-to-table cuisine.
The Dinner
Staying true to the tenets of California cooking, Brioza and Krasinkski showcased only the freshest seasonal ingredients and really let the produce shine.
Kicking things off was a Hawaiian heart-of-palm salad, which was sprinkled with herbs and topped with a rich tahini vinaigrette. Then came a succulent, roasted and smoked cut of pork that was surrounded by crushed broccoli, tomatillo salsa verde and dried chili-cumin oil and Ruiz paired this dish with the tiki-inspired Shim, Sham Shimmy cocktail, a tropical mix of Patrón Silver with toasted coconut syrup, spiced bitters and toasted walnut.
“I always want the cocktail to complement the food first and foremost,” Ruiz says. “But I also don’t think that means it has to be boring. It can be just as complex as the food.”
The evening ended with a simple blueberry compote, served with a silky cream cheese ice cream and topped with puff pastry—a no-frills dessert that Krasinski calls a favorite. An unexpected warm cocktail with Patrón XO Cafe Dark Cocoa was the perfect accompaniment to the sweet final note.
“These are both things you can’t stop eating or drinking,” says Ruiz. “Everyone wants another.