InsidEPR

Friday by the Bay: It’s SF Beer Week!

By Bob Eastwood

Last Friday, February 8th marked the kickoff of this year’s 4th annual SF Beer Week—an event featuring an embarrassment of beery riches with somewhere around 80 breweries participating in more than 400 different events across the Bay Area. Over 65 Northern California breweries converged on the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco for the Opening Celebration, which kicks off a ten day marathon of beer tastings, festivals and food pairings. This was one of the four largest of the week’s events including: the following day’s 13th annual Double IPA (DIPA) Festival at The Bistro in Hayward (my favorite); the 20th annual Barleywine Festival on Saturday the 16th at the Toronado; and the final event, Celebrator Beer News 25th Anniversary Party on Sunday.

Last Saturday found yours-truly on a cool sun-drenched and closed-off block in downtown Hayward surrounded by fellow hop-heads for the 13th annual DIPA festival. I accidently happened across this event when it was only in its 3rd year and have been returning ever since. For years it was the only festival of its kind on the planet, and currently boasts being the only event in the world to judge Triple IPAs—something that Bistro owner Vic Kralj considered aloud while handing out medals “could become another separate event!”
 
Food

It’s no surprise that in the food-focused bay area there are numerous happenings that address our love of cuisine with the week featuring special menus and pours at local pubs and restaurants, including food trucks, artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, chocolates and pairings of all kinds. The Saturday DIPA festival housed a cart distributing fried pickle chips from Those Fabulous Frickle Brothers with a variety of sauces. Yum! Even sweets are included this week with Dynamo donuts’ Biere de Chocolat doughnuts and Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream’s variety of malt-inspired treats including a tart Passion Fruit Lambic Sorbet and a creamy Magnolia Stout.

The Island

Even Alameda, California— the island home of Engage—boasts two events. The PS Eatery on Park St. is featuring Belgian style beers from NorCal breweries all week and The Fireside Lounge on Webster has California craft beer flights with your choice of any four of the brews on tap. Speaking of Alameda, recent scuttlebutt is that the island will soon get its own brewery, Faction Brewing. While at the fest I ran into former Drake's and Triple Rock master brewer Rodger Davis and his wife, Claudia. Starting this year, they will begin churning out barrels of medal-quality beer at the island’s famous “Spirits Alley” on Alameda Point’s Monarch Street, where they will occupy half of a former hangar next door to St. George Spirits and just a stone’s throw from Rock Wall Winery. (Sorry Rodger and Claudia, the pictures didn’t turn out.) I also ran into Lost Coast local distributor Jack Van Stone, but that’s an entirely different blog.

Technology and Social Media

Since Engage is a hi-tech PR and marketing communications agency, I would be remiss if I didn’t include mention of SF Beer Week’s many tech-savvy followers and their use of apps, blogs, hash tags and other technologies. While at the festival I noticed an entire wall of people standing in the shade staring intently at their smart phones; texting and tweeting their latest photos, videos and proclamations to their friends using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (@sfbeerweek) and a host of other real-time social media. I should also use this venue to give a special shout-out to the incredibly responsible Beer By Bart, a blog site that encourages you to “Get to craft beer without driving” by riding to 40+ beer venues on Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART).  Even while I was writing this blog I saw the following tweet from one of SF’s local neighborhood pubs, designed to encourage Tweets about the bar and the event:

‏@TheAveBar One hour to go until Tap Takeover! Three hours of exclusive local beer. Mention Twitter and get your 7-brew flight for only $6! #SFBeerWeek

To place your photos onto SF Beer Week’s Gallery, you can use Instagram to share, just tag your photos with #sfbeerweek to add them to the feed. At the bottom of the homepage it says you can “Download the official SF Beer Week mobile app for iPhone and take Beer Week with you wherever you go.” Unfortunately, the reviews of the app’s performance are not good, and Android users are acknowledged only by the phrase “Android coming soon.” Nonetheless, my overall rating of sfbeerweek.org and its use of technology is positive, as the home page features an extensive schedule and interactive map of events for you to easily find a happening near you, and—let’s face it—these are beer people not software engineers. Prost!

 

 

 

 

 

Friday By the Bay: Gettin' Crabby!

By Roya Pakfetrat

Boy do we love crab in the Bay Area so we couldn’t be happier that it’s officially crab season! One of the best places to find crab in these parts is at the ever so famous Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. So what better place to attend a Crab Festival than Fisherman’s Wharf?

This may have been my first crab fest but it most certainly won’t be my last! There were 10 local restaurants and local winery, Treasure Island Wines, letting us taste an endless variety of crab treats and red and white wines. I had some of the best crab chowder, crab cakes, and crab salad you could imagine! I may have been distracted by all of the options around but I managed to capture a few pictures from the event. Check out this slideshow!

 

 

Engage Loves to Rock

By Leslie Schmidt

Getting caught up in the recent summertime feel, the Engage team decided to get out and have some fun. After a unanimous vote, we chose to visit Alameda’s own Rock Wall Wine Company. Only a short drive away from the office, we closed up early and got ready for a great Thursday out with the agency.

As we arrived, we were poured a generous glass of a Rock Wall specialty: The 2011 Kristen’s Viognier. With flavors like white peach, white grape, honeydew melon, pineapple and honeysuckle, it was easy to see why it was the opening wine. Once we all had finished tasting this first wine, we were then given a taste of Uncle Roget’s Grenachie Rose, a crowd favorite in our group. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and gave us the background story for about each wine we tasted and who exactly Kristen and Uncle Roget were. Unfortunately, Uncle Roget was not around for us to thank him for inspiring such a delicious wine. Instead, we thanked him by buying multiple bottles at the end of the tour.

In addition to the wine, we were treated with delicious Mediterranean-style tapas with plenty of bread to top with an assortment of hummus, cheeses and veggies. Looking out the windows of the winery, we could clearly see across the bay, providing us with a spectacular view of the San Francisco skyline. One could understand why we never wanted to leave.

During our tour we were surprised to find out the winery is housed in a converted 40,000 square-foot airplane hangar, which was once apart of the Alameda Naval Air Base prior to 1997. With barrels stacked high, it was easy to see why an airplane hangar is the perfect size for a winery.

For a peak inside the winery, check out our slide show:

 

Fried Food, Farm Animals & Ferris Wheels -- Summer Fun at the Alameda County Fair

By Caitlin Mattias

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Alameda County Fair, I decided to drop by with a few friends to sample some fried goods and take in the scent of farm animals. I’m not sure what it is about fairs that are so appealing to us – the bizarre competitions, risk in riding rickety roller coasters, or the tantalizing smell of high-calorie foods – but I always look forward to aimlessly wandering the fairgrounds in summer and am disappointed when the fair moves on at the end of its run.

Some highlights you can see pictured here include: deep fried Oreos, cookie dough, corn dogs, cheese and funnel cakes; goats in sweaters; the view from the ferris wheel and more. If this whets your appetite to see (and consume) what Alameda County has to offer, make sure to hit the fairgrounds in Pleasanton before July 8th!

 

 

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Talkin’ Tech with IDG in San Francisco

By Mike Tomlinson

Last Wednesday I had the privilege of attending IDG’s first 2012 summer meet-up, held at the Thirsty Bear Restaurant and Brewery in San Francisco. The event was packed with journalists from TechHive, PCWorld, Macworld, who gathered to talk new technology and to network with other people with tech-related careers around the Bay Area.

While washing down fancy hors d'oeuvres with the finest IPA Thirsty Bear had to offer, I chatted with several prominent figures including PCWorld Senior Editor Loyd Case about the Microsoft Surface tablet and how Windows 8 may (or may not) change tablet operating systems as we know it.

I also had the opportunity to talk with PCWorld Senior Editor Mark Sullivan, who (among other topics discussed) offered some great timeless pitching advice to tech PR professionals—keep it short, simple, and direct, respecting the time of those you’re pitching and understanding that post-pitch silence doesn’t mean ‘never’, it just means ‘not right now.’ Overall, it was a very insightful and well-attended event and I hope to see some of you at the next IDG meet-up later this summer!

Friday by the Bay: Eating Good in this Neighborhood

By Molly Reynolds

“What’s for lunch?”

We are a food-focused bunch here at Engage. If we’re not eating at the moment, we’re discussing our last meal or planning our next one. This may or may not be normal elsewhere, but in the bay area, it’s pretty typical. There’s plenty of fodder for our foodie chats in Alameda.

Our own Harbor Bay Business Park offers walkable spots for Greek (Café Ya’sou), sandwiches and Korean (Wall Street Café) and a bit of everything (Why Cook). A five-minute drive from the office is the Harbor Bay Landing Shopping Center. We go here on Subway or Safeway runs, but also to enjoy sushi outside on a sunny day at Angelfish Japanese.

Slightly farther afield (and also about a five minute drive) takes us over the bridge to Alameda’s other island and the South Shore Center. This is another place for reliable standards like Chipotle, Panera, and Trader Joe’s. We often grab Daphne’s falafel and salads for our company lunches.

Park Street (about ten minutes door-to-door) provides the greatest variety in the area. Downtown Alameda is a vibrant district for shopping and culture, but we go for the food. We suggest trying the piadine (flatbread with salads folded into them like crunchy pita pockets) at Tomatina, curried platha dip and garlic noodles at Burma Superstar, and spicy Pad Thai at Toomie’s. In the mood for something a little diferente? Engage enjoyed a holiday meal of mojitos and cubano sandwiches at Habana’s; we regularly stop into lively La Penca Azul or tiny Taqueria Viva Mexico for our enchiladas fix. New favorites Troy and Burgermeister out our list of Alameda restaurant recommendations.

Now, what’ll it be for lunch?

Friday By the Bay: We Like Wine, Not Whiners

By Molly Reynolds

Sipping wine in the sun amongst the vineyards may be a summer’s dream to the rest of the world, but for Bay Area residents, it’s a year-round option.

“Wine country” begins just a half-hour drive north of San Francisco, encompassing Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties. Dozens of appellations stretch from the peaks across the valleys, marking distinct growing regions. To you and me, this means a slew of choices, from pinot noirs to chardonnays and everything in between. While it’s fun to visit the big names like Kendall-Jackson and Robert Mondavi, locals know to save time for the hidden, small producers like VJB or Porter Creek.

The Wine Road runs vino-focused events, like Winter Wineland and Barrel Tasting. Despite the name, wine country isn’t all wine. Come for the grapes, stay for the festivals; cultural showcases of food, art, music and film dot the annual calendar.

So join us out in the Bay – and remember, drink no wine before it’s time.

It’s time.

Friday by the Bay: Walnut Creek Wine Walk

By Leslie Schmidt

Wine tasting is not just for Napa anymore. Welcome to downtown Walnut Creek – our home away from Napa.

Each year the city of Walnut Creek holds three Wine Walk’s which allow local residents and visitors to stroll through the beautiful downtown area tasting wine from boutique wineries, sampling appetizers from local restaurants and browsing through unique shops.
 
The first Wine Walk of the year was held in March, so some of us who currently reside in Walnut Creek decided to attend. Being warned beforehand that visiting all 37 stops on the map is an extremely bad idea, we decided to pick and choose locations that would most likely have the best food: P.F. Chang’s, Le Cheval, Il Fornaio and Cypress. However, we were kicking ourselves later when we realized Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse were included on the list. For next year, we have vowed to be more cautious when selecting our stops so this horrific mistake is not repeated. One specific wine pouring station made the whole night worth it – Wig Works. You guessed it… a wig shop. A ton of wine tasting, wig wearing fun! Check out the slideshow for a peak at our new hairstyles.

My favorite wine of the night was from Rock Wall Wines, which means my Engage bias was kicking in since this winery is based in Alameda. Some other East Bay wineries that participated were:

• Sterling Albert Winery
• Tamayo Family Vineyards
• Rosenblum Cellars
• Monticello Vineyards
• Villa Alta Vista Vineyards

Bonus: You’ll be doing a good deed while you (wine) walk. A portion of the proceeds from the tickets sold is donated to the American Cancer Society as well as the Diablo Valley Assistance League.

Check out the next Walnut Creek Wine Walk this Spring.

Friday by the Bay: Food glorious food but first come gardens glorious gardens

By Fran Lowe

If I needed any reminder about the taste of home-grown or just-picked food or the role of food, as in food and friends, a lengthy brunch this past weekend with three visitors from France reminded me of the intense relationship the French have with food. Where it comes from, how it was grown, its provenance, how it should be prepared, and so on and so on.

Happily in Oakland we have a growing population in our own backyard that is now as passionate about their food and the growing of that food as any proud Continental. Even as a growing number of farmers’ markets are making fresh, organically-grown produce available to more and more people, more people and organizations in Oakland are starting to grow their own fruits and vegetables in backyards, community gardens and urban farms. The types of gardens and models being developed are as diverse as the array of seeds and plants being cultivated in the perfect mix of the city’s neighborhoods and cultures.

Organizations like City Slicker Farms (@cityslickerfarm) promote sustainable food systems and a green economy as they empower the West Oakland community to grow their own organic food by gardening empty public spaces and their own backyards. Today City Slicker Farms consists of seven Community Market Farms (spaces open to the public), over 100 Backyard Gardens, a weekly Farm Stand, a greenhouse and Urban Farming Education programs.

Funk Town Farm is a community garden located in the area known to locals as “funk town” in East Oakland.  Both novice and experienced gardeners work together to grow their own produce (and flowers) to use and sell to their neighbors on an affordable sliding scale. They also raise chickens for eggs.
 
Oakland Community gardens are centrally located public gardens, subdivided into individual plots available to local residents for personal gardening. The Oakland Park System currently runs nine of these gardens (Lakeside Horticultural Center Kitchen Garden, Temescal, Bella Vista, Verdese Carter, Bushrod, San Antonio Park Community Garden, Mosswood Community Garden, Arroyo Viejo, Golden Gate). The waiting time to get a plot can be long (it took me 18 months) but the annual fee is modest ($25) and the chance to dig in some dirt and work alongside fellow gardeners is priceless. You also have to put in a bit of community garden maintenance time; but, you can tend to your plot year round however you choose. It’s like having your own personal backyard garden, only it’s not in your backyard.

If you’re interested in learning more about growing your own food locally, finding other urban farms and organizations involved in the food movement such as the Growing Justice Institute, visit the Peoples Grocery  (@peoplesgrocery) for some other great links.

Happy gardening and get ready for Spring!

Friday By the Bay: Our Own Tour de Chocolat

By Mike Tomlinson

You get access to some pretty tasty events passing through town when you live in the Bay Area! The San Francisco International Chocolate Salon expo took place on Sunday, March 4, and I was lucky enough to attend. Rejoicing chocoholics were able to sample some of the best chocolate varieties and products from around the world, as well as participate in wine tasting and food pairings that all connoisseurs could enjoy!

While many exhibitors were offering more traditional offerings, I found the most interesting varieties to be those with unusual ingredient pairings. My palate was shocked as I tried what ended up being my favorite two varieties in attendance; it was a virtual tie between Chuao’s potato chip chocolate bar and their Firecracker chocolate bar, the latter a concoction of dark chocolate, salt, pop rocks, and chipotle peppers!

Unfortunately, my favorite Bay Area chocolatier was not in attendance—Coco Delice, located in Emeryville.  They offer an amazing dark chocolate named Bison Black Magic. Made with Berkeley’s own Bison Brewing Company’s Organic Chocolate Stout, you can find it at almost any local Whole Foods Market or Mollie Stone’s. All in all, the Chocolate Salon was a great show and I look forward to going year after year… after year! Life is pretty sweet when you live in the Bay Area!

Check out some photos from the 2012 San Francisco International Chocolate Salon!

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