The Fifth Annual SF Chefs Food, Wine & Spirits Festival To Take Place July 28th - August 4th; Unveils Chefs And Themes For Event

SAN FRANCISCO, May 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- SF Chefs, San Francisco's food, wine and spirits festival celebrates its return for the fifth year as one of the west coast's premier events, taking place July 28^th – August 4^th, 2013, with the Grand Tasting Tent events taking place in the legendary Union Square August 2^nd – August 4^th. SF Chefs is presented by Visa Signature®, and produced by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA), with title sponsorship by Wells Fargo. SF Chefs celebrates Northern California's bounty of ingredients, chefs and restaurants, winemakers and wineries, bartenders and bars, breweries, farmers and artisan producers.  SF Chefs also highlights the unique relationships that Bay Area chefs have with their peers, purveyors and farmers.

As SF Chefs continues to grow into its fifth year, the festival is committed to strengthening the community and continuing to increase its commitment to charities. Various events will support the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA), Meals On Wheels of San Francisco, Blessings in a Backpack, Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund, La Cocina and the Golden Gate Restaurant Association Scholarship Fund.

What's New

New for the five year anniversary of the festival, each Grand Tasting Tent event will feature a different culinary theme, spotlighting what is truly exceptional about San Francisco's local dining scene. 

Themes for this year's events include:

• Friday Night:  5^th Anniversary Friday Night Opening Celebration and Grand Tasting – As in year's past, Friday Night will be the Festival's opening celebration.  We are especially excited to be celebrating our 5^th anniversary in 2013. 
• Saturday Afternoon:  The Five Tastes – Bitter, Sour, Salty, Sweet or Umami—which of the five tastes is highlighted in each chefs' dish? Guests will be able to explore different flavors alongside our chefs.
• Saturday Night:  Decadence After Dark, The Menu is in the Music – The chefs are letting their favorite song, musician or band inspire their dishes.  A playlist featuring these inspirations will play during the tent session to complement their culinary creations. 
• Sunday Morning: Brunch by the Bay - The Tent will feature bloody Mary and brunch cocktail stations as well as other brunch treats.

Other Event Highlights include:

• Masters of their Craft: Celebrating the Great Female Chefs and Sommeliers  of San Francisco (Sunday, July 28^th at Prospect) – Presented by the San Francisco Chronicle, this once-in-a-lifetime dinner will showcase the amazing talent of women chefs and sommeliers in San Francisco. The dinner will help raise funds for the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund.
• Bar Bites: Sips and Tastes from the Best Bars in the Bay (Thursday, August 1 at the Westin St. Francis) – Presented by the San Francisco Chronicle and Wells Fargo, SF Chefs is bringing the best of The San Francisco Chronicle's Bar Bites together for one blow-out bash! Enjoy delectable sips and delicious tastes from all your favorite restaurants and bars, while enjoying spectacular views of Union Square from the Imperial Floor of the Westin St. Francis.

Grand Tasting Tent

In the Grand Tasting Tent, attendees will savor tastes from over 100 acclaimed Bay Area chefs. Notable Bay Area and national chefs that have already committed to the event include Michael Mina, Sean Brock, Tyler Florence (Wayfare Tavern), Joanne Weir (Copita Tequileria y Comida), Mourad Lahlou (Aziza), Craig Stoll (Delfina/Locanda/Pizzeria Delfina), Emily Luchetti (Farallon/Waterbar), David Lawrence (1300 on Fillmore), Anjan Mitra (Dosa), Charles Phan (The Slanted Door), Thomas McNaughton (Central Kitchen/Flour + Water), Yigit Pura (Tout Sweet), Jeff Banker and Lori Baker (Baker & Banker), Jan Birnbaum (EPIC Roasthouse), Martin Yan (M.Y. China), Jessica Entzel (Morimoto Napa) and Jennifer Puccio (Park Tavern) among others. In addition, attendees can enjoy specialty cocktails mixed with fresh, local ingredients by some of the city's best bartenders and wine tastings from local and international wineries. 

During the week of the festival, attendees can participate in cooking demonstrations, classes and seminars and listen to panel discussions hosted by notable industry professionals at various locations around Union Square. 

Food Arts Industry Day: Conversations, Discoveries and Collaborations: Our popular industry series, presented in conjunction with Food Arts magazine, is morphing into an intensive single-day session ideal for discovery and conversation. Programs will focus on key issues and trends facing Bay Area restaurateurs, chefs, dining room and kitchen staff, from optimizing social media to eye opening demonstrations of cutting edge culinary techniques. Attendees will enjoy a delicious lunch presented by New Zealand and featuring a myriad of products from the country. 

Preview Demos at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

Throughout the month of July, "KPIX 5's SF Chefs Preview Series" will be presented at CUESA's Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.  Attendees will have the opportunity to see some of San Francisco's favorite chefs in action amidst the bustle of the market.

For more information about SF Chefs and to purchase tickets, please visit http://sfchefsfoodwine.com/. Ticket prices range from $35-$175 and will be available to the public beginning May 20.  Wells Fargo Visa credit cardholders receive an exclusive presale window from May 6^th to May 19th, as well as discounts and a VIP upgrade opportunity.  At all SF Chefs events, Visa Signature cardholders receive ticket discounts.

Presenting Sponsor: Visa Signature

Title Sponsor: Wells Fargo

Platinum Sponsors: CBS5, Fine Cooking, Food Arts, Lavazza, National Pork Board, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, SF Travel, Stella Artois, Sunset, Washington State Wine Commission, Westfield San Francisco Centre, Westin St. Francis, Wine Spectator, Wines of Chile

Gold Sponsors: American Lamb Board, Brown-Forman, Campari America, Celebrity Cruises, Columbus, Eater, Hotel Council, Kerrygold, Le Creuset, Livermore Valley Wine Country, Marchesi Antinori, Mr. Espresso, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, Rhone Valley Wines, R3 Builders, TriMark, Union Square BID, William Grant & Sons, Wines of Portugal

About SF Chefs
SF Chefs 2013, San Francisco's food, wine and spirits festival returns, July 28–August 4, 2013!  Mingle with the Bay Area's finest chefs, bar stars and wine experts in the center of culinary innovation—San Francisco.  With classes, demonstrations, tastings, competitions, parties and the Food Arts Industry Series—there's something for every palate! SF Chefs is presented by Visa Signature®. At all SF Chefs events, Visa Signature account holders receive ticket discounts and special perks. For details go to www.sfchefsfoodwine.com.

About the Golden Gate Restaurant Association – Producer
The Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1936 to promote, extend and protect the interests of the broader restaurant industry, and to serve our members in the San Francisco Bay Area. Restaurants are a high-risk and generally low-profit-margin enterprise undertaken by people passionate about a wonderful cultural tradition: eating out. GGRA is a resource to help our members keep the doors open and tables set. For more information, visit www.GGRA.org and www.sfchefsfoodwine.com.

About our Presenting Sponsor – Visa Signature
SF Chefs is presented by Visa Signature. Visa Signature, Visa's premium credit offering, provides account holders with benefits and perks that offer special access and provide everyday value to enhance account holder experiences. In addition to points, miles, cash back or other premium rewards offered by Visa Signature partners, account holders enjoy perks such as 24/7 complimentary concierge services, the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection and exclusive offers for fine wine and food, travel, and sports and entertainment events. For more information on Visa Signature visit www.visasignature.com.

About our Title Sponsor - Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.4 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, and the Internet (wellsfargo.com), and has offices in more than 35 countries to support the bank's customers who conduct business in the global economy. With more than 270,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune's 2012 rankings of America's largest corporations. Wells Fargo's vision is to satisfy all its customers' financial needs and help them succeed financially.

About Andrew Freeman & Co. – Co-Producer
Andrew Freeman & Co. is a high-energy hospitality agency with a unique blend of expertise in marketing, publicity and creative services.  AF&Co offers programs that include: creative/concept development, branding, recruiting, public relations, sales/marketing, training and event management. The AF&Co team is creative, direct and fun, and focuses on the areas that they are passionate about: restaurants, wine, travel, hotels, and lifestyle personalities and products. For more information, visit AF&Co. at www.afandco.com, or follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

*$15 from the sale of each Dinner Party Project ticket will be donated to Blessings in a Backpack, a non-profit organization.  Learn more about Blessings in a Backpack at blessingsinabackpack.org. 

SOURCE SF Chefs