New Festival Alert: SF Chefs. Food. Wine.

Speaking of food festivals, New York hopped on the celebration bandwagon earlier this year, and why shouldn't San Francisco join in on the festivities? Sure there's Pebble Beach, SoBe et al., but San Francisco chefs have never really been front and center as a whole. Thus, say hello to San Francisco Chefs. Food. Wine., presented by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association and arriving in August 2009:

These events will culminate in a first of its kind, three-day food and wine event: San Francisco Chefs. Food. Wine. The Weekend Affair. The event will be August 7th - 9th, 2009 in the epicenter of the city. A tasting tent on Union Square will provide the primary location for the affair with surrounding venues and restaurants throughout the city hosting additional events.

At least at this point, there's not quite the Schrager star power involved (we suppose that's not exactly SF's style; we've got our own Rachael Ray anyway), but the advisory board is a who's who of local big names: Altman, Cosentino, Danko, Falkner, Florence, Phan, Stoll, etc. Perhaps of more immediate value, though, are the events leading up to the summer '09 climax. Starting in approximately three weeks (8/14-8/24) with Heirloom Tomato Week, dozens of local restaurants will host seasonal promotions lasting a week or so, with Dungeness Week in January and springtime getting Strawberry Week. Buckle up.
· SF Chefs. Food. Wine. [Official Site]