The Perfect Foodie Date
Posted by Katherine Frank on February 01, 2012 0 Comments
Stumped for a unique Valentine's Day gift? Are you a foodie that enjoys trying new experiences? I have the perfect solution for you...
Last weekend my hubby and I took a delicious food tour through the SF Mission District with Avital Tours. As self-proclaimed foodies, we love trying new foods and hearing about how they are made, sourced and distributed. Avital Tours gives you just that. A 3 hour walking tour, stopping at 6 different locations to taste and learn about local food artisans. Here's a recap of our experience this past Saturday:
The tour began with a quick intro from host and owner Avital Ungar, where she told us about what makes her an expert. This Burlingame native took a year long pilgrimage to the South of France where she spent her time tasting cheeses, pastries and chocolates, refining her palate and falling more in love with food and wine. Upon returning to the Bay Area, Avital wanted to share her passion for seeking the best of the best in the culinary scene, and sharing her knowledge with others. So she started Avital Tours!
We embarked on our first stop: Hog & Rocks. This restaurant offers an oyster and ham bar, plus a full menu of other lunch and dinner options. To get the full experience, order tastings of hams like serrano and prosciutto, and a dozen of your favorite oysters. Pair them with a refreshing Tom Collins cocktail. The owner tells the group all about where the ham and oysters are sourced from, and how he came up with such a unique dining experience.
Next was my favorite stop- Mission Cheese. The owner told us about her year long trip across the country, where she searched for the best domestic cheeses. This cheese bar is so unique because unlike a wine bar, the cheese is the main event. Create a cheese plate and the friendly staff will help you pair a beer or wine that compliments it beautifully. We tried two cheeses I had never heard of before, but ended up purchasing some to bring home, they were that good! A goats milk gouda and a blue cheddar, both so unique I can't wait to put them on a cheese plate the next time I entertain.
In between the restaurants, we stopped to admire the beautiful murals painted on the walls of Mission buildings. Avital has definitely done her research on the art scene here, and gave us insight on how the Mission murals came to be.
Next we were on to Venga Empanadas where we feasted on two large empanadas- one spinach and one beef. The owner invited us into his kitchen where we got to see how he makes the dough in the beautiful commercial kitchen.
What's a Mission food tour without a stop at a coffee joint? There are so many coffee roasters in the area, but Avital brought us to one of my favorites- Four Barrel. The line was out the door, but of course we got VIP treatment and cut in front of everyone, and made our way to the back where they roast the beans. We learned abou the different types of beans, and Four Barrel's unique process to extract the most flavor from each batch. The we got to smell and taste three different brews.
Then we were off to a SF staple, Bi-Rite market. The owners created this market with real chefs in mind. They wanted to create a place a chef could come to find the ingredients that he really wanted to work with.
After a snack at the Bi-Rite market we crossed the street for a sweet treat at Bi-Rite Creamery. Again, the line was out the door and around the corner, but Avital walked right up to the counter and got our bag of ice cream sandwiches. I'm not a huge lemon ice cream fan, but I have to admit that these were good. Their meyer lemon ice cream was sandwiched between two freshly baked ginger snap cookies. It was the perfect cookie to pair the citrus ice cream with. By that time I was pretty stuffed from the day, but don't worry my hubby helped me finish it off :)
Saturday's tour was such a unique experience. We loved getting to know the Mission on a whole new level. It turns out the Mission has so much more to offer than taquerias! Avital did such a great job putting together a progressive meal in a fun and active way. I would recommend it for any couple that needs a little help coming up with inventive dates, and breaking away from the normal dinner and a movie routine. On this tour you get to try 6 places, learn a little along the way, and do it all with a fun and entertaining host. Gift certificates are for sale and make the perfect Valentine's Day gift. Find more info here:
Price: $64 (plus optional $16 alcohol pairing)
When: Saturdays at 11AM, Tuesdays at 6pm
Where: Mission District (starts @ Women's Building, ends @ Dolores Park)
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