SF LIFE: LA COCINA, CANDLELIGHT CONCERTS, VAN DINING, OCEAN BEACH
Happy Earth Month Tomatoes! Hopefully, you are all taking care of our planet by recycling, re-using and upcycling. This year in SF no big events celebrating our earth, but you can always bring a garbage bag to your favorite beach, trail or park and do some clean up on your own! La Cocina Municipal Marketplace is open featuring the first nationwide women-led food hall. Candlelight concerts (yes IRL) are coming, a new café opens on Ocean Beach and we found a unique dining experience, in a VW Van. Spring is a good time to reflect about your true purpose, and you’ll be inspired by today’s podcast.
The First Women Led Food Hall
It’s a great day when a women-led marketplace opens anywhere. Here in SF we are fortunate to have the first women -led food hall that recently opened. La Cocina Municipal Marketplace is located in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. It strives to offer economic opportunity for working-class women entrepreneurs; jobs and a safe, inclusive space for Tenderloin residents; and an innovative, replicable model for conscious, community-led development in inner cities nationwide.
The food hall is home to six women led businesses that reflect the diversity of the Tenderloin district. Supporting them is making a difference in our community and providing opportunities for growth for others in La Cocina. So get your take out and enjoy! www.lacocinasf.org
Inspiring Conversation
Music by Candlelight
Listening to beautiful music by candlelight seems like the salve we all need after this year. And now you have the opportunity to calm your mind and experience classical music in a new light with sensational concerts in some of the Bay Area’s most magical outdoor locations. Coming in June, this concert series known simply as “Candlelight” invites everyone to relive the greatest works of classical music in an intimate atmosphere.
The concerts will feature Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Beethoven’s Best Works, to name a few, all played by the most talented musicians. With countless flickering candles illuminating each unique space, San Francisco Candlelight will present timeless movements over the course of 65 mesmerizing minutes. Amazing open-air venues will allow for a stylish but safe socially distant setting. The first set of concerts will take place at Parklab Gardens right in the heart of Mission Bay. http://www.Secretsanfrancisco.com
Welcome to Stella
Your dining room for the evening is actually a 1989 VW camper van. The scene is set with astroturf and folding chairs, a retractable awning will fend against Karl, and kerosene lanterns will keep you cozy. Your maître d’, waiter, sommelier, and busboy are all the same guy. They are also, in fact, the chef.
San Francisco foodies will recognize Anthony Strong who not much more than a year ago was crafting delectable pastas at his celebrated restaurant, Prairie. Post-pandemic, he’s slinging camp food out of his van in a parking lot. He’s fine with that—and so are the foodies who are paying $190 a pop for the campy Covid-era experience. The delicious food is camp inspired, highly elevated of course. The menu changes every night, and a pre-dinner form takes into account, diner’s food preferences and allergies.
Diners are limited to parties of four people max, and every evening begins with appetizers and a welcome cocktail at folding chairs out front. Two dinner seatings are offered on select weeknights and weekends, and reservations are going fast. So if you have a special event coming up this summer, this may be your go-to spot! Stella is currently parked with regularity at Spark Social in Mission Bay, but a new partnership with the Ferry Building will allow Stella to roll up bayside as well. Prefer the roving restaurant to come to you? So long as you have a level 20-by-20-foot space to park and are located within 20 miles of San Francisco, Strong can set up Stella wherever you please. http://www.superstellavan.com
Dining at the Beach
There’s a new café in town and it’s on the beach. What could be better? Ocean Beach Cafe is a brand new eatery located by The Cliffhouse on Ocean Beach. It’s a small and homey place with a limited but fresh menu. The owner is actively building the largest non-alcoholic beverage selection in the country and the café was founded on the principles of community, hospitality and wellness. Opening this Saturday with a community-based event.
Highlights include a live DJ, a community beach cleanup, a guided meditation, a beach party with well known lawn games (i.e., SpikeBall, Cornhole, and Large Jenga!) Following that, the cafe will be hosting the #SOBAR mocktail tasting experience for all who want to celebrate the beginning of this wonderful cafe’s life in the community. Festivities begin at 11:30 and. Conclude after 7 p.m. with a DJ and dancing, socially distanced of course. Oceanbeachcafe.com
Kim Selby, the SF life editor of The Three Tomatoes, is your gal for info on what’s hot and happening in the beautiful bay area. Having lived on the Left Coast for 27 years, after almost a decade in NYC, she has explored and continues to have adventures all over the San Francisco area. Passionate about fashion, formerly with GLAMOUR magazine and Fashion Director at Saks Fifth Avenue , Palo Alto, Kim produced fashion shows in the bay area for over 20 years. She now creates events to empower, delight and inspire women, aka “Tomatoes”. Learn more about Kim at www.kimduffselby.com
Listen to her podcast, "Ignite Your Spark" wherever you listen to podcasts.
