SF Weekend Planner: Gastro Block Party, Oktoberfests and Guest Dinners

By Meesha Halm

There will be lots of beer this weekend, as the city revs up for a variety of Oktoberfest celebrations. But you also won’t want to miss some tasty guest-chef dinners and a block party on the foodiest street in town.

Party on Block 18 in the Gastro

The Gastro, aka the gourmet-dense 18^th Street between Dolores and Church streets, is throwing its annual family-friendly block party this Saturday. Participating businesses including Bi-Rite, Bi-Rite Creamery, Namu Gaji and Izakaya Yuzuki which will be serving up bites and booze, while a series of bands will provide live beats. If you’re a pie maven, bring your best sample for the amateur yet deadly competitive pie-baking contest judged at 18 Reasons. For more details on the pie contest, the pop-up beer and wine garden and the entire day’s worth of fun, go to their Facebook page. (Saturday 12-6 PM, $20 per person includes 10 food and beverage tickets, proceeds go to the Women’s Building, advanced tickets available at Bi-Rite, participating 18^th street businesses and online.)

Guest Dinners: 

Josean Alija Dinner at Coi

Believe it or not, there is still limited availability for the one-night guest chef appearance of internationally acclaimed chef Josean Alija dinner at Coi restaurant this Friday. Chef Daniel Patterson will be collaborating with the visiting chef who runs Nerua at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and was recently awarded Chef of the Future by The International Academy of Gastronomy on a secret eight-course menu. Details on the menu are being kept under lock, but the restaurant did reveal that you can still snag seats at 5:30 or 9 PM. (Friday, $165 per person, additional wine pairing $105, for reservations call 415-393-9000 or go online.)

Red Sparrow Charity Dinner at Naked Kitchen

Michael Hung (chef de cuisine of La Folie) will show off a different side of his culinary talents at a benefit dinner this Sunday (part of his personal Red Sparrow pop-up) to be held at Naked Kitchen SF. Hung will present an Asian-inspired five-course dinner that features the likes of poached geoduck, eggplant-and-potato “foo yung” and honey-lacquered squab. Seating is available both at a communal table  ($125 per person) and at the chef’s table ($225 per person); all proceeds will go to La Cocina. (Sunday, champagne reception begins at 5:30pm, dinner 6-9 PM, for tickets, menu and more info here.)

Oktoberfest-ities Throughout the Weekend

Get your oomph pa on at Oktoberfest by the Bay, the city’s largest Oktoberfest party. The German food, beer and music will continue all weekend long down by the Pier 48 with a series of day and late-night sessions, each requiring its own ticket ranging from $25 for general entry to $75 for VIP access, kids daytime tickets only $5); for a complete lineup of events and ticket info, check out the website.

Expect lot of Spaten, sausages and suits at Cafe Prague's Oktoberfest block party down on Merchant Street in FiDi district afterwork this Friday evening (Friday 5- 8 PM, free, 424 Merchant Street, event details online).

Swing by the Presidio Social Club this Sunday anytime between 11 AM and 7 PM and grab yourself a trio of sausages and beer for $10. After that, they’ll be serving an Oktoberfest-inspired Sunday supper comprised of roasted pig with red cabbage and potatoes, trout with bacon and spatzle and plenty of beer and Riesling.

Yep, even Nombe is jumping on the Oktoberfest bandwagon for its third Mission Japanese Beer Garden popping up this Friday on the heated rooftop balcony of Wix Lounge (2601 Mission St, 6- 9 PM, $18 per person includes three pints of beer, food sold separately, a portion of the proceeds will go to La Cocina, ticket info online).