Umamiventures are organized monthly, traveling far and wide to find good, cheap grub off the beaten path.
Umamiventure
April 21, 2014
Umamiventure #35: Kitazawa Seed Talk @ Namu Farm (Sunol)
It’s been forever since we’ve organized an Umamiventure in its purely old-school, meet-up spirit. Remember, when I would randomly announce an event, a little bit out of the neighborhood, and we would meet up at said location no matter how long it took to get there? Well, this is the event! Kristyn Leach, managing farmer […]
June 13, 2013
Umamiventure #34: Umeshu Class with Peko Peko
We learned, we drank and we ate all things ume during our Umeshu Class last Sunday. During the two-hour session, we learned about the history of ume and umeshu, how to make it and ate an array of dishes that highlighted ume. Along side sips of umeshu, of course. Ume, or Japanese plum, originated from China and […]
October 18, 2012
Umamiventure #33: Hive Tour with East Bay Urban Bees
Did you know that a bee’s lifespan is based on the distance it has flown? One bee lives to fly about a total of 500 miles. This is just one of the many things we learned from Betsy and Miguel of East Bay Urban Bees during our hive tour. The tour could not have happened […]
October 2, 2012
Upcoming Event: Umamiventure #33: Hive Tour with East Bay Urban Bees
Umamiventures are BACK! The last field trip was at the TCHO factory back in March 2011, remember? Wow, it has been WAY TOO LONG. For years I have been trying to organize an event with a honey producer, and the time has finally come! We’re proud to announce a special tour with East Bay Urban Bees […]
March 22, 2011
Umamiventure #32: TCHO Chocolate Factory (SF)
Photos by Travis LoDolce. The history of chocolate-making in the Bay Area runs deep. Ghiradelli, Scharffen Berger, and Guittard are some of the big names in chocolate that started here, and the community of smaller, more artisinal chocolatiers continues to grow. Clearly, San Francisco is a place for chocolate-lovers; and for the die-hards, a thriving […]
February 23, 2011
SOLD OUT! Heads Up – Umamiventure #32: TCHO Chocolate Factory (SF)
My first introduction to TCHO chocolates was in 2007, working in New York City. My friend Fumiko, who worked closely with Silicon Valley techie innovators, handed me a bar and told me that it was the next big thing in chocolate. She was right. Started by the founders of Wired magazine, TCHO is the only […]
February 4, 2011
Umamiventure #31: Sutton Cellars Vermouth Lab (SF)
All photos by Yoko Kumano unless otherwise specified. On a warm, sunny day in San Francisco, 23 guests and I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Sutton Cellars Winery for an afternoon Vermouth Class, where we learned about its history, evolution, production methods, and different taste profiles and components. The man behind the podium (er, […]
January 11, 2011
SOLD OUT!: Umamiventure #31: Sutton Cellars Vermouth Lab (SF)
Updated 1/28, 9am PST: THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT! Stay tuned for February’s Umamiventure! Updated 1/28, 9am PST: THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT! Stay tuned for February’s Umamiventure! When I first read about Carl Sutton’s vermouth in the NY Times last year, I was immediately intrigued. Now, we’re in the Bay Area, where the wine […]
December 7, 2010
Umamiventure #30: Four Barrel Coffee Cupping (SF)
Umamiventure #30 was indeed a memorable affair, and much more than what any of us expected. It was a night of Serious Coffee Schooling– from the bean picking process, to roasting, to tasting– all courtesy of Four Barrel Coffee in San Francisco. Since opening in 2008, Four Barrel has become a front runner in the […]
November 10, 2010
SOLD OUT – Heads Up! Umamiventure #30: Four Barrel Coffee Cupping (SF)
Update (Thurs. 11/11, 12pm PST): EVENT SOLD OUT!!! +++ Wow THIRTY Umamiventures, can you believe? Pretty damn awesome, considering the very first one was in 2007, on a trek out to Flushing, Queens for quite possibly the best dim sum in New York City. I’m living in the Bay Area now, and still organizing these […]