Foodbuzz Festival Gala Dinner with Tyler Florence and Farewell Brunch

The Foodbuzz Festival came and went in a flash. I was fortunate enough to meet some fantastic food bloggers, eat delicious food and enjoy wine in plenty. :)

Before we left for the Gala Dinner last night, we enjoyed some complimentary wine in the lobby of our hotel, Galleria Park.

Mellissa and I:

The Gala Dinner was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, a few short, very rainy blocks from our hotel.

The dinner was sponsored by Alexia Foods. When we arrived there were Alexia fries everywhere. My favorite were the sweet potato fries.

I enjoyed a glass of champagne with my fries.

I can’t say I was all that impressed with the fries. I’ve actually never tried Alexia fries before. Last night they tasted old and stale. :( Maybe they aren’t meant to be sitting out at a buffet station.

Eventually it was time to move into the ballroom for dinner.

The appetizer course was served Family Style. Vegetable sushi:

Vegetable Samosas with Tamarind Dipping Sauce and Butternut Squash Risotto Bites with Roasted Wild Mushrooms:

Then it was time for Tyler Florence to come out and do a cooking demo.

Tyler whipped up some beautiful pork chops with a mustard crème fraiche sauce, braised cabbages and spaetzle.

It was definitely fun to watch. Tyler was very engaging with the audience and had a great on stage presence!

After the presentation, our salad course arrived: Bibb Lettuce Salad with Honey Roasted Pears, Glazed Pecans and Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette.

Our entree was Brandt Beef Farms Filet Mignon and Meyer Lemon Roasted Prawns with Heirloom Carrots, Celery Root Puree and Peppercorn Demi.

I hate to criticize but the meal really wasn’t all that outstanding. Seeing as this was a Foobuzz event, I was expecting the food to be fabulous. This reminding me of a mass-produced hotel wedding dinner.

Dessert was a San Francisco Trio: Cowgirl Creamery Cheesecake, Sourdough Bread Pudding and Scharffen Berger Chocolate Mousse.

Dessert wasn’t the best either. The cheesecake was pretty good though….can’t say the same about the rest. :(

My tablemates:

Kara,  Elise, Julia, Mellissa and myself.

This morning we decided to walk to the Farewell Brunch at Perry’s on the Embarcadero. It was about a mile walk….we needed it after all the food this weekend!

The brunch was sponsored by Godiva Coffee so I had a feeling good things were in order. I was right!

There was a cold & hot buffet. Of course I had a bit of everything!

My plate:

My second plate:

The scrambled eggs were to die for. I haven’t had scrambled eggs that good in a long time.

They also had a few specialty beverages. I enjoyed a couple of their Mimosas:

And a Cafe Godiva featuring Godiva coffee and chocolate liqueur:

The top was sprinkled with peppermint.

Breakfast definitely made up for the lackluster meal last night! I enjoyed each and every bite. We walked back to the hotel and I said goodbye to all my new friends. I walked to the BART station and hopped on my plane bound for home.

I finally made it home and was so happy to see my husband and kiddos!!! Have a great night all!

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