SFBayStyle

San Francisco Magazine Fallfest This Saturday

San Francisco magazine is hosting FallFest 2007 on Saturday, Oct. 6th from 12-4pm at Justin Herman Plaza. The event benefits Meals on Wheels of San Francisco and will include many local restaurants, wine merchants and artisans. There will also be live music. VIP tickets are $150 and main event tickets are $80. (The A List has some tickets for $135 and $70, respectively.) Event hosts are Jan Newberry of San Francisco and Joey Altman of KRON 4 Bay Cafe.
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Symphonix Evening with MTT at Harlot on Tuesday

For "young" (aka anyone who feels OK in a crowd where most people look under 30) symphony goers, the Symphonix league is having a rare event Tuesday night Oct. 2nd at Harlot - "An Evening with Michael Tilson Thomas" from 6-8pm. You have to be a member to attend, but membership is a great deal if you are at all interested in the San Francisco performing arts scene. MTT, for those who don't know, is the San Francisco Symphony's Music Director and a world renowned conductor.

As a former season ticket holder and multi-gala attendee, I've enjoyed being a member of Symphonix for several years now. While their events tend toward young professionals, I've been told that almost half of the members are married and many have children, so if that's you, don't feel put-off by the crowd. Symphonix hosts an annual Scavenger Hunt along with pre-gala events and parties. It's a great organization and this should be an interesting event.

Memberships ($75 for one person; $120 per couple) are available online and will be sold at the door. Symphonix will be providing complimentary wine, vodka drinks and hors d'oeurves. Side note: Harlot and Slide seem to be preferred venues for events like this lately, so check them out.

Save Farallones & Party with Minnie Driver TONIGHT

At 6pm, the VIP doors open for the Farrallon Islands Blue Ball at the Bentley Reserve at 301 Battery Street in SF. The Farallones are islands like the Galapatos just 27 miles off the shore of San Francisco. Tonight's event benefits PRBO Conservation Science and the Farallones. It includes organic food, wine and vodka bars, a DJ and a silent auction. Honorary hosts include Minnie Driver, Tippi Hedron, Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris. Party is $125/person and VIP event goes for $350/person including eco-gift bags. It may already be sold out, but if not, call 707-781-2554 or goto this link to reserve space. (Also note: the event is carbon neutral, thanks to Planktos ecosystem restoration.)

A List, GQ & Saks Celebrate Half Century of Giving

The AList.org, GQ & Saks Fifth Avenue are hosting "The Return of the Gentleman" celebrating "50 years of style and giving". It will be at the Saks Fifth Avenue Mens Store at 220 Post Street in San Francisco on Thursday, October 4th from 6-10pm. Stylish cocktail attire requested. Tickets are $100. VIP and up go for $150-$650 including special seating at the after-party at Slide. All proceeds go to The Guardsmen, a nonprofit that funds educational programs for "at-risk Bay Area youth." Tickets please!

Organic Dining & Jazz in Menlo Park

JZ Cool and Flea Street Cafe, two fabulous organic restaurants, will be alternating hosting the Judicious JAZZ Quartet on Friday and Sunday nights, respectively. The band will play at JZ Cool Fridays from 6:30-9:30pm and at Flea Street Cafe from 7-9pm on Sundays. JZ Cool, a great local spot for organic eats, recently re-opened with an added wine bar. See CoolEatz for more details.

Yield Wine Bar in DogPatch - Eco & Excellent

Saturday night, Maria, who sadly will be leaving SF to move to Seattle soon, invited us to try out Yield Wine Bar in Dog Patch in San Francisco. The unimposing, natural wood atmosphere made us feel at home immediately.

Yield is proud to be the "first and only 'green' wine bar in San Francisco" and their organic wine list is rotated frequently. I had an excellent 2004 Sangiovese from San Vito in the Chianti region of Italy and my husband enjoyed a complex 2004 California blend of Grenache, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Mourvedre called "Steelhead Red" by Quiviara in Dry Creek. Yield also serves some amazing appetizers - their flat breads are amazing as were the beans and chocolate.