Before Foodbuzz festival officially began, Mellissa, Melissa, Julia and I had a glass of wine at our hotel for their ‘wine hour.’

The Foodbuzz Festival started with a welcome reception and dinner.  The welcome recpetion was sponsored by Sabra, and featured tons of delicious hummus fanfare.

Oh, and delgihtful wine provided by Bonny Doon Vineyards.  My favorite was the Albarino.

After the reception, came the buffet dinner.

Housemade Beet Raviol; Ceviche Shooters; Lentil Salad “To Go” Boxes; and Mai’s Rolls

Glazed Marin Sun Farms Pork Belly: Broccoli Puree, Wood Roasted Florets, Pickled Shiitakes and Chile Morita Vinaigrette

Pan-Seared DayBoat Scallop: Grapes, Capers, Wood Roasted Cauliflower and Varjus

The scallops and porkbelly were by far the highlight of the evening for me.  The meat jut fell apart and into your mouth – delicious.  And the scallops were perfectly cooked – and the varjus made for a decadent flavoring.

I was disappointed I couldn’t eat anything from the Electrolux Comfort Food Buffet Station, as everything had creamy/dairy/cheese, etc.  So, my choices for dinner was slim (and it made me happy I had eaten my fair share of hummus at the welcome reception.)  The buffet was surprisingly un-vegan friendly (aka un-Elise friendly).

Dessert was talked up by Foodbuzz to be a great buffet.  Unfortunately, I was dissapointed: THERE WAS ONE vegan dish – and even that was marginally vegan.  The chances that the gelatin was a vegan gelatin are slim-to-none.  And, it was okay, it wasn’t exceptional. 

After dinner we went out with a few of my friends off of Union Street.  It was great to meet up with them, and have a cocktail, but the evening went a bit too late for my liking.  C’est la vie.  At least we took a cab back to the hotel (that we somehow didn’t pay for….but it wasn’t illegal or anything).

This morning I’m playing hooky from the conference to shop, walk around San Fran, hit up the Ferry Market, and just enjoy life.  It’s a rare occasion I get to visit San Fran, so I’m going to enjoy the city while I can!

Are you at Foodbuzz Fest?  What are your weekend plans?