Parties and Dinners North of San Francisco

the tablehopper | 4:21 pm | September 10, 2009 | Events, Foodie 411, Wine Country

BackStage Pass benefit party at Hourglass Blueline Estate Winery

On Saturday September 12th, Jeff and Carolyn Smith, owners of Hourglass Wine Company, will host the fifth annual BackStage Pass benefit party with the goal of raising $50,000 for the St. Helena Unified School District. Held at the newly completed Hourglass Blueline Estate Winery, Backstage Pass V guests will enjoy a Hog Island Oyster bar, barbeque dinner, and premium Napa Valley wines provided by ACME Fine Wines, Cliff Lede, Crocker & Starr, Hourglass, Realm Cellars, Rudd Winery, Shelter, Spottswoode, Switchback Ridge, 55 Degrees, 750 Wines, and more—all in a picturesque vineyard setting. Guests will dance the night away to Wristrocket (Jeff Smith’s band with fellow vintners) and compete in games of ping-pong and horseshoes to support the children of St. Helena’s public schools. One hundred percent of proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the St. Helena Unified School District.

Tickets are available at justimagineauction.com and are $150 per person. (Click on the BackStage Pass icon.) Tickets will be held at the door. 6pm–12am.

• Hourglass Blueline Estate, 4208 Silverado Trail, Calistoga.

On Thursday September 24th, local “Kiki-Sake Shi” (Sake Master Sommelier) Stuart Morris will expertly pair sake with a five-course menu of dishes created by Martini House chef/owner Todd Humphries. Morris, one of only ten non-Japanese Kiki-Sake Shi in the world, is on loan from Go Fish Restaurant for this one-night-only celebration in Martini House’s lovely Garden Courtyard.

Morris will select distinctive sake pairings for each course of chef Humphries’ special menu which includes tomato bruschetta with foie gras mousse, walnut oil, and saba; sautéed halibut with curried almonds, braised butternut squash, kaffir lime, and lemongrass sauce; butter-poached Maine lobster, ginger braised shiitake, and sake mirin broth; roast Liberty Farms duck breast, sweet corn pudding, chanterelles, and red wine jus; and brown sugar panna cotta, pink pearl apple sorbet, and star anise syrup for dessert. $85 all-inclusive (this is a pre-paid event). 6pm gathering time/6:30pm dinner.

• Martini House, 1245 Spring St. at Oak (also known as Main Street), St. Helena, 707-963-2233, ext. 1.

The first Devil’s Gulch dinner of the 2009 fall season will be held at the Point Reyes Seashore Lodge and Farm House Restaurant in Olema on Thursday September 24th. It will feature wines from Pey-Marin Vineyards and foods from Devil’s Gulch Ranch.

The menu is as follows:

Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho Shots

2008 Pey-Marin “The Shell Mound” Riesling, Marin County
Point Reyes Oyster Stew with Baby Carrots, Wild Mushrooms, Baby Spinach, Caramelized Onions, and Fingerling Potatoes Served in a Mini Sourdough Bread Bowl

2007 Pey-Marin “Trois Filles” Pinot Noir, Marin County
Devil’s Gulch Ranch Grilled Quail with Warm Brussels Sprout Salad of Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, Cherries, Frisee, and Arugula in an Aged Red Wine Truffle Vinaigrette Topped with a Poached Quail Egg

2006 Mount Tamalpais Vineyards Merlot, Marin County
Devil’s Gulch Ranch Braised Rabbit Pasta with Baby Zucchini, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Portobello Mushrooms in a Mustard Rabbit Jus, Finished with Sliced Grilled Rabbit Loin

2007 Spicerack Vineyards “Punchdown” Syrah, Sonoma Coast
Farm House Smoked Devil’s Gulch Ranch Pork Trio of Spare Ribs, Grilled Loin and Braised Shoulder with Broccolini, Roasted Cauliflower, Sweet Red Pepper Polenta Croutons in a Blackberry, Chipotle, and Garlic Barbecue Sauce

Raspberry Sorbet with Glazed Peaches and Nectarines

6:30pm. $65 (plus tax and gratuity). Served in the Park Dining Room. Reservations required, call 415-663-1264. Lodging is available at the Point Reyes Seashore Lodge. The “wine dinner” special room rates means a 25% discount with a wine dinner reservation. Call 415-663-9000 for lodging.

• 10005 Coastal Highway One, Olema.

Marcia Gagliardi writes a popular weekly e-column about the SF dining scene, “the tablehopper.” Subscribe for free at www.tablehopper.com and get it in your inbox every Tuesday. Got news? Email Marcia at taste@sanfrancisco.travel.