On Labor Day weekend, Aug. 29 to Sept. 1, Slow Food Nation comes to San Francisco. Not familiar with Slow Food? It's a movement away from mass-produced foods and a return to regional, seasonal and artisanal meats, cheeses, wines and produce.
The festival is bringing together thousands of slow food devotees — as well as people who just like to eat — to two locations in SF, Fort Mason near the Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf Hotel and the Civic Center area near the Westin St. Francis, where dozens of events will cover the breadth of the movement. Graze your way across the nation in the huge tasting pavilion, buy the makings of a great picnic at the farmers market and street food stalls, listen to talks by such luminaries as author Eric Schlosser and Chef Alice Waters, or take a workshop on how to set up your own home garden. In the evening, you can one of dozens of slow food dinners at area restaurants; check the website for details. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.