Restaurant & Hospitality Consultants

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San Francisco Restaurant Week is Back!

San Francisco Restaurant Week is back, and it’s not too late to make your reservations! In the spirit of good fortune, we kicked off restaurant week with Golden

Where to be for new year’s eve

MESO Santana Row On Tuesday, December 31st, Meso will be open from 11:30am to 10:00pm featuring a special New Year’s Eve menu throughout the holiday. A reduced regular à

Celebrate the Holidays with Good Taste

barbacco Each month, barbacco celebrates a different Italian region by offering special additions to the dinner menu that highlight the unique cuisine of that region. For the holidays, Chef

Holiday Recipes with Mr. Espresso

A well made coffee combination never gets old, especially when it involves Mr. Espresso’s sustainably sourced beans. For a list fit to inspire your holiday sweet tooth and impress your

Vote for Your Favorite Marin County Restaurants

The Marin IJ Readers’ Choice Awards polls are open! Vote for your favorite Marin County restaurants: Copita, Poggio Trattoria, and Gott’s Roadside. We suggest BEST MEXICAN / BEST BRUNCH

The Bay Area’s Must-Do Events

M.Y. China – Crab Menu In celebration of M.Y. China’s 7th anniversary, the restaurant will be launching their annual crab menu. The special menu will offer 7 unique preparations

JBF Taste America Ticket Sales

We’re excited to celebrate the 7th consecutive year of the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America, bringing the Foundation’s Good Food for Good mantra across the country. Good Food for

Thanksgiving Dishes and Traditions From the af&co. Staff

Macie – We kick off the Thanksgiving feasting with my cousin’s Artichoke Spinach Dip. Kelly – Pumpkin custard pie. Martha can do no wrong, and this version of pumpkin

Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday

4505 BBQ 4505 BBQ be heading into the season of giving with a special promotion Cyber Monday through Giving Tuesday. A portion of online orders from Monday 12/2 –

Agave Girls at Copita Tequileria y Comida

Get ready for Copita’s next Agave Girls gathering on Wednesday, December 11 — a special holiday celebration! Join the original Agave Girl Joanne Weir, PBS Chef, author of Kitchen Gypsy:

New Openings: Meso Santana Row and Bierhaus Walnut Creek

Meso Meso, meaning “middle,” is a modern Mediterranean restaurant and bar, an oasis in the heart of Santana Row, located at 3060 Olsen Dr. #50 San Jose, CA 95128.

Marcelle Eats Like She Gives A F*CK at Wildseed SF

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of dining at Wildseed, Marina’s new fully plant-based restaurant on Union Street. As you know we are seeing more and more

Sign Up for the 2020 af&co. Trends Webinar

Don’t miss our two exclusive live presentations! Andrew Freeman will be sharing the report in its entirety during two free webinars linked below. Space is limited so reserve your place

Thanksgiving and Holiday Specials Around The Bay

One Market Chef/Partner Mark Dommen invites you to celebrate Thanksgiving at One Market with a special four-course prix fixe menu, available on Thursday, November 28 from 1-8pm for $89

November Blind Tasting at One Market Restaurant Benefits LightHouse for the Blind

From November 1st through the 30th, One Market Restaurant will offer a “salute to blind ambition” with daily changing blind tasting flights selected and served by Sommelier and Wine Director

October Industry Corner

Business news from us to you! It’s Official – We’re Working With the GGRA We’re so excited to be working with our friends over at the Golden Gate

Join Us at This Year’s Cab Fest

Join us on November 9th Under the Dome for one of the Bay Area’s greatest celebrations of Cabernet wines. CAB FEST is the largest of its kind, attracting Cabernet

October af&co. Eats

The af&co. team sure was hungry this month! From a new Italian restaurant in the Mission, to reviews of some of SF’s staples, we tasted our way through some of

Brunch at Foreign Cinema with Marcelle

Last month, I had the pleasure of enjoying brunch at Foreign Cinema for the first time. It was my best friend’s birthday visiting from Washington D.C., and of course I

Alyssa Make it to Mister Jui’s

The tasting menu, a seven part experience, was presented in three shifts, forcing us to focus on and discuss each dish. The first three courses came one by one, accompanied

Macie and Friends Go To Matador

Last week I celebrated a friend’s birthday at Matador. We were a group of 13 women and took up the majority of the small, dimly lit restaurant. After arriving early

What time is it? Dumpling Time!

A few weeks back I went to Dumpling Time in SOMA following the final Giants game of the season. The wait time here can be long, so we arrived right

Alley Strikes Gold at the Mission’s New Italian Spot

The food… Great Gold Tomato Bread lot’s of red sauce, lots of garlic, lots of olive oil, Meatballs red sauce, cranberry beans, roasted garlic, Cavatellisweet corn, brown butter cacio e pepe, Vermicelli Carbonara snap peas, guanciale,

Alyssa Goes to Maialino in NYC

After this dining experience, I would recommend Maialino to anyone asking for suggestions in NYC. It exuded a welcoming café-like energy in an up-scale environment. The staff were all attentive

Media Training for Food and Hospitality Professionals with af&co.

If you’re in the food or hospitality business and often find yourself struggling to articulate a project or event that you’ve been working on, we recommend signing up for our

Where to Book Your Holiday Parties

Jack’s Restaurant and Bar Book your holiday party at on of Jack’s private dining spaces at their San Mateo, Pleasant Hill and Newark locations. E&O Kitchen and Bar

Celebrate the Abundance of the Season at Duende

In the spirit of harvest season, join Chef Paul Cañales of Duende, Oakland for a celebration of La Abundancia del Otoño (Celebrating the Abundance of Autumn) on Thursday, November 7 at 7pm!

Vespera On Ocean is Officially Open in Pismo Beach

Central California’s newest luxury hotel and restaurant, Vespera on Ocean and Somerset Grill are officially open! Located along Pismo Beach’s famous stretch of surf, sand and sun, the new property

A Mediterranean Oasis is Coming to Santana Row

An oasis in the heart of Santana Row, Mediterranean restaurant and bar, Meso, is pleased to announce it will open its doors in late-October 2019 with dinner and happy hour,

News from Beyond the Bay

Here’s what you should note outside of the Bay Area this month! Spork Now through December 1, General Manager Sean Enright and the talented team behind the bar

Non-Spooky Ways to Celebrate the Season Around the Bay

Jack’s Restaurant and Bar Congrats to Jack’s on the refresh and reopening of their Pleasant Hill location! No matter the occasion or time of day, Jack’s is the place

Bay Area Halloween Round Up

Let’s get spooky! Here’s a list of some of the frightful and delightful happening around the Bay Area this month. Salt and Straw A new set of spooky

Pinots & Plaid

We’re excited for the first ever Pinots & Plaid event highlighting Northern California’s Best of the Best Pinot Noir. This is an event that Bay Area wine lovers will want to attend.

Dumpling Week at M.Y. China

The number 8 is associated with prosperity and good fortune, so this September, M.Y. China will be celebrating National Dumpling Day (Sept. 26, 2019) for 8 days by featuring 8

Karina Checks Out Elda

Earlier this month I visited Elda, the Mission’s beautiful new cocktail bar on 16th Street exuding Caribbean and Latin influences. It was my goal to get the recap done before

Macie Has A Great Time (and even better food) at Leopold’s

At the beginning of this month, I had dinner at Leopold’s, a Bavarian-style gasthaus down the street from my apartment. Two of us walked into Leopold’s on a Thursday night

Head to these spots before going to the new chase center

The Chase Center just opened in the Mission Bay neighborhood and we’ve got some great recommendations of where to go before, and when you’re there! Little Creatures Mission Bay

This Fall’s Can’t Miss Events

One Big Table 2019 Saturday, September 21st Once a year, the SF Marin Food Bank transforms its warehouse into an unforgettable dining experience with One Big Table , a

New Client Alert

Roman Spa Hot Springs Resort Our latest client is the iconic Roman Spa Hot Springs, a beautiful boutique hotel and spa. What sets it apart and makes it a

Bake the World A Better Place Bake Sale

San Francisco’s top Bakers and Pastry Chefs will be at Bluestem Brasserie for the 2nd Annual Bake the World a Better Place Bake Sale this Thursday, September 12. Gather your

AC Hotel San Jose Santa Clara is Officially Open

Congratulations to Silicon Valley’s newest hotel, AC Hotel San Jose Santa Clara! The Marriott property officially opened its doors on Friday, September 6. The hotel is designed for well-traveled,

Magnolia Brewing x The Golden State Warriors

As part of the Warriors’ move back to The City, Magnolia Brewing has partnered with The Bay’s team to brew Dubs Golden Ale, the Warriors’ exclusive co-branded beer! Get ready

Beyond the Bay This September

Ocean Prime Earlier this year, associates at 15 Ocean Prime locations participated in bourbon blending workshops with a representative from Woodford Reserve, creating one-of-a-kind selections to be served in-house.

Around the Bay this September

Salt and Straw Salt & Straw’s Student Inventor Series is back this fall, as kiddos get ready to head back-to-school. Starting on September 6, the Student Inventor Series hits

af&co. July Reviews

The af&co. staff has been out and about tasting all of the best the Bay Area has to offer. Take a peek at where we’ve been and click through on

Alley Throws Back a Few at Willkommen

It was a beautiful Sunday and I was walking my dog as I passed by Black Hammer Brewing’s new beer hall, Willkommen, for what felt like the hundredth time. Just

Amy Reviews Afternoon Tea at Dandelion Factory’s Bloom Salon

I tried out the Bloom Salon at the new Dandelion Factory on 16th for their chocolate tea. We are big fans of afternoon tea and had heard early positive reviews

A Bagel Break at Daily Driver with Karina

I (along with Kelly and Katie) hopped into Daily Driver, the Dogpatch’s hottest new addition. With all the coverage they’ve been getting with their opening, I wanted to try these bagels

Marcelle Recaps Her and Karina’s Night At Rich Table

Karina and a couple of our girlfriends and I recently started a “Dinner Club,” which would give our group the opportunity to try San Francisco restaurants none of us have

Summer Beyond the Bay

You don’t have to be in the Bay Area to have fun next month! Check out all of the exciting things happening with our clients beyond the bay. Ocean

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