The Fisherman’s Wharf Crab Festival is a month-long celebration of the City’s culinary obsession and its love affair with Dungeness crab. Throughout February, the Festival features special restaurant dining promotions, scavenger hunts, walking tours of the Wharf, behind-the-scenes visits at Fisherman’s Wharf, and much more.

For more information on events, restaurants, and recipes go to: visitfishermanswharf.com

Blue Mermaid’s Award Winning Dungeness Crab and Corn Chowder

Ingredients
2.5 quarts apple-wood smoked bacon
5 diced onions
5 diced celery
2 oz chipotle powder
4 quarts pasilla chili diced
2 jalapeno peppers sliced in half with no seeds
5 diced Yukon gold potatoes
Crab base to taste.
2 gallons heavy cream
6 oz of cream cheese
1 sheet pan roasted corn
1/2 cup chipotle powder
1/2 cup Old Bay Seasoning

Instructions
STEP 1: Add 2.5 quarts diced apple-wood smoked bacon, render the bacon then add 5 diced onions, and 5 diced celery. Saute for 5 minutes.

Add 2oz chipotle powder. Add 4 quarts pasilla chili diced, and 2 jalapeno peppers sliced in half with.no seeds.

STEP 2: Add 5 diced Yukon gold potatoes.  Add enough water to cover potatoes.  Add crab base to taste.

Bring to a boil until potatoes are aldiente.  DO NOT OVERCOOK.

STEP 3: Add 2 gallons heavy cream.  Puree 6 oz of cream cheese with some of the chowder. Add to chowder.

Add roux until right consistency which is velvety and not too thick.

Finish with 1 sheet pan roasted corn,1/2 cup chipotle powder, and 1/2 cup Old Bay Seasoning.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Yields 12 gallons.

For a great excuse to leave the City and visit Sonoma country during the cold weather, Wine Road’s annual Winter Wineland is a rare opportunity to meet winemakers, taste limited production wines, new releases or library wines. Some wineries will offer food pairings and others will have tours. For a list of wineries and their programs go here then scroll down for the downloadable pdf…and plan your tasting adventure.

January 16 and 17
11:00 am – 4:00 pm
120 wineries, 50 lodges
Ticket price will include wine tasting at all of the participating wineries for the weekend.

Advance online ticket prices are: $40 Weekend,  $30 Sunday only, $10 for Designated Drivers
At the door prices will be $50 Weekend, $40 Sunday only, $10 for Designated Drivers
Tickets sales are final and non-refundable.

Snow in San Francisco? Not quite, but every year we pretend and the City opens up two wonderful ice rinks during the holiday season. It’s a great way to burn-off those Christmas cookies, celebrate the New Year, or just get the kids out of the house! So grab your earmuffs, mittens and enjoy a day outdoors in beautiful downtown San Francisco.

HOLIDAY ICE RINK AT UNION SQUARE

OPEN: until Monday, January 18, 2010.

HOURS OF OPERATION: 10:00 am-10:00 pm, Sunday-Thursday, 10:00 am-11:30 pm on Friday & Saturday. 90 minute session, start every even hour

Note: Closes at 9:30 p.m. on December 31

HOLIDAY ICE RINK AT THE EMBARCEDERO CENTER

OPEN: through Sunday, January 3, 2010.

LOCATED:  at the Justin Herman Plaza, adjacent to Four Embarcadero Center and across from the historic Ferry Building.

HOURS OF OPERATION: 10:00 am-10:00 pm, Sunday-Thursday, 10:00 am-11:30 pm on Friday & Saturday. 90 minute session, start every even hour

3 FOR ALL and True Fiction Magazine, the legendary, internationally-known San Francisco based improv troupes join forces on Thursday, December 31 for an evening of comedy, drama and impromptu mayhem. Using suggestions from the audience, the members of 3 FOR ALL (Rafe Chase, Stephen Kearin & Tim Orr) and True Fiction Magazine (Regina Saisi, Barbara Scott & Diane Rachel) spontaneously create thrilling theatrical stories where none existed before. Don’t worry…you won’t be dragged up on stage. But you will be on the edge of your seat in amazement as these fabulous stories are created right before your eyes. In an era when tickets for New Year’s Eve events can exceed $100, this unique show is a great value for $30. A first-rate evening of theater, affordable tickets and inexpensive parking. Important note: This event has sold out every year, so call for tickets soon. Show at 8pm (ends about 10pm) at Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco. Tickets are $30 for general admission reserved seating; $25 students & seniors. For information and tickets, call 415-345-7575 or go to www.fortmason.org/boxoffice.

Steve Silver’s Beach Blanket Babylon, the world’s longest running musical revue, welcomes the new decade with two special New Year’s Eve performances on Thursday, December 31, 2009. Both the 7pm & 10:15pm shows will feature a pastiche of the best and worst of 2009 – Beach Blanket Babylon style.  Guests at each show will receive champagne and See’s chocolates.  The second show, ending at the stroke of midnight, will feature post-show dancing until 1:30am.
The New Year’s Eve Extravaganza also includes a chorus line of tap dancing Christmas trees, special parodies of traditional Christmas carols and a gigantic Yuletide hat.  Snow White continues her fast-paced musical journey around the world in search of her “Prince Charming” and encounters a star-studded, ever-changing line-up of hilarious pop-culture characters along the way.
Beach Blanket Babylon plays at Club Fugazi, 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd. (Green St.) in San Francisco. New Year’s Eve tickets: $190 – $65. For tickets call (415) 421-4222 or visit www.beachblanketbabylon.com. Photo I.D. required.  Persons under 21 not admitted to evening performances.

Victorian Home Walk tour will include a visit inside a home decorated in the 1890’s holiday style, along with the regular houses which are decorated on the outside. It’s a true Victorian Christmas experience! Walks will be given December 1-31. Meet in Union Square on the corner of Powell and Post Streets, across from Saks Fifth, Sunday-Saturday 11am. Cost is $25. For more information, call 415-824-2666 or visit www.victorianalliance.org.

Fisherman’s Wharf and the St. Francis Yacht Club will once again present the oldest and largest lighted holiday boat parade on San Francisco Bay. More than 100 boats, each festooned with lights and holiday decorations, will parade along the waterfront on Friday, December 11, 2009, starting at 6pm. Great viewing from PIER 39 and Aquatic Park in Fisherman’s Wharf.

A holiday tradition since 1994, this year’s parade will include members of the St. Francis Yacht Club, Fisherman’s Wharf Fishing Fleet, Golden Gate Yacht Club, PIER 39 Marina, and the Sea Scouts. The parade route will begin just off of PIER 39, proceeding west past Fisherman’s Wharf, Fort Mason and the St. Francis Yacht Club, and will turn around off of Crissy Field to return along the waterfront.

Spectators can enjoy wonderful views from Aquatic Park, PIER 39, the Marina Green, and Crissy Field. In addition to offering a fantastic vantage point, restaurants along the Wharf will be featuring traditional holiday menus. The Fisherman’s Wharf Fishing Fleet will remain lit throughout the holiday season. The best viewing of this spectacular display can be found at the Sport Fishing Harbor along Jefferson Street between Jones and Taylor.

California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park will offer extended holiday hours: December 21-23, 9:30am – 6:30pm and December 26-30, 9:30am – 6:30pm, January 1-2, 9:30am – 6:30pm, January 3, 11:00am – 6:30pm (normal closing time is 5pm). Also, don’t miss:
PENGUIN FEEDINGS
Daily at 10:30 am & 3:30 pm
The Academy’s African penguins are always especially animated during meal time. Watch the birds dip and dive in their tank at the end of African Hall as a biologist dons a wet suit and hands out vitamin-stuffed herring and capelin. Each feeding takes 10 minutes, and questions are encouraged. Free with Academy admission.
CORAL REEF DIVES
Daily at 11:30 am & 2:30 pm
Watch as a diver suits up in SCUBA gear and plunges into the world’s deepest living coral reef exhibit. Outfitted with an underwater microphone, the diver will answer all of your reef-related questions. Free with Academy admission.
SWAMP TALK
Weekdays at 1:00 pm
Saturdays and Sundays at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm
Join us at the Swamp to learn about some of the Academy’s most popular animals, including American alligators and alligator snapping turtles. You’ll find out what it takes to care for these amazing creatures, which are native to swamps in the southeastern United States. Free with Academy admission.
BUGS! 3D SHOW
Daily, every hour on the hour
This 25-minute film is a remarkable foray into the insect life of Borneo, using immersive 3D technology. Named the Best Special Venue film at the 2009 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, Bugs! follows the life cycles of Hierodula, the praying mantis, and Papilio, the butterfly. Slide on your special viewing glasses and see for yourself what all the buzz is about. Free with Academy admission.
JOURNEY TO THE STARS PLANETARIUM SHOW
Daily, Proceed to the planetarium entrance upon arrival for the day’s schedule and to pick up your passes.
Travel through time and space to experience the dramatic lives and deaths of stars. Witness brilliant supernova explosions, dive into the heart of the fiery Sun, and watch it transform into a red giant five billion years in the future. Along the way, you will discover the deep-rooted connection between humanity and the stars. Free with Academy admission; seats are limited and show passes are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
SHARK & RAY FEEDING
Every Tuesday and Thursday at 3:00 pm
Join the Academy’s shallow reef residents for lunch at the Mangrove Lagoon. Watch and ask questions as a biologist feeds vitamin-stuffed fish to the sharks and doles out a special diet of chopped clams, shrimp, squid and fish to the rays. Free with Academy admission.
CHILDREN’S STORY TIME FOR AGES 2-5
Every Thursday and Saturday at 11:00 am
Children aged 2 to 5 and their parents are invited to the Early Explorers Cove to listen to stories about nature, science, and the wonderful world around us. Free with Academy admission; space will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
California Academy of Sciences is located in Golden Gate Park at 55 Music Concourse Drive. For more information, call 415-379-8000 or go to www.calacademy.org.

Coit Tower will be turned into a gigantic outdoor movie screen to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the American Indian Movement’s occupation of Alcatraz Island. Projectors will be used to cast digital images on the 210-foot concrete tower that sits atop Telegraph Hill. The screening of at least five films will take place from 6 to 11pm on Wednesday, November 25, and again at dusk on Thanksgiving Day through 7am on Friday, November 27. The event will be postponed in the event of rain or heavy fog. The two-night event is titled “Indigenous Renewal: Alcatraz Occupation Remembrance + Ohlone Presence Celebrated.” The Coit Tower screenings will be visible to hundreds of thousands of people with the best viewing spots being Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 31, the Coit Tower parking lot and Washington Square.

Reservations are currently being accepted for family-friendly Teddy Bear Tea at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, as well as for the hotel’s popular Thanksgiving and Christmas Day Buffets, and New Year’s Eve Dinner in The Dining Room.
 
A new addition for this year is the December 3 Winter Wonderland Wreaths and Champagne Lunch, featuring an individual wreath-making class led by Floramor Studios and including a special holiday luncheon.
 
Reservations for all hotel holiday festivities may be requested at (415) 773-6198.
 
The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco holiday events include:
 
THANKSGIVING
 
Thanksgiving Day Bounteous Buffet in The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom
Thursday, November 26– 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
$98 per adult, $49 per child 5-12 excluding tax and gratuity
Celebrate the holiday with the acclaimed Ritz-Carlton Thanksgiving buffet.  A live jazz trio entertains.
 
SPECIAL EVENTS
 
Teddy Bear Tea in The Lobby Lounge
Friday, November 27 through Thursday, December 24
Two seatings: 10am and 1pm
$80 per guest excluding tax and gratuity
Children and their favorite stuffed animals gather for traditional Teddy Bear Tea with Binky the Elf. Holiday storytelling, balloons and a visit and photograph with the cuddly Ritz-Carlton Teddy are complemented by a small teddy bear to take home and a special tea experience of hot chocolate, teddy bear cut-out cookies and assorted sandwiches. A portion of proceeds will benefit The Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation. 
 
Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony
Wednesday, December 2– 5:30 to 7:30pm
Free and open to the community
The holiday season begins at twilight, Wednesday, December 2, when the hotel’s 40-foot holiday tree is illuminated by Santa Claus and his little helper from the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation. This special evening in the porte cochere includes Dickens-era costumed carolers, hot apple cider, roasted chestnuts, holiday confections and visits with Santa after the ceremony. 

Holiday Lunch in The Dining Room
Friday, November 27 through Thursday, December 24 – 11:30am-2:30pm
$39 per guest, excluding tax and gratuity
Relax with a delightful prix-fixe lunch in The Dining Room – a perfect break during busy pre-holiday days.
 
Winter Wonderland Wreaths and Champagne Lunch
Thursday, December 3 – 11:30am to 2pm
$100 per guest (adults only), including tax and gratuity.
 Envelop your senses with the smell of fresh evergreens, the sounds of Christmas carols and the taste of a farm-fresh holiday lunch in this special wreath-making class with San Francisco’s Floramor Studios. Ideal for mother-daughter bonding or reconnecting with a friend, this class will include the basics on wreath making, how to decorate with seasonal fruits and nuts, and tips on preserving your wreath for the entire season. Class includes glass of champagne and lunch plus your created wreath to take home.
 
CHRISTMAS EVE

Christmas Eve Afternoon Tea in The Lobby Lounge
Thursday, December 24
Seatings: 3:30pm
Enjoy the ritual of Afternoon Tea and the soothing sounds of a jazz-to-classics harpist. Includes a perfectly-blended pot of fine tea, savory finger sandwiches and sweets. Select from a menu of Traditional, Royal, Premier and Vegetarian Tea.
 
Christmas Eve Dinner in The Dining Room
Thursday, December 24 — 4 to 9pm
$175 per guest, with an additional $95 per guest for wine pairing, excluding tax and gratuity
Savor Chef Ron Siegel’s modern French cuisine in The Dining Room, one of only four California restaurants to earn the 2009 Mobil Five-Star Award. A special six-course menu will be served.
 
CHRISTMAS DAY
 
Christmas Day Bounteous Buffet in The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom
Friday, December 25– 11am to 4pm
$98 per adult, $49 per child 5-12 excluding tax and gratuity
Celebrate Christmas Day with a festive holiday buffet.  A live jazz trio entertains.
 
Christmas Dinner in The Dining Room
Friday, December 25 — 4 to 9pm
$175 per guest, with an additional $95 per guest for wine pairing, exclusive of tax and gratuity
Chef Ron Siegel’s irresistible six-course menu promises a memorable Christmas dining experience.
 
NEW YEAR’S EVE
 
New Year’s Eve in The Dining Room
Thursday, December 31
7 to 9pm
$500 per adult, inclusive of wine pairing, tax and gratuity
Usher in the New Year with Chef Ron Siegel’s exquisite seven-course tasting menu. Guests will enjoy a live band and dancing.
 
New Year’s Eve in The Lobby Lounge
Thursday, December 31
$25 per-guest cover charge, exclusive of tax and gratuity, after 9 p.m. An la carte cocktail menu is complemented by dancing to a live band from 9pm.