This past Friday, September 16^th, the San Francisco chapter of Project by Project hosted its second annual tasting benefit, Plate by Plate, at the Bently Reserve.  Project by Project is a national volunteer organization comprised of social entrepreneurs that serve Asian American non-profits in need by raising public awareness, volunteerism and capital.

With this year’s theme being education, Project by Project partnered with Oakland Asian Student Education Services (OASES).  OASES’ mission is to empower students from low-income households through education, mentorship, and service in order to strengthen the Oakland community. They also provide multiple programs that give youth opportunities not often offered at their schools including peer leadership, environmental education, diversity education, financial literacy, and the arts.

Every year, each chapter of Project by Project hosts a tasting benefit featuring some of the best restaurants and beverage purveyors in their local area. The Bently Reserve was amazing and beautifully decorated with all of the different vendors showcased below the mezzanine level.

There were so many different types of cuisines and restaurants to choose from, it made it quite difficult to figure out which dish to try next:

Attic Restaurant, 234 S B Street, San Mateo, CA

White Tuna Poke: Tombo tuna, crispy gyoza chips, sesame seaweed salad, daikon sprouts, scallions, shaved red onions & black sesame seeds

Astaria Restaurant & Bar, 50 East Third Street, San Francisco, CA

Heirloom Tomato & Spiced Watermelon Salad

 Radius, 1123 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA

Chaya Brasserie, 132 The Embarcedero, San Francisco, CA

5A5 Steak Lounge, 244 Jackson Street, San Francisco, CA

Hamachi Shooters

The San Francisco chapter also had the privilege to host some of Napa Valley’s great wineries showcased at Plate by Plate: St. Supery, Peju, Joyce Vineyard, and Scheid Vineyards.

And Zico coconut water and Neuro Drinks for those who preferred other imbibe.

 

With the spectacle of food and imbibe showcased in every corner, Plate by Plate also had a variety of special guest appearances.  I had the opportunity to interview Carmen Chu (San Francisco Supervisor of District 4) and George Gascon (San Francisco District Attorney) about their views of education and current initiatives they are working on in San Francisco revolving around education.  Stay tuned for the video interview footage!

Mayor Ed Lee even made a surprise appearance speaking to our guests about the importance of education and for our community to lead by example to our younger generation.

 

With the support of all of the individuals who participated and contributed to Project by Project, we were able to make Plate by Plate a great success for a great cause.

This year, I got the privilege to serve on the board of Project by Project as the Manager of Publicity and Promotions seeing the event from start to finish.  Working behind the scenes and being a part of the whole production process made me really appreciate all of the hard work that went into putting this event together.  If you haven’t had a chance to check out Plate by Plate in San Francisco or Los Angeles, our New York chapter will be featuring their event on Friday, October 14^th.

About Project by Project:

Project by Project (PbP) is a national volunteer organization of social entrepreneurs that serves Asian American non-profits in need by raising public awareness, volunteerism and capital.  Every year, each local chapter partners with a community-based organization and tailors a year-long campaign to help with fundraising, community outreach, and public awareness efforts. Project by Project was founded in New York in 1998, expanding to Los Angeles in 2001, and San Francisco in 2009.

For more information, please visit: www.projectbyproject.org