Many food centric districts of San Francisco, the 18th street corridor which locals have affectionately dubbed the castro. A cross between castro and gastronomic. The bakery, pizza, and dolores park cafe, there is no end in sight for the mouth watering food options here. Adding to the culinary delights is the family of business he which includes skylight creamery, skylight and the 18 raisin. Skylight market has been here since 1940. Its been in the family since 1964. His father and uncle bought the market and ran it through sam taking it over in 1998. At that point sam revamped the market. He installed a kitchen in the center of the market and really made it a place where chefs look forward to come. He created community through food. So, we designed our community as having three parts we like to draw as a triangle where its comprised of our producers that make the food, our staff, those who sell it, and our guests who come and buy and eat the food. And we really feel that we wouldnt exist if it werent for all three of those components who really support each other. And thats kind of what we work towards every day. Valley creamery was opened in 2006. The two pastry chefs who started it, chris hoover and walker who is sams wife, supplied all the pastries and bakeries for the market. They found a space on the block to do that and the ice cream kind of came as an afterthought. They realized the desire for ice cream and we now have lines around the corner. So, thats been a huge success. In 2008, sam started 18 reasons, which is our community and event space where we do five events a week all around the idea of bringling people closer to where the food comes from and closer to each other in that process. 18 reasons was started almost four years ago as an educational arm of their work. And we would have dinners and a few classes and we understood there what momentum that people wanted this type of engagement and education in a way that allowed for a more indepth conversation. We grew and now we offer i think we had nine, we have a series where adults learned home cooking and we did a teacher Training Workshop where San Francisco unified Public School teachers came and learned to use cooking for the core standards. We range all over the place. We really want everyone to feel like they can be included in the conversation. A lot of organizations i think which say were going to teach cooking or were going to teach gardening, or were going to get in the policy side of the food from conversation. We say all of that is connected and we want to provide a place that feels really Community Oriented where you can be interested in multiple of those things or one of those things and have an entree point to meet people. We want to build community and were using food as a means to that end. We have a wonderful organization to be involved with obviously coming from buy right where really everyone is treated very much like family. Coming into 18 reasons which even more Community Focused is such a treat. We have these events in the evening and we really try and bring people together. People come in in groups, meet friends that they didnt even know they had before. Our whole set up is focused on communal table. You can sit across from someone and start a conversation. Were excited about that. I never worked in catering or food service before. Its been really fun learning about where things are coming from, where things are served from. It is getting really popular. Shes a wonderful teacher and i think it is a Perfect Match for us. It is not about home cooking. Its really about how to facilitate your ease in the kitchen so you can just cook. I have always loved eating food. For me, i love that it brings me into contact with so many wonderful people. Ultimately all of my work that i do intersects at the place where food and community is. Classes or cooking dinner for someone or writing about food. It always come down to empowering people and giving them a wonderful experience. Empower their want to be around people and all the values and reasons the commitment, community and places, were offering a whole spectrum of offerings and other really wide range of places to show that good food is not only for wealthy people and they are super committed to accessibility and to giving people a glimpse of the beauty that really is available to all of us that sometimes we forget in our day to day running around. We have such a philosophical mission around bringing people together around food. Its so natural for me to come here. We want them to walk away feeling like they have the tools to make change in their lives. Whether that change is voting on an issue in a way that they will really confident about, or that change is how to understand why it is important to support our small farmers. Each class has a different purpose, but what we hope is that when people leave here they understand how to achieve that goal and feel that they have the resources necessary to do that. Are you inspired . Maybe you want to learn how to have a patch in your backyard or cook better with fresh ingredients. Or grab a quick bite with organic goodies. Find out more about 18 reasons by going to 18 reasons. Org and learn about buy right market and creamery by going to buy right market. Com. And dont forget to check out our blog for more info on many of our episodes at sf quick bites. Com. Until next time, may the fork be with you. So chocolaty. Mm. Oh, this is awesome. Oh, sorry. I thought we were done rolling. Im derek, im hyungry, and ready to eat. These vendors offer a variety of the streets near you. These mobile restaurants are serving up original, creative and unusual combinations. You can grab something simple like a Grilled Cheese sandwich or something unique like curry. We areher here in the average eight upper haight. You will be competing in the Quick Buy Food challenge. An appetizer and if you are the winner you will get the title of the quitck bite chompion. I am here with matt cohen, from off the grid. We assembled trucks and put them into a really unique heurban settings. What inspired you to start off the grid . I was helping people lodge mobile food trucks. The work asking for what can we get part together . We started our first location and then from there we expanded locations. Why do think food trucks have grown . I have gotten popular because the high cost of starting a brick and mortar or strong, the rise of social media, trucks can be easily located, and food trucks to offer a unique outdoor experience that is not easily replaced by any of their setting any worlwhere else in san franc. San francisco eaters are interested in cuisine. There adventuress. The fact theyuse grea use great ingredients and make gourmet food makes unpopular. I have been dying to have these. I have had that roach coach experience. It is great theyre making food they can trust. Have you decided . We are in the thick of the competition . My game was thrown off because they pulled out of my first appetizer choice. How we going to crush clear . It will be easy. Probably everyone has tried, something bacon tell us delicious. People tell us is delicious. Hopefully you think the same thing. Hopefully i am going to win. Were in the financial district. There is a food truck right there. Every day changes. It is easy and fun to go down. These are going to be really good. How are you going to dominate . I think he does not know what he is doing. I was thinking of doing [unintelligible] we are underrepresented. I was singing of starting an irish pub. That was my idea. One our biggest is the corned beef and cabbage. We are asking people what theyre thinking in getting some feedback. For a lot of people i am sure this combination looks very wrong. It might not sound right on paper but when you taste it to or have it in your mouth, it is a variety. This is one of the best ways in creating community. People gather around and talk about it and get to know different cultures. That brings people together and i hope more off the grid style and people can mingle and interact and remove all our differences and work on our similarities. This creates opportunity. The time has come and i am very hungry. What have you got . I got this from on the go, a sandwich, and a caramel cupcake. I went with home cooking. What de think . I will have another bite. Sounds good. That was fantastic. Lets start with you. I had the fried mac and cheese, and twinkies. I wanted to get something kind of classic with a twist on it. It was crispy. I will admit. Want to try fieried mac and cheese . Was that the best twinkie . Would you say you had the winning male . Definitely. No. You are the chompion. Clair has won. You are the first chompion. They know it iwas me because i got a free meal. And check a map on check them out on facebook. Take a peek at the stuff we have cut. To get our check out our blog. I will have . Oo hi, im holly lee. I love cooking and you are watching quick bites. San francisco is a foodie town. We San Franciscoans love our food and desserts are no exceptions. There are places that specialize in any and every dessert your heart desires, from hand made ice cream to organic cakes, artisan chocolate and cupcakes galore, the options are endless. Anyone out there with a sweet tooth . Then i have a great stop for you. Ive been searching high and low for some great cookies and the buzz around town that anthonys are those cookies. With rave reviews like this i have to experience these cookies for myself and see what the fuss was all about. So lets see. While attending San FranciscoState University as an accountinging major, anthonys friend jokingly suggested he make cookies to make ends make. With no formal culinary training he opened his own bakery and is now the no. 1 producer of gourmet cookies in the biarea and thank you for joining us on quick bites. How do you feel . I feel great. So i want to get to the bottom of some very burning questions. Why cookies . It was a recommendation from a friend. Hard to believe thats how it all started. Why not pies and cakes . What do you have against pies and cakes, anthony. I have nothing against pies and cakes. However, that was the recommendation. You were on the road to be an account apblt. Actually, an engineer. Even better. And it led to making cookies. In delicious ways. Delicious ways. This is where the magic goes down and were going to be getting to the truth behind cookies and cream. This is what is behind cookies and cream. Where were you when the idea came to your mind. I was in my apartment eating ice cream, cookies and cream ice cream. How much fun, cookies and cream cookies. Their cookies and cream is not even it took a lot of time, a lot of fun. A lot of butter. A lot, a lot, a lot. But it was one of those things. All right, now behold. You know what that is . What is that . Cookies and cream. Oh, they are beautiful. Yes, so we got to get. All right, all right. We treat the cookies like wine tasting. I dont ever want anybody to bite into a cookie and not get what they want to get. Were Training Staff because they can look at the cookie and tell if its wrong. Oh, here we go. You smell it and then you taste it, clean the plat palate with the milk. I could be a professional painter because i know how to do this. I can tell that its a really nice shell, that nice crunch. But inside. Oh, my god. So you are going to cheat a little bit. I had to give you a heads up on that. Whats happening tomorrow . These cookies, theres a lot of love in these cookies. I dont know how else to say it. It really just makes me so happy. Man, you bake a mean cookie, anthony. I know. People really know if they are getting something made with love. Aww you know, you cant fool people. They know if you are taking shortcuts here and there. They can eat something and tell the care that went into it. They get what they expect. Uhhuh. System development and things like that. Sounds so technical. Im an engineer. Thats right, thats right. Cookies are so good, drove all other thoughts out of my head. Thank you for taking time out it talk to us about what you do and the love with which you do it. We appreciate your time here on quick bites. I hope youve enjoyed our delicious tale of defendant 93 and dessert. As for me, my search is over. Those reviews did not lie. In fact, im thinking of one of my very own. Some things you just have it experience for yourself. To learn more about anthonys cookies, visit him on the web at anthoniescookies. Com. If you want to watch some of our other episodes at sfquickbites tumbler. Com. See