When A Peach Walks Into An Oyster At Waterbar San Francisco
San Francisco's finest sustainable seafood restaurant, Waterbar, celebrated a night of fine wine and dining inspired by the Masumoto Family Farm's juicy peaches and other stone fruit. Not to mention the magnificent, breathtaking view of the Bay Bridge that made the evening even more special.
The Masumoto family's farm consists of a small organic 80 acre, third generation family farm just south of Fresno, California. The event consisted of a variety of peach and nectarine-centric tapas including, but not limited to: oysters with peach salsa; ahi tuna tartare; peach leaf steamed shrimp cakes; roasted peach with quinoa, feta, and almond; and peach almond tartlets, all courtesy of chef de cuisine Justin Baade and dessert offerings created by executive pastry chef Angela Salvatore.
Waterbar and the Masumoto Family ― Mas, Marcy, and Nikiko ― are longtime partners and dear friends of each other. In fact, seven years ago, Waterbar's Eric Hyman initiated the adoption of LeGrand nectarine and Elberta peach trees from the family, which started a tradition for the Waterbar team to visit the orchard to handpick their fruit each year. The adopted nectarine and peach trees were especially abundant this season, inspiring a menu reflecting the bountiful harvest.
Hosted on the North Terrace, Waterbar warmly welcomed the Masumoto Family Farm's Mas and Marcy to discuss food and sustainability. Guests had the opportunity to savor the summer season with stone fruit inspired dishes paired with carefully selected wines exclusively for the event. The beverage offerings for the event included roasted peach bellini with Zonin Prosecco; Vignoble D'Azur, Rose, Bandol, France 2015 and Paul Jaboulet, Parallele 45, and Cotes de Rhone Blanc, 2015.
The first Masumoto Family Farm acre was first bought back in 1948 by Takashi "Joe" Masumoto. The Masumotos enriched the soil and planted roots with the dynamic collaboration of family labor and a stubborn resilience.
Today, the farm consists of 80 acres of Certified Organic land, producing peaches, nectarines, and grapes for raisins each year. Side note: the Masumotos are super charming and just as sweet as their peaches (if not sweeter)!
"Waterbar strives to ensure the highest standard of environmentally safe, sustainably-sourced seafood from both local and international waters, respecting seasonality and the natural essence of the sea," says Parke Ulrich, Waterbar chef and operating partner.
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