Other things you might have missed at Eat Real Fest 2013

Aside from all of the coffee and the steer butchery, there were many other things to enjoy at Eat Real Festival 2013.

 

A refreshing gimlet:

 A bourbon tasting by Four Roses:  four roses bourbon tasting at eat real festival 2013

four roses bourbon tasting at eat real festival 2013

Demonstrations by Oakland Chefs: Here is Preeti Mistry of Juhu Beach Club:

She did a cooking demo and hosted a Q&A with audience members:chef preeti mistry at eat real festival 2013

chef preeti mistry at eat real festival 2013

audience at eat real fest 2013

chef preeti mistry at eat real festival 2013

The Oaklandish van was there:

And I rounded out the evening with some bread pudding from the Old World Food Truck.

Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition at the 2013 Eat Real Festival

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Danny Johnson of Taylor’s Market in Sacramento along with Paul Carras and Mitch Lind defeated Dave the Butcher’s Marina Meats team and won the 2013 Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition at Oakland’s 2013 Eat Real Festival.

Before the competition, the emcee (Anya Fernald), judges and participants shared some Four Roses bourbon to get warmed up.

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

The cow quarters were hung on meat hooks prior to the countdown to the start:

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Dave the Butcher, a crowd favorite, offered his commentary as he prepared some cuts.

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

The Taylor’s Market team quietly worked together.

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Danny Johnson on the hacksaw:2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Dave the Butcher cheeses for the camera.  “I’ve done this before.”

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

A young fan inspects the cuts of beef in front of him:2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Anya talks things over with a judge:

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Trimmings.2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Rump roast:2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Anya did an excellent job of explaining to the crowd what was happening on the butcher tables in front of them.2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

You may have noticed that the perennial winners, the Yedra Brothers, were not competing this year.  They agreed to come back as judges and let another team take the prize.

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Prizes.  Trophies and Four Roses Small Batch.

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

The Yedra brothers take a look at what’s on the table:

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Hacksaw to the femur:2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Miguel Yedra, judging:2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Last year, the Yedra brothers set the precedent of labeling and garnishing the final cuts.2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Dave explains to the judges what his team did.2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Danny explains his side of the story.2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Handshake at the end of competition:2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

And the announcement…2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Team Taylor’s Market wins!    See you next year.

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Steer Butchery Competition at Eat Real Festival 2012

The stage was in a slightly different spot on the green at Jack  London Square, but the crowd showed up just the same for Eat Real Festival’s 2012 Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition.   The competitors were familiar, but with some changes: The defending-champion Yedra brothers, formerly of Marin Sun Farms  are now working for the BN Ranch team.  Dave the Butcher, Josh Kleinsmith and Adam Tiberio all joined forces once again, and the Butcher’s Guild put together a formidable team.

 

The crowd gathers, waiting for the start of the competition.  A woman holds a sign: “Viva Los Campeones Los Hermanos Yedra”

A Butcher’s Guild team member is representing Oakland:

Trophies for the 2012 champions-to-be:

The Yedra brothers hoist a hindquarter onto the hook.  These weigh about 200lb.

A Butcher’s Guild competitor rocks the Oaklandish STAY sticker on his knife sheath / scabbard.  Yeah Oakland!

Katy Quinn starts cutting with the saw:

The Yedra brothers start getting to work as well:

At one point, a festival attendee started resting his arms on the butcher’s table and was interfering with the competition.  Katy Quinn politely asked him to give them some space:

Oscar Yedra:

Adam Tiberio:

Josh Kleinsmith:

The crowd is having a good time:

The work of the Yedra Brothers:

The Butcher’s Guild table: (Hat from Zingerman’s Cornman Farms in Dexter, Michigan)

Yedra brothers:

Dave the Butcher of Marina Meats was mic’ed up and performed the dual roles of commentator and butcher:

Dave the Butcher laughs at a comment from Anya while cutting away:

The Yedra Brothers had quite a fan club:

And they came well-prepared.  Labels and kale.

Cuts of beef, labeled and on display by the Yedra Brothers:

Impressive.

The Butcher’s Guild team celebrates after breaking down the hindquarter:

Anya Fernald hands the microphone to Oscar Yedra to talk about what his team did:

Katy Quinn enjoys a well deserved beer:

The Yedra Brothers were declared champions, once again.  This was their 4th win in a row.

Eat Real Festival 2012 (sans Steer Butchery)

Oh hey!  Last month was Oakland’s annual Eat Real Festival and I returned to take pictures on September 22nd.  I will put up photos from the Flying knives steer butchery competition in a separate post.

Miss Pearl’s Jam House led a demonstration and discussion titled “Water to Table”.  This is a tuna.

Chef Eddie Blyden freaks out a local child with a giant fish:

The festival featured multiple beer pouring stations.  This one featured a refrigerated storage container filled with kegs.  Here, an Eat Real Festival volunteer poses for the camera after completing a pour:

Kids customized t-shirts at the new Kids’ Zone:

5733/LOAKal was there to represent:

Ice cream from Berkeley’s famous Ici, located in the wonderful Elmwood district:

Judges are a little critical of one entry in the Bare Bones BBQ Competition:

Festival-goers season their corn:

Homebrew winner.  Homebrew winner.  Homebrew winner:

Jamboree contest entries featured Ollalie Berry Jam, Tangerine Lemon Jelly, Lemon Orange Marmalade and Kumquat Chutney:

The start of a beautiful thai fruit carving:

Gorgeous autumn sun floods through Jack London Square:

A helper for Jack London Square newcomer, Forge Pizza takes orders:

American flags over Jack London Square:

Eat Real Fest 2010 Part 4

— update: 09/26/12 – I realized that I had never posted these.  From the archives, this is Eat Real Festival 2010.

 

Crowds of people at Eat Real Fest 2010

Flag and palm trees above Jack London Square

eat real festival balloon against the blue skies of oakland: “our pitmaster can smoke your honor student” – Jim N Nick’s BBQ

Jenni and the ever-photogenic Sputnik by Ritual Coffee Roasters:Jenni

Eat Real Fest 2011 Part 6 – Vendors and other photos

This is Part 6 of a series of photo posts from Oakland’s Eat Real Festival, September 23-25, 2011 at Jack London Square.  (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5).  These photos are various ones that I took while walking around the festival on Saturday, the 24th.

 

Ebbett’s Good to Go – Order and pick-up windows and a t-shirt.

 

 

 

 

Condiments from Belcampo

 

 

 

 

Belcampo served a koreatown kimchi hot dog and beef tallow fries.

 

 

 

 

Here’s an overhead view of the marketplace and the DIY Make It stage.

 

 

 

 

Fried fish taco from The Taco Guys – “Taco de Maui – batter-fried sustainable ono (wahoo), shredded gem lettuce, pickled radishes, sriracha mayo and cilantro”

 

 

 

 

Lamb (!!) taco from The Taco Guys – “braised red hill farms leg of lamb, grilled jalapenos, burmese spices, pickled cucumbers with sesame, thai basil, local sheep’s yogurt sauce”

 

 

 

 

the ever photogenic ritual roasters trailer, sputnik

 

a la marzocco and a demitasse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a cafe mocha with a heart-shaped rosetta from ritual.

 

 

 

 

jack london square at dusk.  It was still fairly crowded despite the fact that the festival was closing down for the evening.

 

 

 

 

Jim ‘n Nick’s truck always has something clever on its rear

 

 

 

 

Jim ‘n Nick’s: meat in the oven

 

 

 

 

Big Cat & The Hipnotics were playing the blues.

 

 

 

 

 

Eat Real Fest 2011 Part 5 – Vendors and other photos

This is Part 5 of a series of photo posts from Oakland’s Eat Real Festival, September 23-25, 2011 at Jack London Square.  (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 6).

Pork, frying by Urban Style Barbecue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guys from The Whole Beast breaking down some delicious-looking lamb for gyros.

 

 

 

 

Jim ‘N Nick’s BBQ always have a decked-out trailer.  “First we send him to heaven, then we send you there”

 

 

 

 

Fried smelt from Forage SF.  Looked so good.

 

 

 

 

Cheeseburgers from 4505 meats.  They were dripping with juicy goodness.

 

 

 

 

Mac ‘n Cheese from Homeroom.

 

 

 

 

A great window display from Kara’s Cupcakes with palm trees in the reflection

 

 

 

 

Caramelizing homemade marshmallows for s’mores at Kika’s Treats.  One of the cookies is dipped in chocolate.

 

 

 

 

Jack London Square had a table and a raffle.  The bike arch of wheels was on display.

 

 

 

 

Beekeeping at the Urban Homesteading area

 

 

 

 

Sprouts cooking club – cooking classes for kids.  They looked like they were having a great time,

 

 

 

 

A meatloaf sandwich from Prather Ranch’s American Eatery

 

 

 

 

Festivalgoers at the main stage.

 

 

 

 

A DIY mozzarella cheese workshop at the DIY Make-it area

 

 

 

 

Vegetarians, fret not – there was a vegetarian analog for all of the steer and pig butchery going on.

 

 

 

 

food crates at the Wholes Foods Main Craft Stage

 

 

 

 

Super-excited winner of the pickling competition

 

 

 

 

 

Eat Real Fest 2011 Part 4 – The Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition, continued

This is Part 4 of a series of photo posts from Oakland’s Eat Real Festival, September 23-25, 2011 at Jack London Square.  (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5, Part 6)

This post is a continuation of the Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition – perhaps the most exciting part of Eat Real Festival.

 

 

Dave the Butcher gets the crowd involved.

 

 

 

 

Some cuts of meat start to make their way onto the display

 

 

 

 

Jose ‘Pepe’ Penaloza cuts thin slices

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave goes hands-free

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anya and Dave hold up a cut for the excited crowd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Tomahawk cut from the Yedra brothers and Rian Rinn

 

 

 

 

Damn.  That’s a good looking spread from the Yedra brothers and Rian Rinn.

 

 

 

 

The judges (4505, in this case) were swilled with beer to help take away their judging inhibitions.

 

 

 

 

Zach’s (from Shopper’s Corner)  “Santa Cruz – Beware of Locals” sticker.

 

 

 

 

Jose ‘Pepe’ Penaloza, rocking the Butcher’s Guild t-shirt.

 

 

 

 

Anya wows the crowd with a bit of her mastery of butcher’s cuts

 

 

 

 

Zach Gero and Josh Kleinsmith work together with the bone saw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave the Butcher gets in on the bone saw action too.

 

 

 

 

Cuts of beef.

 

 

 

 

More cuts of beef from the eventual winners by a large margin Rian Rinn and the Yedra brothers.  They were judged on efficiency, accuracy of cuts, technique and teamwork.  These guys had hardly any waste.

 

 

 

 

Bone saw, needing cleaning.

 

 

 

 

Gerrit Van den Noord, Jose ‘Pepe’ Penaloza, and Adam Tibero of the Butcher’s guild still had a very impressive spread, topped with rosemary sprigs.

 

 

 

 

Adam Tiberio’s apron

 

 

 

 

Meat hook

 

 

 

 

Kidney, with basil

 

 

 

 

Another look at the Butcher’s guild team spread.

 

 

 

 

Cuts of meat, being hauled away for the lucky staff members to distribute.