Bay Meadows

With all the buzz about Rand McNally crowning San Mateo the “Best Small Town for Food,” it’s no wonder the restaurants were bustling on a recent Tuesday night. Among the crowd were a dozen top food bloggers. Equipped with cameras, notepads and discerning palates, these foodies are Bay Area influencers. And they liked what they ate and drank.

San Mateo’s economic development analyst Rebecca Zito organized the mini-party to celebrate the city’s hot culinary scene and “encourage broader promotion of San Mateo as a food and dining destination.”

The event kicked off with cocktails at Mortar and Pestle, along with a side of “sexy fries” and naan bites. A swanky recent addition to the downtown scene, Mortar and Pestle is owned by Curry Up Now, its next-door neighbor. Our foodies were impressed that the drinks were beautiful and yummy, but not so strong as to knock us out. Try the Bangalore Ol’ Fashioned or the Bees Knees.

After snapping photos, uploading to Instagram and tweeting, it was over to Osteria Coppa a few doors down. On this balmy San Mateo evening, the back patio was just right for the group, as we sat down at a communal table. Executive Chef/Partner Lewis Rossman welcomed the group as servers poured nebbiolo and offered a delicious plate of veal pork agnolotti in a reduced balsamic sauce.

And this is when the group started to exchange food gossip, news, business cards and favorite recipes. Among the food-erati were:

Jane from Edible Silicon Valley
Ben from Focussnapeat
Linda of Eat Drink Play
Gean of GEV Magazine
Scott from the Epicurean Traveler

Well-fed and well-watered, but with room to consume, the group moved next to Michelin Recommended 31^st Union. Owner David Hunsaker greeted us with open arms, which is exactly the vibe at this “California comfort food” resto: welcoming, comfortable, relaxed and fun. In that spirit, there soon arrived plates of chicken confit tacos, followed by beef tongue sliders and housemade ricotta gnocchi. Room for dessert?

Some fun food facts we learned about the San Mateo scene:

• Three new hot spots, about to or recently opened: Amour Amour; Block 34; Jack’s Restaurant and Bar; Mortar and Pestle; Scandia
• Three Restaurant and Bar was the 2014 Winner of Open Table’s Diners’ Choice
• Michelin starred restaurants: Wakuriya and All Spice
  

Food, photos and fame! As we develop community, we want to see how you live or play at Bay Meadows. Share your fun lifestyle photos with our community by using #baymeadowslife in our Fame x Frame Photo Contest. You could WIN $50 or our Grand Prize of $500 at the end of 2014 and be featured in a live pop-up photo gallery exhibit. Click here for official rules. Each month, Bay Meadows will select one photo to WIN a $50 gift card at Whole Foods Market San Mateo. Simply hop on instagram or twitter at tag us using #baymeadowslife or submit up to 10 photos per month to photos@BayMeadows.com .

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