Home » Eating & Drinking, Lectures & Workshops

Spruce Chef Demo & Tasting | Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

Every Saturday
Dang! This event has already taken place.
>> Want to see our Top Picks for this week instead?
Saturday, May 30, 2015 - 11:00 am to 11:45 am | Cost: FREE
Ferry Building | The Embarcadero and Ferry Plaza, San Francisco, CA

Event Details

Free Seasonal Cooking Demo & Tasting | Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

This waterfront market, run by the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA), has over 100 food, fruit, and vegetable vendors on Saturdays and the entire Bay as its beautiful backdrop.

The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market operates year-round from 8 am to 2 pm.

On most Saturdays, free cooking demos take place in the CUESA Classroom (under the white tents in front of the Ferry Building) and are free to the public, with recipes and samples for all.

– Updated 5/28/19 – Event info last checked via website

John Madriaga’s passion for cooking began at a very young age. Helping his mother prepare family meals, he quickly discovered food’s power to both unite and inspire. After graduating from San Francisco’s California Culinary Academy, Madriaga took a position as a line cook at Woodside’s Michelin-starred The Village Pub, where he remained for two years, honing his skills under the direction of executive chef Mark Sullivan. In 2008, Madriaga left The Village Pub to work with chef David Kinch at Los Gatos’ Manresa. There, he garnered a great appreciation for vegetable-driven cooking and developed a steadfast adherence to seasonal and local ingredients. After leaving Manresa in 2009, Madriaga began an apprenticeship at Copenhagen’s Noma, where he continued to expand his skill set, working strictly with ingredients indigenous to the region.

Upon his return to San Francisco, Madriaga rejoined Bacchus Management Group’s family of restaurants as a line cook at Spruce, and in April 2012, he was promoted to chef de cuisine. “I always knew I would come back and one day run a kitchen for founding partner Tim Stannard and chef Sullivan. It was the feeling of leaving your family for a period of time and returning to show them what you have learned and how you have grown as an individual.” Madriaga possesses a deep appreciation for seasonality and welcomes to the opportunity to utilize all of the Bay Area’s wonderful farms and artisans.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.


Cost: FREE
Categories: Eating & Drinking, Lectures & Workshops
Address: The Embarcadero and Ferry Plaza, San Francisco, CA