>> you're watching quick bites, the show that is san francisco. and today you're in for a real treat. oh, my! food inspired by the mediterranean and middle east with a twist so unique you can only find it in one place in san francisco. we're at the 55th annual armenian festival and bizarre. this is extra special not only because i happen to be armenian, but there is so much delicious food here. and i can't wait to share it with all of you. let's go. armenia, culture and cusine has had much cultural exchanges with its neighbors. today armenian food infuses he flavor from the mediterranean, middle east, and eastern europe. >> this is our 55th year and in

san francisco we're the largest armenian food festival and widely recognized as one of the best food festivals in the area. we have vendors that come up from fresno, from los angeles showing off their craft. we really feel like we have something for everyone in the neighborhood and that's really what it is, is drawing people to see a little bit of our culture and experience what we experience weekend in and weekend out. >> we are behind the scenes now watching the chef at work preparing some delicious armenian kabob. this is a staple in armenian cooking, is that right? >> absolutely, since the beginning of time. our soldiers used to skewer it on the swords. we have a combination of beef and lam and parsley. and every september over 2000 pounds of meat being cooked in three days. >> after all that savory protein, i was ready to check out the fresh veggie options. >> this is armenian cheat sheet.

it's tomatos and mint and olive oil. that makes summer food. and what i'm doing is i'm putting some nutmeg. it is kind of like cream cheese. in armenia when they offer you food, you have to eat it. they would welcome you and food is very important for them. >> in every armenian community we feel like we're a "smallville"age and they come together to put on something like this. what i find really interesting about san francisco is the blends of armenia that come together. once they are here, the way people work together at any age, including our grandmothers, our grandfathers, skewering the meat, it's fun to see. fun to see everybody get together. >> we call it subarek. it's a cheese turn over if you want. we make the dough from scratch. we boil it like you do for la san i can't. >> the amount of love and karin fused in these foods is

tremendous. they come in every day to prepare, cook and bake bread, all in preparation for this big festival. >> nobody says no. when you come them, they have to come tomorrow for the feast. >> what a treat it is to taste a delicious recipe, all made from scratch and passed down through generations. it really makes you appreciate the little things. >> it's one of the best festivals. it's outstanding, a marvelous occasion. >> we're outside checking some of the food to go options. i grabbed myself a ka bob sandwich, all kinds of herbs and spices. i'm going to taste this. looking fantastic. one of the best i've had in a long time. you know it's delicious b i have just enough room for dessert, my favorite part. we're behind the scenes right now watching how all the pastries get made. and we've got a whole array of pastries here.

honey and nuts and cinnamon, all kinds of great ingredients. this is amazing. here's another yummy pastry made with filo dough. oh, my god. really sweet and similar, it's lighter. this is what i like. we have a lovely row here. looks like a very delicious and exciting surprise. i'm going to bite into it. here we go. um. this is great with armenian coffee. now we're making some incredible armenian coffee. >> we buy our coffee, they have the best coffee. they come from armenia, specially made. and would you like to try it?

>> i would like to try. >> would you like sugar or no sugar? >> no sugar today. i'm so excited. really earthy. you can really taste the grain. i think that's what makes it so special. really comes out. i hope you try it. we're having a great time at the armenian festival. we ate, we saw, and we definitely conquered. i don't know about you, but i have to go down to the food. check out our blog for so much more at sf bites at tums abler.com. until next time, may the force be with you. ♪ ♪ >> first of all, everybody is welcome and we ask two things when they get here. one, that they try something they've never tried before. be it food or be it dancing or doing something.

and if they feel like it was worth their while to tell one person and bring that person, that family member, that friend down the street to come with them. >> we're going to have to do a lot of eating so get ready. >> get ready. and you diet tomorrow. ?oo hi, i'm 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. i've been

searching high and low for some great cookies and the buzz around town that anthony's 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 let's see. while attending san francisco state university as an accountinging major, anthony's 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 that's 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 we're 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 don't ever want anybody to bite into a cookie and not get what they want to get. we're training staff because they can look at the cookie and tell if it's 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 it's 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. >> what's happening tomorrow? these cookies, there's a lot of

love in these cookies. i don't 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 can't 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. >> uh-huh. >> system development and things like that. >> sounds so technical. >> i'm an engineer. >> that's right, that's 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 you've enjoyed our delicious tale of defendant 93 and dessert. as for me, my search is over. those reviews did not lie. in fact, i'm thinking of one of my very own. some things you just have it experience for yourself. to learn more about anthony's cookies, visit him on the web at anthoniescookies.com. if you want to watch some of our other episodes at sfquickbites/tumbler.com. see

>> this coffee memory i remember having coffee with any grappled. in the old days myelogram ma get together >> i was six or seven i made a faces a good face. >> when i was younger i know it did something to my body. >> ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> i've been drinking coffee since i was 17 really the only thing i'm good at i was trying

to find out what i was good at i got a job at the coffee shop i decided to do that the rest of my life. i like the process of the coffee and what are those beans where do they come from oh, they come from a fruit. >> the coffee stays with me since i was a kid i grew up and opened coffee shops everybody. in the 8 i visited over 11 hundred coffee shops maybe more to see why people go to coffee shops >> we're searched the beans all over the world from east afghan and tokyo. >> when i wanted to do was get into aspect of the personal

coffee and the processing and everything else there was multiple steps in making coffee and we did have a lighter roost because of the qualities of the keep once you roost it it home gisz the coffee. >> one thing about the coffee they were special blends and i spent seven years on one blend so that's my pleasure. each bean they were all chosen and blended with each with different cultural and beans is like people and those people give me a reputation i can't buy. people love you my clients love

me they take me to the moves movies. >> fell in love with coffee and went to the coffee shops the community aspect i really enjoyed. >> i think it's important to have a place for people to show up and talk to their neighbors and recorrect. your surrounded with all those behalf communicated i communities >> i love my city san francisco has a good name my has every cultural in this planet living in san francisco it's a small city 7 by 7 but it's huge. ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> i really like the idea of staying in the neighborhood and living in the mission i've lived here the whole time and the community really stick to it people talk about seattle and portland now they talk about seattle and san francisco. or portland and san francisco but san francisco is definitely on the cutting-edge of the coffee scene in the entire nation. >> there's so many romance in coffee is surrounds the sourcing of that and thinking about where it came from and how and coffee is wonderful. >> i know for a fact i was born to make coffee. i have a notice from the dad let

the life i live speak for me and let's have a cup of coffee and talk about it. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ food in san francisco isn't just about expensive eat but food for everyone and there's organizations in the city that are doing really good work making sure that healthy food it assessable to everyone. more and more as follows are are becoming interested in upper arlthd they want to joy the open green pace sea know where their food it coming from we'll look at 3 programs talking ushering

agricultural and garden to new heights. so what exactly it, your honor agricultural >> it the growing food or flowers within city limits traditionally we've been referring to communities gardener that is a raised bed over and over upper argument has a more a farming way of farming. >> so tell me 0 what's growing in this garden. >> a really at all plant. in the one of the rare places, you know, people have access to green space 24 is one of the places to grow things like the

purple floor. it is sort of recognizing that the more diversity in given space the better not to just have one thing by everything supported each another >> it provides the community with an opportunity to get their hands dirty and reach 0 out and congressmen with the community in ways they might have not otherwise to engage with one other. >> now the dpw urban planning program so see how the garden community. >> so i grew up on a farm in air force base we picked the foods open the trees and share with other families and as i drive around san francisco i see

any trees with apples or mrumdz and lemon trees i can see the food going to waste and brought that idea back to the department many of the trees where the fruit would go to waste we origin or crop and pick other fruits and delivery this to food banks or shelters to people who need them. >> i'm here with nang wong hello nang. >> hello. >> i need to understand house this gleaning work. >> we come and harvest like for example, we'll come over here this is the lemon and plug it like this. >> (laughter). >> made that good, good and ease. >> the trick is how not to hurt

the branches. >> like the thing. >> i'm so excited about this. the people are so passionate about where the food goes to the private property owners give us the food they're happy that no of a t is going to waste >> oh. thank you. thank you. again job aura natural >> (laughter). >> from backyards to back lots let's take a look at the food and community bonding at the free farm. >> my idea was to start growing food and giving it away. and getting my neighbors to who

had space and having a kind of event that brings people together not to run our food program this time around but to share the wealth of the abundance of our welfare. we were all divorce and as part of our philosophy of working together and working together. >> what's the most rewarding aspect of volunteering for the free farm stand. >> well, we could is a generalic satisfaction but something about giving food away it's giving something i brought that in and sort it and gave it to you it's primitive to be able to give something some basically to someone else. >> now serving number to 49

come on down. >> we have the capability of producing this food and in san francisco you can grow food all year round so the idea we're capable of prougdz food in our own backyards we're here to demonstrate an bans of food and i think that giving it away for free we show individuals it in have to be a comedy. >> we build time together and it's the strength of any ideas of the connections we'll turn that connection and the more connections you make no mistake about it the more you can have a stronger power and not have to rely on money that's the people

power. >> in this episode we've seen the urban farms and gardens provide more in fruits and vegetation people can have the special produce available it can be a place to give back by donating food to others and teach our children the connection to the earth and environment it's truly >> we're here to raise awareness and money and fork for a good accuse. we have this incredible gift

probably the widest range of restaurant and count ii destines in any district in the city right here in the mission intricate why don't we capture that to support the mission youths going to college that's for the food for thought. we didn't have a signature font for our orientation that's a 40-year-old organization. mission graduates have helped me to develop special as an individual they've helped me figure out and provide the tools for me that i need i feel successful in life >> their core above emission and goal is in line with our values. the ferraris yes, we made 48

thousand >> they were on top of that it's a no-brainer for us. >> we're in and fifth year and be able to expand out and tonight is your ungrammatical truck food for thought. food truck for thought is an opportunity to eat from a variety of different vendor that are supporting the mission graduates by coming and representing at the parks >> we're giving a prude of our to give people the opportunity to get an education. people come back and can you tell me and enjoy our food. all the vendor are xooment a portion of their precedes the

money is going back in >> what's the best thing to do in terms of moving the needle for the folks we thought higher education is the tool to move young people. >> i'm also a college student i go to berkley and 90 percent of our folks are staying in college that's 40 percent hire than the afternoon. >> i'm politically to clemdz and ucla. >> just knowing we're giving back to the community. >> especially the spanish speaking population it hits home. >> people get hungry why not eat and give hey guys nona with

businesses worthy he event we have a jam session and get a principal this is the weekly buzz. this wednesday is free occur can say class day looking at getting to have fun and pick up now skills under 7 to 9:00 p.m. and head to treasure island the attendance is free phenomenon the past, present treasure island association be there as 10:30. and on sunday checkout you tell rock fair the rock is a giant music lovers dream where people come from all over and the event is one of the biscuit one of its kind so check it out. at the that's the weekly buzz

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