4th Annual Foodbuzz Festival: California Academy of Sciences Gala

The 4th Annual Foodbuzz Festival concluded with one of the best Gala Dinner’s I’ve attended to date hosted by Foodbuzz at the California Academy of Sciences.  Foodbuzz rented out the entire facility for the night just so we could dine with the dinosaurs, giraffes, star fish and more.

As soon as we walked in the door, we were greeted with Watermelon Agua Frescas which I’ve decided I am not really a fan of.  It’s watered down watermelon in a glass.

I did absolutely love these Tuna Tartare Bites with Wasabi Caviar ~ crunchy, spicy, creamy, good!

The entire academy looks absolutely beautiful at night with all the lush plants and colorful lighting.  See what I mean….this is just the cafeteria you pass when you walk in.

As we walked along the wooden bridge, you can watch the sting rays, sharks and fish swim below your feet in the river and pools.

The bridge takes you along this incredibly colorful coral aquarium that was almost as mesmerizing as the sting rays.

Once you reach the end of the bridge, you can say high to the Giraffes.

and check out more dinosaurs….

before you enter the Steinhart Aquarium.

I love the interactive screens next to each window that explain what you are looking at and give you all the facts for how each aquarium was designed.

I am pretty sure I could spend hours just staring at the Jelly Fish.

There were tables, benches and chairs set up in front of each wall aquarium.

I had fun teasing The Husband over the Sand Dollars.  When we visited Dafuskie Island last year, he did not know that Sand Dollars were sea creatures….until, he decided to keep one for a week that he found on the beach.

We came up for “air” from the aquarium and grabbed a few snacks.

Eggplant Rollatini ~ like a crepe with hummus, roasted veggies and cilantro ~ delicious!

Zucchini Empanada ~ flaky, herby and that avocado cream on top made this pretty tasty.

We shared a cracker, cheese and fig plate as we continued on our exploration.

Stop #1 Snakes!

These two kept moving all over and like “smelling” each other with their tongues.  It was totally freaky, yet, we both couldn’t stop watching LOL.

This Anaconda seriously wrapped all over the entire cage ~ a few times!

Then again, eels pretty much freak me out too.

There were sharks of all types swimming around.

This turtle was pretty funny to watch because he was slowly scooting across the glass above us.

Cutest turtle I’ve ever seen ~ he was probably the size of a 50 cent piece.

This was the only crab I saw in the whole aquarium.

The Husband’s favorite “creature” at the aquarium was the albino alligator.

I actually didn’t believe him that it was real (and not plastic), until the alligator moved when we had the chance to get up close and personal.

After two hours of exploring, it was time to sit down for our Gala Dinner.

The best thing on the menu was the carrot ginger soup ~ I had two cups!

Served with artichoke ravioli’s that were topped with a lemon herbed butter.

The dinner was served buffet style with four tables to choose from and each with a different theme.

I realized I’ve never had a fresh fig until I ate this salad.  For the record ~ I love fresh figs!

The fresh golden beet salad was my second favorite item of the night.

Earlier in the day, I picked the Lobster Mushrooms as the biggest mushroom in the Ferry Building for the Scavenger Hunt.  I didn’t actually think I’d ever eat one (they look freaky) ~ they are so rich, earthy and packed with major amounts of mushroom flavor.

After dinner, they announced the winners of the Scavenger Hunt….drum roll please….I won a $250 gift card to Sur La Table!!!

Last, but, not least ~ Desserts!  I didn’t even grab everything that was on the table. 

The passion fruit, coconut cake was light with just the right tang from the fruity filling.  I could’ve eaten like a 100 of the raspberry marshmallows and sea salted walnut cookies.  They both literally melted in your mouth.

The Husband fell in love with the chocolate pot de crème….I think he even licked his cup!

It was great catching up with old friends and making new friends at this year’s festival.  As fun and delicious as the weekend was, I am definitely ready to get back to my healthy eating routine.

• First Annual Foodbuzz Festival ~ Day 1, Day 1.5, Day 2
• Second Annual Foodbuzz Festival ~ Day 1, Day 2, Day 3
• Third Annual Foodbuzz Festival ~ Day 1, Day 2
• Fourth Annual Foodbuzz Festival ~ Day 1, Day 1.5

Tomorrow is back to my dailies ~ see you all then!

Night all!