16 | EDIBLE SF WINTER 2025 RESERVED: TABLE OF 15 ON AISLE THREE Inside the dinner series turning supermarket aisles into sought-after reservations Writer—Heather Hartle Photographer—Octavia Films On an ordinary weeknight in the Castro, long after the last shoppers were meant to drift out of The Epicurean Trader, something quietly unexpected began to take shape. The lights softened. The shelves glowed. A pianist tested a few warm notes. Chef Byron Hughes unpacked ingredients straight from the market’s displays. And yet, people kept wandering in. The doors were unlocked while the HOMEGROWN team set up, so regulars slipped inside in search of a Tartine Country Sourdough loaf, Point Reyes Bay Blue cheese, or a bottle of their favorite POE wine. Instead, they found a long table stretching down the grocery aisle and a small crew transforming their neighborhood shop into something else entirely. As always, they were warmly helped with their purchases and sent back out into the Castro night, smiling and wondering what, exactly, was about to happen. This was HOMEGROWN, Edible San Francisco’s newest live culinary experiment and the anchor of our Winter issue, themed around finding comfort in unexpected places. For this inaugural pilot, fifteen guests were invited to experience the concept firsthand at an intimate table that will expand into a ticketed series going forward. But the purpose of the evening reached beyond the novelty of dining in a grocery aisle. HOMEGROWN was created to bring people closer to the stories behind the food and drink we share—the beginnings, the makers, and the quiet human effort we rarely see when we reach for something on a shelf. The dinner was an invitation to slow down, notice, and connect. For this first event, we partnered with The Epicurean Trader, one of the city’s most beloved specialty grocers and a longtime champion of small-batch producers. Hosting the dinner inside their newest Castro location felt fitting: the store is built on discovery, care, and a deep love of well-made things. Before the meal began, co-founder Holly McDell shared how Epicurean started as a single neighborhood shop and, step by step, grew into five San Francisco locations. Her story was simple and sincere, rooted in curiosity, community, and the joy of finding something special and it set a warm tone for the evening. Guests began the evening with cocktails from Sausalito Liquor Co., which flowed naturally into the dinner that followed. The Black Manhattan and chocolate martini quickly stood out as favorites rich, memorable, and perfect for the setting. Founder Scott Jampol shared a brief glimpse into how his small-batch spirits came to be, a reminder that every bottle has a beginning. Chef Byron Hughes of Last Supper Society prepared the evening’s menu in a bespoke kitchen created just for the night, using ingredients pulled from the shelves around him. Guests wandered over to peek in as he cooked, then he stepped out to introduce each course before it was served. The main dish, a slow-braised short rib pasta served family-style brought an immediate sense of comfort to the table. Dessert arrived as an abundant cheese course served on long wooden boards. The spread featured Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Uplands Cheese, 1605 Aged Manchego, Langa La Tur, Cowgirl Creamery’s Devils Gulch, Cabra Romero, and OG Kristal Aged Gouda paired with Quince & Apple’s Black Tea & Fig Preserve, membrillo paste, Rustic Bakery flatbread crackers, caramelized walnuts, and slices of Tartine bread. Unfussy, generous, and communal, it felt like the edible equivalent of settling in. Throughout the night, live music floated through the aisles not from a speaker, but from an actual piano brought into the store for the evening. Pianist Preston Liang played softly from a corner of the market, an unexpected touch that shifted the entire room without overpowering it. The moment hinted at what HOMEGROWN will continue exploring: immersive, surprising layers of entertainment that transform familiar spaces and make each dinner feel like its own small world. Around the table sat a cross-section of the city; finance, real estate, media, fashion, tech, food brought together by curiosity and a willingness to experience something unexpected. Many arrived unsure of what the evening would be; by dessert, they were laughing like old friends. This is the deeper purpose of HOMEGROWN: to celebrate the origins of the things we love, to find meaning in familiar spaces, and to create new ways for people to come together across a table. This first dinner was just the beginning. More HOMEGROWN events will unfold across the city and beyond honoring local and regional producers, the stories behind what we eat and drink, and the comfort that comes from gathering in places we never imagined. Because sometimes, the most memorable meals begin in ordinary places that have been waiting to surprise us. homegrowndinnerseries.com
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