Twelve Nights

to benefit the SF-Marin Food Bank


Each year, we invite up-and-coming and well-known chefs from the Bay Area and beyond to take over the chocolate factory and share their culinary creations for charity. Since the first year we’ve laid down only one rule: Use Dandelion chocolate in any application on the plate. That’s it.

This year, we’ll be hosting all of the nights at our chocolate factory on 16th and Alabama Streets. All proceeds benefit the SF-Marin Food Bank.

7–10 p.m. Wednesday

November 30th

Francis Ang
Abacá

SALLY

CAMACHO MUELLER

Melissa miranda
Musang

Francis Ang (abacá), Melissa Miranda (musang), & Sally Camacho Mueller
seated dinner

We’re kicking off 12 Nights with an evening highlighting some of the great Filipino chefs on the West Coast. Francis Ang is the chef / owner of Abacá — recently hailed in The New York Times’ “Best 50 New Restaurants.” Abacá showcases the beauty and vibrance of Filipino culture and cuisine. Melissa Miranda was named one of Food & Wine’s 2022 “50 Best New Chefs,” and leads the kitchen at Musang in Seattle where she works with a team to craft dishes inspired by childhood memories, further diversifying the landscape of contemporary Filipino American cooking. Sally Camacho Mueller is a world-renowned pastry chef who’s joining us from Los Angeles. She has been named a Top 10 National Pastry Chef, represented the U.S. in competitions around the world, and won gold several times, as well competing on Bravo TV’s Top Chef Just Desserts.

Sold Out

7–10 p.m. Thursday

December 1st

Suzette
 Gresham
Acquerello

DENISE 
ST. ONGE
Sorella

Kim alter
Nightbird

Sarah
 RICH
Rich Table

Suzette Gresham (acquerello), Denise St. Onge (sorella), Sarah Rich (rich table), & Kim Alter (nightbird)
seated dinner

This evening is set to be a quintessential San Francisco experience with these four powerhouse chefs. Suzette Gresham of Acquerello is considered one of the most influential chefs in the country, and her restaurant has earned two Michelin Stars since 2015. Denise St. Onge has an impressive background in fine dining, and at Sorella she brings a contemporary focus to Italian cuisine. Sarah Rich, who co-chefs San Francisco’s cult-favorite (and critically acclaimed) Rich Table, is known for creative takes in her seasonal menus. Kim Alter always brings something new and ingenious to our 12 Nights dinners. At Nightbird, Kim pushes boundaries, taking familiar dishes to new places with inventive spins on classics.

Sold Out

7–10 p.m. Friday

December 2nd

Willy WONKA MOVIE NIGHT AT THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
chocolate factory seating

We’ll be turning our 16th Street chocolate factory into a movie theater for a screening of our favorite movie, 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder. As always, we’ll have lots of hot chocolate and special treats for everyone, both kids and adults, to enjoy while watching the film. We will also be collecting pantry donations for the SF-Marin Food Bank.

Please note: There is no seated dinner this evening.

Sold Out

4 p.m. & 8 p.m. Saturday

December 3rd

Willy WONKA MOVIE NIGHT AT THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
chocolate factory seating

We’ll be turning our 16th Street chocolate factory into a movie theater for two screenings of our favorite movie, 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder. There’s a 5 p.m. matinée so that even the littlest chocolate fans can join in the fun, followed by an 8 p.m. showing for those who are still kids at heart. As always, we’ll have lots of hot chocolate and special treats for everyone, both kids and adults, to enjoy while watching the film. We will also be collecting pantry donations for the SF-Marin Food Bank.

Please note: There is no seated dinner this evening.

7–10 p.m. Sunday

December 4th

STEvEN
 GreENE
Herons

MARK
 LIEUW
Gozu

BARUCH ELLSWORTH
Little Saint

PHILIP
 TESSIER
Press

Steven Greene (herons), Mark Lieuw (gozu), Baruch Ellsworth (little saint), & Philip Tessier (press)
seated dinner

Four inspiring chefs collaborate to create a modern and eclectic menu. Steven Greene joins us from Herons, North Carolina’s first and only destination Forbes five-starred restaurant, where he is known for his masterful redefining of American cooking in his tasting menus. Mark Lieuw of Gozu has worked in some of the best restaurants in the country: Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernardin, Meadowood, and Atelier Crenn. Mark has embraced “all-hearth” cooking, seamlessly marrying both sweet and savory ingredients in his desserts. Baruch Ellsworth is a fine-dining veteran of renowned restaurants including Campton Place, Benu, Singlethread, and now Healdsburg’s plant-based Little Saint, recently acclaimed in The New York Times’ “Best 50 New Restaurants.” Multiple-award-winning chef Philip Tessier of Press is known for his modern, refined American fare. In 2015, he was the first-ever American chef to place on the podium at the Bocuse d’Or.

Sold Out

7–10 p.m. Monday

December 5th

Ryan
 shelton
Merchant Roots

Selasie dotse
Hi Felicia & Elade Test Kitchen

MARY DENHAM
Blooms End

Geoff Davis
Burdell

Ryan Shelton (merchant roots), SELASIE DOTSE (hi felicia & elade test kitchen), & MARY DENHAM (blooms end), & GEOFF DAVIS (Burdell)
seated dinner

Ryan Shelton’s Merchant Roots is known for its sold-out immersive dining experience, with an avant-garde culinary theme each season. Prior to opening his own restaurant, Ryan was on the team that earned two Michelin Stars at Baumé Restaurant in Palo Alto. Born in Accra, Ghana then raised in the American South, Selasie Dotse’s career path has led her to work at some of the best restaurants in San Francisco, including Mourad, Avery, and Lazy Bear. She currently is the chef de cuisine at Hi Felicia in Oakland, as well as running her own pop-up: Elade Test Kitchen, a series highlighting modern Ghanaian cuisine. Mary Denham is an alum of Oliveto, Neighbor Bakehouse, and Outerlands. She launched Blooms End as a traveling bakery, hosting wildly popular pop-ups around the Bay Area. A self-described pastry chef with an overactive imagination, Blooms End incorporates her love of pastry, community connection, dreamy world-building, and romanticism. Geoff Davis’s Oakland restaurant Burdell, is a modern take on soul food that focuses on nostalgia, family recipes and obsessive sourcing. He has worked at some of the finest restaurants in the Bay Area including Aqua, The Fifth Floor, Cyrus and True Laurel.

Sold Out

7–10 p.m. Tuesday

December 6th

LINCOLN
 CARSON
Mes Amis & Coast Range

BILL
 CORBETT
Salesforce

WILLIAM WERNER

ALEX
 HONG
Sorrel

Lincoln Carson (MES AMIS & Coast RANGE), Bill Corbett (Salesforce), William Werner, & Alex Hong (SORREL)
seated dinner

Four great “chefs’ chefs” and old friends band together in the kitchen to share their complementary cooking styles. 12 Nights veteran Lincoln Carson is recognized as an industry leader and innovator. His new restaurant, Mes Amis, celebrates the coupling of French brasserie fare and Hollywood glamour. Bill Corbett is executive chef of Salesforce HQ restaurants, and we’re thrilled that he returns to 12 Nights. Bill was a pastry chef at the seminal WD-50, Coi, and Michael Mina. Alex Hong opened Sorrel a few years ago, and soon after proudly earned a Michelin Star in 2019 and 2021. Alex is known for his Italian-influenced cuisine with vibrant California ingredients. William Werner is best known for Craftsman and Wolves, his inspiring, award-winning contemporary patisserie and café, next door to our Valencia Street location. (He sold Craftsman and Wolves in 2018.) William has garnered praise both locally and nationally in publications including Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, The New York Times, and GQ.

Sold Out

7:30 p.m. Wednesday

December 7th

An Evening With the Ragazzi Boys Chorus
dessert tasting & performance

Please join us as we welcome the Ragazzi Boys Chorus into our factory for a first-of-its-kind performance. Under the leadership of Artistic and Executive Director Kent Jue, Ragazzi Boys Chorus performs a wide range of traditional and contemporary works throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and collaborates with many outstanding arts organizations. We cannot wait to hear the Chorus in our factory; and as always, we’ll have lots of hot chocolate and special treats for everyone, both kids and adults, to enjoy while watching the performance. We will also be collecting pantry donations for the SF-Marin Food Bank.

Please note: There is no seated dinner this evening.

7–10 p.m. Thursday

December 8th

SHERRY
 YARD

An Evening With the legendary sherry yard
demonstration and sampling

Sherry Yard is a pastry legend and we are thrilled to be welcoming her for an evening of demo and discussion. Nationally acclaimed chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and teacher, Sherry has received a record three James Beard Awards, and an induction into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America. She has received accolades from renowned publications such as Bon Appétit Magazine and Food & Wine, and became affectionately known by the media as “L.A.’s Sweetheart,” both for her bubbly personality and her incomparably creative, fresh-from-the-farm desserts. Her career included working with the Wolfgang Puck empire for nearly 20 years, and her pastry creations became staples at events such as the Academy Awards Governors Ball, the Grammy Awards, and the Emmy Awards, where she could be spotted in her iconic pink chef’s jacket in support of breast cancer awareness. Sherry is the author of two award-winning cookbooks, and today is working on her third. For this lively event, Sherry will be talking pastry, making treats, and taking your questions. Of course there will be hot chocolate for everyone. We will also be collecting pantry donations for the SF-Marin Food Bank.

Please note: This is a demonstration and talk. There is no seated dinner this evening.

7–10 p.m. Friday

December 9th

MELISSA
 PERELLO
Octavia

GABY
 MAEDA
State Bird Provisions

SERENA CHOW-FISHER
Marlena

TRACI
 DES JARDINS

Melissa Perello (Octavia), Gaby MaEda (State bird provisions), Serena Chow-Fisher (Marlena), & Traci Des Jardins
seated dinner and drinks

Two veterans combine forces with two on-the-rise superstars for a once-in-a-lifetime evening.
Melissa Perello’s Octavia is a seasonally inspired restaurant which opened to critical acclaim and has held a Michelin star for six years in a row. With Melissa’s natural ability in the kitchen, her cuisine is simple and expertly crafted, and reflects her fine-dining pedigree and down-to-earth personality. Traci Des Jardins has been a leader, restaurateur, and philanthropist in the San Francisco Bay Area food community for over 30 years. A two-time James Beard Award winner, Traci ran her beloved restaurant Jardinière until just after its 20th anniversary. Traci will bring her deep roots in both French and Mexican cuisine to the table. Gaby Maeda brings over nine years at State Bird Provisions, the game-changing restaurant on Fillmore Street where Gaby worked her way up the ranks to Executive Chef. In 2020 she was nominated as a James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year finalist, and in 2021 she was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs. State Bird continues to be a hard reservation to get. Serena Chow-Fisher began her culinary career at the multi-starred and influential Eleven Madison Park in New York City. After working at some of the best restaurants across the country, Serena, along with her husband, opened their dream restaurant, Marlena, in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights.

4–9 p.m. Saturday

December 10th

Dandelion chocolate night market
open factory walk-around with food trucks

We’re turning our factory into a holiday shopping destination. We’ve invited our friends, collaborators, and creators to set up “shop” inside our factory for an evening of shopping, socializing, and outstanding food and drink. With 20-plus vendors (keep an eye on our Instagram for updates and sneak peeks!) including favorite chocolatiers, ceramicists, food producers, foragers, and printmakers to choose from, there is something for everyone. Fort Point and Miracle Plum will be pouring beer and wine, and we’ll have food trucks lined up outside to keep you going while you sample chocolate, try on a scarf, or consider that gorgeous bag as a holiday gift for your best friend. It’s the perfect holiday evening. And don’t worry, our café and retail space will also be open to grab a hot chocolate or caffe latte while you pick up a couple bars for yourself, or a Hot Chocolate Trio for your neighbor. We will also be collecting pantry items and donations for the SF-Marin Food Bank.

COMPLIMENTARY EVENT

2600 16TH STREET

San FRANCISCO, CA 94103

7–10 p.m. Sunday

December 11th

FRANCISCO MIGOYA
Modernist Cuisine

An Evening With Francisco Migoya
demonstration

Recognized as one of the world’s top pastry chefs, Franciso Migoya immediately connected with the world of sweets after answering an ad for a pastry cook at The River Café in London. From there, he went on to become the pastry chef at Veritas, The French Laundry, and Bouchon Bakery before joining the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park as a member of the world-renowned faculty. Chef Migoya’s style and verve make him an engaging presenter, as evidenced by him being named Faculty of the Year at the CIA just two years after joining the influential culinary school. Most recently head chef at Modernist Cuisine, Chef Migoya co-authored Modernist Bread which won a James Beard Award, the IACP Jane Grigson Award, and two Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in the categories of Best Food Book and Best Cookbook Publisher. His other books include Modernist Pizza; Elements of Dessert, which won the IACP Cookbook Award in the Professional Kitchens category; Frozen Desserts; and The Modern Café. In 2019, Migoya was inducted into Heritage Radio Network’s Hall of Fame as an individual whose accomplishments have had a special impact on the food community. This evening with Chef Migoya — a friend of Dandelion and one of the “Top 10 Chocolatiers in America” — is sure to delight, entertain, and inspire.

Please note: This is a demonstration and talk. There is no seated dinner this evening.

About SF Marin Food Bank

Since 1987, the SF Marin Food Bank has pioneered many successful models aimed at ending hunger in San Francisco and Marin.

Before the pandemic, one in five neighbors was at risk of hunger. Now, we know the need is even greater. The Food Bank addresses hunger head-on – from their food pantry network and home-delivered groceries to CalFresh (food stamp) enrollment. Nearly 60% of what they distribute is fresh fruit and vegetables.

To meet the dramatic increase in the need for food, the Food Bank has opened 27 emergency pop-up pantries across San Francisco and Marin. Every week, their pantry network is distributing food to about 55,000 families weekly – almost double their pre-COVID numbers. The pop-ups will stay open as long as necessary, and with community support, they’ll be able to open even more pantries in more neighborhoods that need help.

The Food Bank continues to be here as a steadfast beacon of community, compassion, and care as we provide food for the hungry. Together, with supporters like you, we’ll continue to help neighbors in what promises to be a marathon.

Learn more or get involved here.