Holidays are Here!!!!

Every year our Pastry Chef Angela creates a gingerbread replica of something San Francisco. It started with a tribute to Candlestick Park in it's final year, followed by AT&T Park, then the Palace of Fine Arts and this year, her masterpiece: The Ferry Building of San Francisco with it's Tuesday Farmer's Market. This is truly amazing - a work of art and we couldn't be more proud. Chef Angela is calling it her swan song.....

Something this amazing you should come and see in person! We also wanted to share that Chef Angela did an interview for Martha Stewart Living explaining her inspirations and the time and energy it took to create. Check it out below along with the slideshow!

Chef Angela's Interview:

Q: Why did you decide to do the Ferry Building? What was your approach in creating it?

A: Each year I choose a San Francisco landmark, as the city is so full of them. We try and pick places that are newsy such as At&T Park after the Giant's World Series win in 2014 and Candlestick Park after the demolition ( we called it Candiestick Park). Last year was the Centennial of the Worlds Fair, so we constructed the Palace of Fine Arts. All along I've had my eye on the Ferry Building as it's a bustling scene and just a few blocks from Waterbar. Our chefs visit the Farmer's Market stands and most of us pass it everyday. I knew it would be a serious endeavor, so this year we were able to make it happen.

Q: What;s your favorite thing about working on these gingerbread structures for Waterbar every year?

A: I get a buzz out of the guests' reactions. But I also have a lot of fun trying to incorporate little fun, whimsical elements throughout the piece. It's fun hearing people take notice and spotting the extra details. This year, we incorporated a Pedi-Cab, which cycle down the Embarcadero daily. We have a little skateboarder, chefs shopping, etc. The national, state and city flags on top were made out of gumpaste which I painted with food coloring on the tip of a skewer. Each year, everyone talks about the big hotels and their gingerbread creations and it's been my goal to amke Waterbar one of those destinations.

Q: What was the hardest part about the process of building it? How long did it take?

A: This particular piece is our largest yet. So, collectively it took about 130 hours. From making the dough, baking, sketching blueprints, assembling and decorating. The hardest part is taking into consideration that we are dealing with gingerbread. It's a busy kitchen, so it's hard to find perfectly flat sheet pans. The pieces were limited to the size of our ovens and the sheet pans I could use. Additionally, the gingerbread warps slightly and the thickness affect the final fit. But at the end of the day, it's fun and the tiny imperfections are what prove it's homemade.

The final measurements for everything....

  • 61 cups of flour (that's 18 punds!)
  • 36 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 16 teaspoons ginger
  • 18 sticks of butter
  • 13.5 cups corn syrup
  • 11.5 cups brown sugar
  • 18 pounds of powdered sugar

That's pretty impressive!!!