The San Francisco Peninsula, San Mateo County's official Destination Marketing Organization, is accepting restaurant registrations for the second annual Flavors of the Peninsula, an 11-day culinary event running January 21–31, 2027. The festival invites operators from across the county — from Pacific coastside seafood spots to bayside contemporary kitchens — to offer prix-fixe menus, exclusive dishes, and special dining events at a range of price points.
By the Numbers
The inaugural run, held April 23 to May 3, 2026, delivered measurable foot traffic for participating operators. More than 140 restaurants joined the event, and the digital Flavors of the Peninsula Pass recorded 1,757 downloads and 330 verified guest check-ins. A grand tasting at Camber at The Hangar in South San Francisco drew 200 attendees and featured 21 restaurant and winery partners. Restaurants reported a direct impact: Maggie de Vera of Chill Spot Rendezvous described it simply as "the busiest we've ever been," while Aimorn (Pookie) Selig of Coconut Bay Thai Restaurant and Bar confirmed strong results and plans to participate again.
For restaurant operators weighing culinary festival participation, the Peninsula model illustrates how a DMO-backed event can generate measurable trial traffic during a traditionally slower January period. The structured pass format — combining a downloadable digital tool with tracked check-ins — gives operators a clearer signal on event-driven covers than traditional restaurant week formats often provide.
2027 Format and Kickoff
The 2027 edition opens with a grand tasting celebration on Thursday, January 21 at Domenico Winery in San Carlos. Running from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., the ticketed event ($75 per person) will feature bites from participating restaurants and local wines, with a VIP and meeting planner preview hour from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Proceeds benefit Fresh Approach, a Bay Area nonprofit focused on expanding access to fresh, locally grown food through community farmers' markets and nutrition programs. Early confirmed participants for 2027 include Flores San Mateo, Mazra Redwood City, Oak + Violet, and The Village Bakery.
Maggie Lang, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer for The San Francisco Peninsula, emphasized the county's culinary breadth — coastal fusion seafood, family-run taquerias, Asian and Halal cuisines, and Michelin-recognized fine dining — as a core draw for both locals and destination visitors. The event is produced in partnership with hospitality consultancy af&co., with BiRite Foodservice Distributors, Bright Rentals, and Silicon Valley magazine among 2027 sponsors.
Operator Opportunity
Restaurant registration for the 2027 event is open now through the event website. For operators active in destination dining and culinary tourism programming, the January timing is strategically notable: the post-holiday window is a proven pressure point for covers, and aligning with a DMO-promoted multi-week festival can extend visibility well beyond a single promotional push. The Peninsula's pass-and-check-in infrastructure also gives participating operators data on guest movement across the broader event ecosystem — a useful benchmarking tool heading into 2027 planning cycles.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
