Fresh Eats: Off the Grid: Fort Mason Event Goes Into Hibernation

A A A Comments By Tamara Palmer Wednesday, Nov 16 2011

After Friday, Nov. 18, Off the Grid will send its weekly Fort Mason food-truck gathering to hibernate away from the cold and wind for a few months. It has been a very successful second season for the Fort Mason gathering, which grew by more than 50 percent space-wise. The organization even debuted its own branded truck for prospective mobile vendors and restaurateurs to rent.

Gil Riego Jr.

A scene from last year’s end-of-season Off the Grid.

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Organizer Matt Cohen has said to expect the event's return to happen in mid-March. While the main party takes a break, Off the Grid's numerous other weekly events remain, though the night markets (Mondays in San Mateo, Wednesdays in north Berkeley, Thursdays in the Upper Haight, and monthly Saturdays at McCoppin Alley) will reduce their hours to 5 to 8 p.m., starting in a week or two. Cohen plans to use the small breather as a time to recharge and brainstorm some fun and unusual events; one unexpected highlight this season was a month of Saturdays at the Berkeley horse racing track Golden Gate Fields.

He is also in search of creative indoor spaces that might be able to host some one-offs during the rainy months. The challenge is to find locations that are large — but not too large — and are properly permitted for food-oriented events.

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