Some 3,000 odd miles away in San Francisco, a bonfire on a foggy night at Ocean Beach isn’t exactly the same. In search of a way to get my summery s’mores fix, I checked out Spark Social’s celebration of National S’mores Day at their neighborhood space in Mission Bay. Collaborating with Highwater Brewing, Spark Social’s venue featured all the things one would need to celebrate a summertime classic treat: cozy fire pits, table roasting stations, s’mores kits using milk and dark varieties from local chocolate company TCHO, you name it. Being surrounded by San Francisco’s influx of new and contemporary architecture, the energy—and sugar content—of this evening reminded me of those childhood hot summer nights back on Cape Cod’s beaches. Spark Social is all about creating a vibrant community space in this neighborhood and integrating street food into their events—so, naturally, there was no shortage of good grub. (Forget the sad, rubbery hot dogs and other sub-par camp food.) Also, a giant version of Jenga, amongst other games, called my name; the only responsible, polite thing to do was to answer that calling. The evening would not have been complete without Highwater Brewing’s featured Campfire Stout, with subtle notes of marshmallow, graham cracker, and chocolate. I could talk about how well these notes paired with the s’mores I wolfed down, but to put it simply, this brew was just damn good. However, if you missed Spark’s event, and maybe if National S’mores Day wasn’t on your radar, it’s not too late to celebrate! ShakeDown SF on Geary has a s’mores flavor, using a toasted marshmallow base and house-made graham crackers, and DOUGHP sells their rad “This S’more Is Hella Lit” cookie dough that can be eaten raw or baked. Or, you could follow Dandelion Chocolate’s lead and make your own s’mores bar using their bean-to-bar chocolate. Either way: I—and, likely, you too—have never had a s’more I didn’t like. // 601 Mission Bay Boulevard North, SoMa, sparksocialsf.co
