Category Archives: San Diego

Giving Hunger the Blues

Posted on by
Reply

by Wendy Lemlin

Chronic hunger can give anyone the blues.  This weekend, however, the blues will be helping to kick hunger’s butt when the 4th annual AimLoan.com San Diego Blues Festival

Marcia Ball headlines Saturday at 6:30 pm

Marcia Ball headlines Saturday at 6:30 pm

benefits the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. With headliners such as Marcia Ball, Booker T. Jones, Tommy Castro & the Painkillers, Kim Wilson, and Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, this year’s festival promises an eclectic spectrum of blues performers.

 

Running on September 26 & 27, from noon til 8pm at Embarcadero Marina Park North, the festival features continuous music alternating back and forth between 2 stages. Click here for the complete lineup. Tickets are $25 for a 1 day pass, $40 for a 2 day pass.  VIP passes are $125 for one day, $200 for 2 days and include

  • Early admission
  • Preferred viewing area with tables, chairs and some shade
  • Catered lunch and munchies
  • Private bar service
  • Private restrooms
  • Two complimentary adult beverages
  • Unlimited complimentary water and soft drinks

The festival began in 2011 with a mission to provide great blues music at an affordable price, and raise money to support the battle against hunger in our community. Since then, the festival’s sponsors and attendees have helped contribute more than 18 tons of food and more than $350,000 to help the Food Bank fight hunger in San Diego County.

For all the info, go to www,sdbluesfest.com

KAABOO for You

Posted on by
Reply

By Wendy Lemlin

logo.kaaboo_2x.ext-33c58bcd750728837ef4a610f4c28a16

 

Back in 1969, the most well known of all music festivals EVER was optimistically billed as Woodstock Music & Art Fair, in hopes that it would be remembered as more than just a regular ol’ music festival.  Which of course it was, but not because of any art exhibits, but rather as the iconic representation of the art of high hippieness.

Forty-six years later (yikes!), KAABOO, the hip, but not hippie, three day music and arts festival taking place this weekend, September 18-20 at Del Mar Fairgrounds will distinguish itself not only by presenting over 100 musical performances, from legends to emerging artists, on seven stages. As if that wouldn’t be ambitious enough, adding to the total “mix-perience”  the festival includes components of  experiential “indulgences”, art installations, a comedy club, and opportunities for indulging our seemingly insatiable food obsessions at the “Palate” area.

The musical lineup is truly impressive, with something seemingly for everyone.  On Friday, the highlights include, among others, Bonnie Raitt, Ozomatli, Fitz & the Tantrums, Sheryl Crow, No Doubt, and Snoop Dog. On Saturday, some of the big names are Counting Crows, Slightly Stoopid, Ozomatli, Zac Brown Band, and Spoon. Sunday features Donovan Frankenreiter, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, O.A.R., Minnie Driver, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Grace Potter, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Brandi Carlisle, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, and Train.  On Friday and Saturday, the music runs from 11 AM-2:30 AM, on Sunday from 11AM-10pm.

As for food, according to KAABOO’s website, the “Palate” component will present fare that’s “way more tasteful than at a typical music festival”, representing an upscale culinary environment where guests can sample specialties from a variety of carefully selected culinary artisans, and limited production wines and craft libations:

  • 18 top local restaurants & chefs
  • 20 exclusive California wineries pouring approximately 60 different wines
  • 25 craft distilleries sampling small batch tequila, mezcal, bourbon, gin, rum, vodka, sake, and other spirits

On the Palate Stage on Saturday, starting at noon, six chefs will compete in the KAABOO Rockin’ Chef Competition, with three teams of two chefs with each team making an appetizer and entrée.  The competing chefs are

  • Amy di Biase
  • Brian Malarkey
  • Chad White
  • James Montejano
  • Jason McLeod
  • Javier Plascencia.

Their entries will be judged by Master Chef Ferdinand Metz, Candice Woo of EATER SD, Darlene Horn of ZAGAT, Josh Kopelman of DiningOutSD, and Sam the Cooking Guy.

The Palate stage will also be the place to catch:

  • Chef Band Performances
  • Celebrity Chef Demos
  • Chef & Artist Book Signings
  • Surprise Musical Performances

For all the detailed info for this “grown up” party, click here. One day passes start at $125, 2 day passes start at $229, and 3 day passes start at $299 in advance, $329 at the gate, all plus service charges.  A variety of VIP passes are also available. $1 per pass purchased will be donated to KAABOO’s “KINDNESS” charity program. Additional charity contributions made at time of pass purchase will be matched dollar for dollar by KAABOO.

Bracero Brings It!

Posted on by
Reply

by Wendy Lemlin

sign

After months of delays, and about a year of anticipation, Bracero Cocina de Raiz finally opened in mid July. The first restaurant in San Diego proper by Baja mega celeb chef Javier Plascencia (Romesco in Bonita, Mision 19 and Erizo in Tijuana, and Finca Altozano in the Valle de Guadalupe) and partner Luis Peña, opened its Little Italy doors to much foodie-world buzz and advance reservations booked several months out.

Was it worth the wait? In a word, yes!

Continue reading →

A Berry Good Undertaking

Posted on by
Reply

 

By Wendy Lemlin

Photos by Bradley Schweit  bradleyschweit.com

Berry IMG_7225

Some have called Berry Good Night, now in its sixth year, the most sought-after foodie invitation in San Diego, with an A-list roster of top chefs, farmers, ranchers, artisans, food activists, winemakers and mixologists from both sides of the border contributing to the Berry IMG_7539invitation-only feast. Also in attendance at this year’s event on June 13 will be guests from a wide variety of food-related disciplines, including science and medicine, agriculture, government and public policy, hospitality, education and media. The evening’s format is designed to promote discussion, connection and collaboration, creating long-lasting relationships and partnerships. Continue reading →

26th Annual Taste of Point Loma

Posted on by
Reply

taste2015

How familiar are you with the Point Loma restaurant scene?  Got any favorites?  Any places you’ve been meaning to try?  Well, on April 22, you’ll have the opportunity to do just that, when more than 20 restaurants, cafes and bakeries will offer samples of their finest and most popular menu items at the 26th annual Taste of Point Loma, hosted by the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. Continue reading →

San Diego Restaurant Round Up

Posted on by
Reply

By Wendy Lemlin

Spring has sprung,

the grass has ris,

this is where the good food is!

Spring always means a flurry of restaurant happenings, new seasonal menus, and new openings.  Here are some of the goings on in the San Diego Restaurant scene. Continue reading →

Baja Food & Wine Week at Dobson’s

Posted on by
Reply

By Wendy Lemlin

f7c07ed5-d990-459b-9596-9e21cd8b07c5_h

If you love the sophisticated side of Baja food and wines—or haven’t experienced it yet and want to see what all the accolades are about—-you’re in luck! All this week, from March 9-14, the iconic Dobson’s Bar & Restaurant takes diners’ palates south of the border with a four course prix fixe dinner paired with the renowned wines of the Guadalupe Valley.

Created by Chef Martin San Roman, the menu and wine pairings look like this: Continue reading →

Fairwell to Zarco

Posted on by
Reply

by Wendy Lemlin

zarco

   I still dream about the Tiradito de la Casa that I relished on my first trip to Zarco, Cocina de Baja in Chula Vista. The tender slices of hamachi crudo, the smokey chunks of grilled octopus, the delicate citrus of the yuzu sauce combined with just a hint of bite from two separate peppers— all had the unmistakable signature of Chef Flor Franco’s creative palette and totally appealed to my own particular palate. I’m not much of a wine connoisseur, (I know that may seem odd for a food writer), but it seemed to me that the wine list, carefully curated by Fernando Gaxiola of Baja Wine +Food, perfectly represented why wines from the Valle de Guadalupe are such a hot commodity these days.

Today Chef Franco and Gaxiola announced that they were no longer involved with Zarco.

In a statement, the pair said “We’re so grateful for the support and love we’ve received since opening Zarco this past September. Unfortunately, due to fundamental differences with our partners about how the restaurant should be managed, we’ve decided to discontinue our involvement with the project. It is important to mention that we do believe in the concept, and in the idea of bringing Baja and its culinary treasures to the US. Chef Flor Franco will continue focusing on her projects in Mexico and San Diego.”

Franco went on to elaborate, “Zarco was a passion project for me: the intersection of soulful Baja-style food, wine and bountiful ingredients and products from the region. I am grateful for the purveyors and other people we met while building the concept and I will continue to focus my energy on projects on both sides of the border, including Indulge Contemporary Catering, Baja Wine + Food, and Convivia at Encuentro in the Valle de Guadalupe. As always, my deeper creative compass is spinning within me, so I’ll keep you updated on what I’m working on.”

Personally, I can’t wait to see what comes next!

 

Chef Flor Franco

Chef Flor Franco

Gourmet Dining With Farmers, Friends & A Fisherman

Posted on by
Reply

By Wendy Lemlin

Ok, I admit it.  Life can taste pretty sweet when you’re a food writer.  It’s especially enjoyable when gourmet dining amidst great conviviality with the growers, harvesters, and curators of the delicacies on the plates in front of me.

This was the case last night (January 15) at San Diego’s Red Door Restaurant and Wine Bar for the Baja edition of their Farmers, Friends & Fisherman Dinner series, which proved so popular that seating spilled over into The Wellington Steak and Martini Lounge, Red Door’s adjoining sister restaurant. The seasonal series showcases area farmers, fishermen, ranchers, and wine or spirit makers who personify Red Door’s sustainable, local and organic credo. Continue reading →

Fusion Tapas at Cueva Bar

Posted on by
Reply

by Wendy Lemlin

Interior of Cueva Bar

Interior of Cueva Bar

Ok, so I guess I’m pretty late to the party, because, despite the fact it’s been around for a few years, I just recently discovered Cueva Bar, an absolute gem of a tapas and wine bar in University Heights.  I’d walked by it on several occasions as I was coming or going from the summer concerts at Old Trolley Barn Park, but, maybe because I don’t live in the neighborhood and am not over that way too often, I somehow missed the fact that Cueva Bar is a perfect place for tapas. And wine. And more tapas. Continue reading →