If the last 20 months or so of lock downs, canceled events, limited socializing, and restricted dining options have left you hungry for celebrating the joys of gastronomy, the 17th San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival, November 11-14 is just what you need to satisfy your appetite.
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Love Seafood? Love Wine? Want to spend several hours enjoying both at one of San Diego’s premier oceanfront restaurants? Then you don’t want to miss the Ocean-to-Table Luncheon held at The Marine Room in La Jolla Shores as part of the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival on Wednesday, November 13 from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Continue reading
How much do you love sushi? If the answer is “a lot” or any reasonable facsimile thereof, then you definitely want to get yourself to Sushi Festival San Diego, this Sunday, October 27, 2019 from 2PM to 10PM at The Dana on Mission Bay. There, several of San Diego’s top sushi masters will endeavor to set a world record by crafting the most sushi pieces in a 48 hour period, from Saturday at 8pm until Monday 8pm—-with a goal of 100,000 pieces! That’s a lot of rice and fish!!! And the best part is, lucky Sushi Festival San Diego goers will be able to devour the results at Sunday’s event. The record-setting pieces will be available to a limited number of VIPs during the all-you-can-eat festival experience. Other attendees can purchase the mouthwatering bites at a discounted price. Continue reading
By Wendy Lemlin
Head South of the Border to Tantalize Your Palate
I’m beginning to think that the 10th month of the year should be renamed Eatober. With several major food-focused events straddling both sides of the border throughout October, those who celebrate the culinary arts will have no problem indulging their passion for the finest food and drink in a vibrant social atmosphere. Head to Baja in October for some major food and wine events featuring rock star chefs and the best of local flavor, and see why the gastronomic scene there has positively exploded in recent years.
On October 5-7, Baja’s celebrated wine and cuisine destination, the Valle de Guadalupe, will play host to the celebrity chef studded second annual Valle Food & Wine Fest, detailed in a previous article. Guests will enjoy the offerings from 25 local wineries and 8 craft breweries to pair with the creations of 38
chefs from the USA and Mexico, including Netflix Chef’s Table stars Nancy Silverton and Dominique Crenn, Rick Bayless, Top Chef Jonathan Waxman, Michelin-starred Drew Deckman, Baja superstars Benito Molina, MiguelAngel Guerrero, and Javier Plascencia.
Tickets and info here.
Berry Good Noche
For the past eight years Berry Good Night was a highly sought after by-invitation-only dinner and evening event, held on a beautiful La Jolla Farms estate perched atop the cliffs abutting Torrey Pines Beach. By bringing together local growers, ranchers, and producers, along with championing the ideology of sustainable food, the event has been a catalyst in uniting kindred spirits—the artisans, food activists, farmers, ranchers, winemakers, brewers, writers, chefs, restaurateurs, and culinary locavores—who feed the palate of the local conscientious foodie world.
This year, the Berry Good Night Dinner is taking its 8th anniversary south of the border to be reborn as Berry Good Noche, and any guest who purchases a ticket is welcome. The event will be held on October 18 in Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe (Guadalupe Valley), about 90 minutes from the border, at Troika, adjacent to Vena Cava Winery. The celebration will serve the dual purpose of highlighting sustainable gastronomy in our border region, and serving as an opening event for Baja Culinary Fest (more about that below).
The 6 course feast will feature an array of local wine pairings provided by the members of Provino, Baja California’s premier winery association. Celebrated chefs from both sides of the border creating culinary delight will include:
Diego Hernandez, Corazón de Tierra
Javier Plascencia, Misión 19
Tomas Bermudez, La Docena
Maribel Aldaco, Fauna at Bruma
David Castro Hussong,Fauna at Bruma
Davin Waite, Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub
Flor Franco, Franco on Fifth
Ryan Costanza, Dija Mara
Elsa Olmos, Cercano Comedor
Cocktail hour will begin at 5pm with hors d’oeuvres prepared by Troika and the seated dinner will begin at 6pm.
100% of $150 ticket proceeds (**excluding transportation fee) will benefit Baja school garden projects. For those not wishing to drive from San Diego, round trip transportation fro Old Town Transit Center is available for $50 pp. Tickets and detailed info available here.
Dubbed “From North to South” and focusing on the theme of Sustainability, the 8th annual Baja Culinary Fest will celebrate the gastronomy, along with the wine and craft beer culture, of Baja California from October 18-20. With the exception of Berry Good Noche (see above) all events and dinners will be held in Tijuana, making it easy for guests from San Diego and Southern California to attend. Conferences, cooking workshops, demos, and an expo will take place at Club Campestre golf club, culminating with the Culinary Summit on October 20. There, attendees can sample the creations of an impressive roster of local and guest chefs from throughout Mexico, who will cook the best dishes of their kitchen at 30 food stations, showcasing products from Baja California. Pa
Festival Founder Javier Plascencia, Misión 19 – Finca Altozano – Jazamango
Aquiles Chávez, La Fisheria Playa del Carmen, Q.R.
Diego Hernandez, Corazón de Tierra Ensenada, B.C.
Gabriela Ruiz, Carmela y Sal CDMX
Guillermo Gonzalez Beristaín, Grupo Pangea Monterrey, N.L
Mao Montiel, Dolcenero CDMX
Oswaldo Vazquez, Comal – Chileno Bay Resort & Residences Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S
Tomas Bermúdez, La Docena Oyster Bar Guadalajara, Jal.
Yvan Mucharraz, Comal – Chileno Bay Resort & Residences Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S
Alex Branch, Hakkasan Group Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S
Julián Martinez, Sepia Cocina del Mar CDMX
Matthew Beaudin, Monterey Bay Aquarium Monterey, Ca.
Ruffo Ibarra Oryx Capital Gastro Pub Tijuana, B.C.
Multi-course dinners prepared by teams of some of the top chefs in Baja California and beyond will be held each evening. The most difficult decisions will be choosing which one to attend on each night!
See the full chef lineup for each dinner here! Contact the individual restaurants for prices and tickets for these very special dining experiences.
Tickets for all the festival events are found here.
by Wendy Lemlin
In recent years, San Diego has done a lot of growing up, gastronomically speaking. What was once a culinary backwater, defined mostly by gringo-ized pseudo-Mexican surfer grub, has blossomed with growing sophistication and appreciation for inventive cuisine, fine wines, craft beers —and direct collaboration between chefs and the farmers, ranchers, fishermen, winemakers and brewers whose labors provide the raw ingredients for the new excitement in local cuisine. And, in the last 14 years, the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival has been showcasing and giving impetus to this delicious maturation process in a multi-day event unlike anything else in the San Diego gastronomisphere. Because of its multi-faceted scope of events, San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival is my favorite local gourmet experience.
This year, San Diego Wine & Food Festival Festival, which runs November 12-19, is more eclectic than ever and has something for everyone who loves to eat or drink. From fermentation to fish tacos, from wine to wagyu, guests and participants can partake of events celebrating both the latest trends and the time honored favorites.
The Grand Tasting
By Wendy Lemlin
As anyone in the SoCal/Baja border foodie community knows, in recent years there have been a significant number of outstanding events in Baja California’s Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s smoking-hot wine region about 90 miles south of San Diego. But, the first annual Valle Wine & Food Festival, happening October 22, stands out as a must do, not only for the amazing quality of cross-border chef talent who will be participating —hosts Javier Plascencia and Nancy Silverton, and Michelin-starred Dominique Crenn, to name a few—but also because the event will be flavored with a welcome taste of altruism, i.e. the festival will benefit the area’s farm workers, as well as victims of the recent earthquakes in Mexico.
Nancy Silverton, Carolynn Carreno, Javier Plascencia
By Wendy Lemlin
With 43 events over seven days, the 14th annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival, November 14-20, is a really big deal. As one of the nation’s largest gastronomic festivals, it brings together celebrity and local chefs, sommeliers, winemakers, brewmasters, and gourmet food artisans to present gala dinners, tastings, classes, competitions, and even a golf tournament. Continue reading
By Wendy Lemlin
Music, Art, Food, Comedy –- KAABOO Del Mar brings all the elements of a good time together in one multi-focus three day event billed as a “mixperience”. Ambitiously begun in 2015 as the largest multi-faceted cultural event to hit the San Diego area, the 2nd annual installment of KAABOO Del Mar takes place September 16-18 and sprawls throughout the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The festival organizers define KAABOO as “an adult escape, created by music lovers for music lovers, uniquely curated to appeal to all five of your senses, with world-class music, dancing, incredible cuisine, craft libations, inspiring contemporary art, and personal indulgences”.
At the heart of KAABOO Del Mar is the music, with over 78 eclectic artists appearing on 5 stages, performing everything from Americana/Roots music to classics, to Hip Hop. Those who spring for the VIP “Amplify” ticket, get to start the party early on Thursday evening, with entertainment by Chris Isaak and Macy Gray. Continue reading