San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival Returns

San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival logo

San Diego Bay Wine + food Festival wine glasses

Glasses ready for wine at Grand Tasting event

The San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival is turning Sweet Sixteen, and everyone is invited to the party! Taking place over an entire week of gastronomic pleasures, the Festival brings together San Diego’s  top tastemakers to showcase the diversity of the area’s farms, seas, sustainable practices, taco culture, Baja influence and more. There’s a good reason the San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival was named the winner of the 2019 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest for Best General Food Festival. The Festival’s tagline of “Arrive at Awesome” says it all!

San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival Grand Tasting entrance

Welcome to the Grand Tasting

Happening November 9-17, the San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival draws over 10,000 foodies, oenophiles, beer and spirits enthusiasts, and the culinary curious to over 40 separate events, culminating in the ever-popular Grand Tasting on November 16 and Taco TKO on November 17. With a majority of new-this-year events combined with longstanding returning favorites, there is truly something for everyone, from elegant wine pairing dinners to a beer-showcasing pool party, from the serious wine-centric Grand Decant to a chill cookout, from cooking classes to wine tastings. With a nod to San Diego’s world famous craft breweries, an increasing number of the events highlight local beers. Some of the events are already sold out, so click here for a complete list of all the happenings and ticket info.

A tasting of scallops at San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival

A tasting of scallops!

Just a few of the many fresh additions to this year’s Festival schedule include:

  • Stagecraft Beerfest Kicking off the festivities on November 9 at the Viejas Casino & Resort, the venue’s 3 restaurants and 8 local breweries come together around the Allure pool area at the Willows Hotel for an afternoon of food and beer pairings with live music. $50

  • Barbecue & Bourbon On Sunday, November 10, guests will enjoy barbecue and beverages with views of the San Diego skyline and Coronado Bridge from the lawns of the Coronado Island Marriott & Spa. The casual event is family friendly. $65.

  • Expedition: San Diego Beer Tour Also taking place on Sunday, November 10, beer lovers can take a guided tour to some of San Diego’s top beer producers. During the fun and educational experience, guests will enjoy the VIP treatment while sampling a variety of brews, meeting with brewery staff, taking an educational class and gaining first hand knowledge of the art of craft beer making. Lunch and transportation is included. $120

  • Morning Glory’s Breakfast For Dinner Held at one of San Diego’s hottest new restaurants on Monday November 11, the menu will include such gourmet tantalizers as sturgeon caviar, cured duck eggs, heirloom tomato quiche, smoked salmon mousse, and much more. Moët Champagne will be served throughout the evening. $115

  • Pizza Making with Buona Forchetta On Tuesday November 12, guests will sip Prosecco and experience a hands-on pizza-making lesson, while learnng about the history of the authentic “Neapolitan style” pizza this extremely popular pizzeria is known for. $60

The list of almost 70 participating talent includes an array of highly respected and well-known chefs, winemakers, brewers, sommeliers, and artisans.

Participating Chefs at the 2018 San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival Ocean-to-Table Luncheon at The Marine Room.

Participating Chefs at the 2018 Ocean-to-Table Luncheon at The Marine Room. Always a sold-out favorite, the event returns this year.

This year the host hotel is the beautiful new Intercontinental San Diego, which is also the location for several of the Festival’s events.

Click here for all the San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival info.

Chef Flor at San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival Grand Tasting

Chef Flor Franco plates a dish

Celebrate the Craft of Cuisine

by Wendy Lemlin

oct celebrate craft

I am fortunate to be able to partake of many gastronomic events over the course of the year, but there is one that always is at the top of my “must do” list. The 16th annual Celebrate the Craft t, held October 28 on the expansive lawns of The Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, ranks not only for the beautiful ambiance and exquisite quality of the food presented, but also because of the spotlight it has always shown on the symbiosis between the participating chefs and the farms, ranchers, fishmongers, vintners, and brewers whose products help to make the chefs’ creations so outstanding. Since it’s inception, Celebrate the Craft has been one of Southern California’s premier showcases for locally grown ingredients, innovative cooking and winemaking.

On what is forecasted to be an absolutely gorgeous day, guests will meander among food stations where each chef is matched with a local farm, ranch, or fishmonger whose products are highlighted in the chef’s dish. Also at each station, a wine, beer or other artisanal beverage pairing from a local producer will be offered to complement the gourmet bites. Continue reading

A Taste of Baja California Culinary Fest

by Wendy Lemlin

BCCF Logo

So, you’ve been hearing all these great things about the Baja culinary scene, and have just been waiting for a good excuse (not that you really need one!) to experience it for yourself, right?  Well, you’ve got one—in fact two!

For the first time, Baja California Culinary Fest is teaming up with The Culinary Conference Ensenada Gastronómica to present five days of mouth-watering excitement. From October 29th to November 2nd, guests will be able to explore the many flavors of Baja and discover the local natural resources of the region that the rest of the world is clamoring for these days. Chefs’ dinners, outings, tours and culinary competitions are among the exciting events planned for this foodie extravaganza. Continue reading