WHAT IS IT:  The San Diego Wine and Food Festival is one of the largest celebrations of food and wine in the country. 

WHEN IS IT?  November 16th through the 22nd, though most people focus on the Lexus Grand Tasting Event held on Saturday.  From 12 to 300 you wander the booths of high end foodie food and taste the very best of our best restaurants and chefs along with wines and spirits. Earlier in the week are lots of activities, from chef dinners to seminars. 

HOW DO I GET TICKETS?  Go to San Diego Wine and Food Fest to get them before they sell out!  Grab a bunch of friends and go!

Are you a foodie? 

Come clean, do you take photos of your food before you eat?  Would you rather watch a Food TV competition than the Chargers?  Does the sight of pork belly make you excited?  Then this food festival is designed for you.

So what makes the San Diego Food & Wine Fest so great?  Unlike a lot of "Taste of ____________" events where the food is second rate and the portions smaller than a Costco sample, at the San Diego Wine and Food Festival (also known as the San Diego Bay Classic) you get big bites of gourmet food made by some of the best chefs in San Diego.  There's not a marinara sauce with pasta in sight.  Instead you'll find scallops, steak, sashimi, just about everything you dream about. 

Listen to me, if you have ever been to a fancy restaurant and restaurant and wished you could try everything on the menu then this is your chance to try EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING!

Look at this from last year.  Yes, that is a giant shrimp and shrimp head that was super delicious.  Go ahead, try it.  Oh you want another one?  OK, get another one.  Eat them all! 

Or how about this one?

I have no idea what this one was but it was delicious.  In fact, just about everything is so darn good that you won't believe how much food you'll eat by the end.  You can do your own Man V. Food episode, starring you!

Of course, those of you who are more refined will love the elegant plating and the finesse of the chefs.  The plates are prepared with precision as if this were a Top Chef competition.  Chefs with tweezers, micro greens, caviar... ahhh, caviar!  And let's not forget the wonderful wines you can sample along with beers and spirits. And for you wine lovers out there, it's not just San Diego wines being poured but wines from everywhere. 

Is it worth it?  Absolutely.  If you have never been you need to get your tickets and get down to the Embarcadero behind Seaport Village on November 21, 2015.  Come hungry and be prepared to be blown away by the great food and wines at the San Diego Wine and Food Fest, 2015!

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