Local Wally's Guide to San Diego

Local Wally's Guide to San Diego

Food Festivals

San Diego Wine + Food Festival Review - WORTH IT? Is this the BEST food festival in San Diego? 2023 Review Plus 2024 Event Info!

Food FestivalsLocal WallyComment

Sam the Cooking Guy wows the crowd again at the San Diego Wine and Food Festival

What a weekend! Every November San Diego hosts a GIANT wine and food festival that culminates with THE GRAND TASTING where there are seemingly endless booths of gourmet food, prestige wines and tons of good vibes all included in your admission price. The event is held on the large grassy peninsula behind Seaport Village, officially called the Embarcadero Marina Park North. For roughly the cost of dinner for two at a nice steakhouse you get three hours of unlimited bites and sips at one of San Diego’s most scenic spots. With views of the Coronado Bridge, sailboats in the bay, and an ocean of vibrant people to watch, it really is one of the best weekends you’ll ever have.

The Grand Tasting takes place on Saturday and for those who can’t get enough there’s THE GRAND FIESTA on Sunday, also known as the TACO TKO where you get to sample 20+ tacos and vote for the best taco in San Diego. This event is much more low key, which is fine after the busy main event on Saturday. Lots of Baja wines, lots of tequila, live music, if The Grand Tasting is like a night in Vegas the Grand Fiesta is like a really great BBQ with good friends in your backyard.

I’ve been to the Grand Tasting many, many times, over 10 times, maybe more, and I need to be honest here - the 2022 event was the Covid bounce back and it was good but left a lot of people wondering if it was still worth it. The folks behind the event were paying attention and in 2023 the event was spectacular, perhaps the best one ever with every booth knocking it out with their A game.

Is the San Diego Wine and Food Fest Worth It?????

SO IS THE SAN DIEGO WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL WORTH IT?? Yes, yes, yes!

The event returned to it’s wine tasting roots and was set up in regions with Napa and Sonoma, Paso Robles, Temecula and Baja well represented. That was a great way to sample each region and there were plenty of great wines to taste. If you haven’t been before here’s how this works - when you enter you are given a wine glass and your job is to go taste as many wines as you like. Pours are generous and lines manageable and if you get something you don’t love you just dump it and move on. Beer and spirits were there as well but I did like that they really upped their focus back on wines.

How was the food??? I know, a lot of food festivals offer bites that makes Costco samples look generous but there was so much food that I found myself sharing bites with my wife and then… gasp… even turning down food. Look, I’m the guy normally standing in line for half of a breaded chicken nugget that’s shaped like a dinosaur but I was so stuffed I was turning down BBQ brisket and fried chicken sandwiches made by Crack Shack and sushi and, well, you get it. So much food! So good, so good!

For those who want to splurge there’s a VIP tent with even more food. I was lucky enough to gain entry (that PRESS pass really came in handy) and damn there were oysters and caviar and escargot roasted over the BBQ, a live band to keep things lively, and it’s sure nice to be a VIP if only for a few minutes to shoot photos. OK, I did sneak a few bites but I do this for you guys out there and take my responsibility to shoot photos and report back to my readers seriously.

wait… there’s more! THE GRAND FIESTA ON SUNDAY

Held at Liberty Station in a grassy park, The Grand Fiesta is much more low key but packs a lot of punch and yes, value. The concept is similar - loads of booths to stroll featuring food and beverages - but this time every booth has a taco and the beverages range from beer to Baja wines to tequila. These are not ordinary tacos either - No Wallybertos - but rather rather gourmet tacos with each booth trying to out-taco the next. With carne cooking over open fire, lobsters and octopus on the grill, ceviche and creative fusion of Japanese and Baja - if you love tacos, you’re going to be happy. And the tacos are either full size or fully stuffed street tacos and all you can eat, of course. Get a taco and vote for your favorites, wash it down with some awesome Baja wines or tequila, just relax because this event is low key and just a lot of fun. Lines are short and the music is great, it’s a nice way to cap off a great weekend. If you’ve never been to a food festival and want to see what it’s all about do this one next year - I love it. And if you always go to The Grand Tasting and never have tried The Grande Fiesta then you know what I’m going to say - do it! Look, Local Wally is all about telling you the honest truth and I really, really like this event.

There are other competing Wine and Food Festivals now in San Diego but the San Diego Wine + Food Festival, also known as the San Diego Bayfest, is the OG and still the best. You just can’t argue with the setting on the bay and the local San Diego vibe and with the return to their high standard for food and wine it’s my top pick for Event of the Year!

The 2024 san diego wine and food festival is coming in november

There’s no date announced as of this writing but the San Diego Wine and Food Fest is typically the weekend or two before Thanksgiving. Go to the official San Diego Bayfest site to get more info on date and tickets. In fact, I suggest you go to you calendar right now and put a reminder to check their site around September of 2024 as by then all the info will be up. You must trust me - this is the wine and food festival you’re looking for. See you next year!

Del Mar Wine and Food Festival Review - Get Ready for 2024 Event!

Food FestivalsLocal WallyComment

Del Mar held it’s first annual wine and food festival, appropriately called the DEL MAR WINE + FOOD FESTIVAL, in Sept 2023. Held at the Del Mar Surf Sports Park, aka the polo fields for locals, it encompassed eight acres of food and wine stalls, live music, and plenty of SoCal vibe. I was there. I almost didn’t go since I had just gottn back from an exhausting camping road trip. My car was still filled with stuff, I was tired, and the idea of waiting in long lines to get tiny bites of food and dinky sips of wine was not high on my list. But I was wrong. So so very wrong!

And now all I can thing about is the 2024 Grand Tasting event coming up Oct 5th and 6th.

So much food, so much wine, surpassed all expectations!

So let me cut right to the chase and tell you that this is possible one of the GREATEST wine and food festivals in San Diego, possible the best in the US and I’m not exaggerating. The sprawling space left plenty of room for guests to roam around, never feeling squeezed, pushed or schmushed. The crowds were manageable and if I wanted something to eat I would walk right up and GET IT! That’s right, lines were short and because of the shear number of options you rarely had to wait. But was the food any good?? Or was it the typical marinara pasta in a tiny cup? Oh ye of little faith, be ready to be blown away!

The food was 100% GOURMET bites - wait, they were not really bites but damn near plates. I mean, come on, a lobster slider that was basically a full half of a full size gigantic lobster roll? I had three, though I must admit by the 3rd one I was eating “artichoke style”, meaning eating the lobster off the top. Hey, I know this is bad manners but when the food is this good and there’s so much of it you have to do what you have to do. I had to try everything, you understand.

One of the few booths with a longer line was Tanner’s Prime Burger which was a crispy smash burger made with, well yes, prime beef and tons of melty cheese. See what I mean? That’s a full size burger. I waited maybe 5 minutes for this tasty, tasty burger. OK, yes, I know I needed either a better hand model or a manicure but rememer I just got back from camping!

And the list of food went on and on and on! Inside the VIP tent there were unlimited oysters, caviar on tator tots, and glorious sushi. Every bite was la culinary dream come true. Wait, did you just say caviar on tator tots??

Mr. A’s caviar on tator tots at the Del Mar Wine and Food Festival

Mr’s A’s, a long standing San Diego foodie favorite, served up homemade tator tots topped with black pearl caviar sitting on a mimosa creme Asian pear sauce and this is how I want my tator tots from now on. Napoleon Dynamite!

Want some oysters? You could stand here all afternoon and eat them like an otter, they just kept on coming!

DEL MAR WINE + FOOD FEST: WORTH IT!

I could go on and on and I will - I’ll show you all of my food shots with descriptions in an upcoming article. But for now let me just say that this is a very worthy contender for the best wine and food festival I have ever been to. No tiny bites, no baby sips, no lines, just an incredible day in Del Mar that you will not want to miss next year! Do it - mark your calendars not for next Sept 2024 to go to this event.

What to Expect for 2024

The party starts on Wed, Oct. 2 with Special Events all week at various locations throughout San Diego, ending Mon, Oct. 7.

Don’t miss the the 2-day event, The Grand Tasting, at the picturesque Surf Sports Park in Del Mar (formerly the polo fields) on Sat, Oct. 5 & Sun, Oct. 6.

Del Mar Wine + Food Festival 2023: Everything You Need to Know (and Should you Go??)

Food FestivalsLocal WallyComment

San Diego has a new Wine + Food Festival in town and it’s in Del Mar. Starting on Sept 6th, 2023, and running through Sept 10th, it’s five days of glorious food and wine events, including a two day Grand Tasting Event with unlimited wine, food, entertainment, and plenty of San Diego sunshine vibes. I’m so excited!

Del Mar Wine + Food Festival, Sept 6th through Sept 10th, 1013

Celebrity chefs like Brian Malarkey will be there!

DEL MAR WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL 2023 AT A GLANCE

WHAT IS IT? The Del Mar Wine + Food Festival is a week-long celebration that includes an all-star lineup of culinary talent, top-notch winemakers, special events during the week and capping it off with a two day Grand Tasting Event.

During the week you can pick from the various events - I mean, come on, a mezcal dinner hosted by Breaking Bad’s Walter White and Jesse Pinkman? Or perhaps you want to play Pickleball with Drew Brees (or just chill and watch with great food and drink?). Or give our beaches some love with a beach cleanup and seafood brunch hosted by Rob Machado and featuring chefs Brian Malarkey and Aidan Owens.

You’ll also find wine pairing dinners, wine tasting events, and super cool events like an After Hours Party hosted by celebrity chef (with local restaurants Juniper + Ivy and Crack Shack) Richard Blais.

On the weekend, Sept 9th and 10th, the Grand Tasting Event is held at the Del Mar Surf Sports Park (aka the Del Mar Polo Fields to you locals). Wander the 8 acre lawn and sample what 80 of the best food San Diego chefs have to offer while sipping from 200 wines, beers and spirits, Live music, games, art and maybe meeting some celebrity chefs, really, this event is going to be incredible.

I love that they have this over two days as other food events in San Diego, while still super fun, can get unbearably crowded. A two day event is a good way to spread out the crowds (and thin out the lines). Bravo to the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival people for figuring that one out!

WHEN IS IT?

September 6, 2023: 6 PM - 9 PM
September 7, 2023: 6 PM - 9 PM
September 8, 2023: 6:30 PM - 9 PM
September 9, 2023: 12 PM - 4 PM
September 10, 2023: 12 PM - 4 PM

WAIT - DO I HAVE TO DO ALL 5 DAYS? Well, you could but most people pick and choose. Check their official website for the schedule but for first timers you probably want to go to one or both of the weekend Grand Tasting Events, and maybe select an event during the week that might interest you.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? The Grand Tasting event starts at $175 for general admission (early bird price) and goes up to $475 for VIP access. The other events are priced separately. Click here for schedule of events and ticket prices.

  • THE GA TICKET grants you general access to the grand tasting, hosted on the Mona Lisa of lawns at Surf Sports Park. You’ll be given unlimited sips and bites from various vendors, enjoy live entertainment (including a live band on top of a double decker bus), shop, and go to sleep knowing you carpe’d the diem.

  • THE GA EARLY ENTRY TICKET offers all the privileges of the GA ticket with the added advantage of early entry to the festival grounds. This means you can beat the crowds and have more time to explore the bounty of the festival, interact with vendors, and enjoy the day at a more leisurely pace.

  • THE VIP TICKET gets you early admission and access to a special VIP area with additional tasting experiences. We will update the VIP experience details as we get closer to the festival.

WHERE DO YOU PARK AND HOW MUCH IS IT? Lots or parking at the event, $20 per day, though Uber or Lyft is a good option since you will most likely be sipping lots of wine with 200 to choose from.

ARE KIDS ALLOWED? Are your kids over 21? If so, then yes, absolutely bring them!

ONE MORE TIME - WHERE CAN I GET TICKETS? All ticket info is right here.

San Diego Wine Festival Returns to Carlsbad's Park Hyatt Aviara Resort June 23. 24, 2023

Food Festivals, SD Wine Food Fest, San Diego Wine Food Fest, Things to Do in San Diego, Things to Eat San DiegoLocal WallyComment

CALIFORNIA WINE FESTIVAL CARLSBAD, CA, AVIARA RESORT, JUNE 23, 24, 2023

California Wine Festival, Southern California’s premier wine festival event producer, announces its return to the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort for two days of palm tree-lined tasting events on Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24. Guests will be able to try samples from renowned winemaking regions across California, paired with gourmet appetizers from many of North San Diego County’s top restaurants, in addition to experiencing lifestyle exhibitors, live entertainment and stunning, expansive vistas. 

This seriously is one of my favorite events in San Diego. I love that it’s so low key, so easy, so uncrowded with easy access to plenty of wine and food samples. No, it’s not as huge as some of the other better known events but that’s what makes it so great - you want another glass of wine, you just walk up and they pour it for you! No fighting in lines, no being pushed aside, no waving your arms to get someone’s attention, it’s so civilized. And no, you don’t need to get all dressed up! I mean you could, but you don’t have to.

Overlooking lush green landscape beneath string lights at Park Hyatt Aviara Resort’s The Gardens, Friday evening kicks off with a Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting, an intimate experience for wine aficionados. A sparkling wine reception begins the evening of sampling specialty reserve wines and offers tasting room exclusives and limited-production wines hailing from vineyards based in California’s most esteemed wine producing regions. Locals’ favorite North County restaurants will serve delicious hot and cold appetizers to pair with the best-in-class wines. 

Throughout Friday evening, guests will have the ability to participate in a silent auction, bidding on coveted items such as exotic wines, tasting tours and dining certificates. Proceeds from this auction will benefit Golden Rule Charity, an organization dedicated to helping people in the hospitality industry during unexpected hardships.


SATURDAY’S BEACHSIDE WINE FESTIVAL
The ultimate wine tasting experience continues with a Beachside Wine Festival taking place at Park Hyatt Aviara Resort's Heron Lawn on Saturday, June 24th. The al fresco afternoon event will allow guests to improve upon their culinary education and exploration through one-on-one conversations and tastings with culinary and wine talent descending upon Carlsbad from California’s most distinguished wineries and local restaurants. Guests will have the opportunity to experience hundreds of premium California wines and regional craft brews. Fine wines can be paired with artisanal cheeses, breads, olive oil, fresh-cut fruit, decadent desserts and more. The VIP Pavilion will feature a selection of reserve-level wines as well as craft brews along with special seating just a stone’s throw away from the resort’s award-winning golf course overlooking the Batiquitos Lagoon nature preserve.


The festival highlights rare and reserve vintages and well-known bottles from California’s best vineyards based in Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Temecula and beyond. Notable wineries attending include: Adobe Road Winery, B.io, Bellante Family Winery, Bernardus Winery, BONDLE Wines, Capriccio Sangria, Carol Shelton Wines, Carruth Cellars, Cuvaison Winery, Doffo Wines, Double Bond Wine, Goldschmidt Vineyards, HALL Wines, Halter Ranch, Kessler-Haak Vineyard & Wines, Le Vigne Winery, Lloyd Cellars, Michael Mondavi Family Wines, Miner Family Wines, Navarro Vineyards, New Zealand Wine Navigator, Pasmosa Sangria, Russian River Vineyards, Stonehouse Cellars, Wilson Creek Winery and Wine Guy & Wine Gal.

GOOD EATS TO GO WITH ALL OF THE GREAT WINE!

Top restaurants from North San Diego County and beyond will serve delectable appetizers to accompany the festival’s top-notch wine selections and include: Butterfly Brittles, Carlsbad Cookie Company, Gino Angelini Authentic Italian Sauces, Goufrais Southern California - Cocoa Confection, Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, Icelandic Glacial, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Kelly’s Croutons, Kerrygold, Marsatta Chocolate, Mendocino Farms, Orfila Vineyards Tasting Room & Kitchen, Ponto Lago, Señor Grubby's and Grubby’s Poke, Seven Barrels Olive Oils and Aged Italian Balsamics, SiSi Cakes and The Real Empanada.

LIVE MUSIC TO SET THE VIBE!

Live entertainment will provide the perfect soundtrack to a relaxing weekend enjoying coastal California living. Friday’s Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting will feature soulful, acoustic melodies from former American Idol finalist, Adam Lasher. Saturday’s Beachside Wine Festival will once again feature Upstream, SoCal’s premier live reggae, calypso, soca and steel drum band.

Sam the Cooking Guy WINS 1st Place at the San Diego Food and Wine Festival

Food FestivalsLocal WallyComment
Sam the Cooking Guy San Diego Wine and Food Festival

Sam the Cooking Guy at the San Diego Wine and Food Festival

Best Bites at the San Diego Wine and Food Festival 2022

Sam the Cooking Guy takes 1st place in the highly competitive battle for the best bite at the 2022 San Diego Wine and Food Festival with a deceptively simple yet ultimately delicious BRAISED OXTAIL ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICH.

In case you don’t know Sam the Cooking Guy, long time San Diegans might remember his start back on public access TV. He was picked up and dropped by Discovery Health Channel, then went on the Today show where he told Hota and Kathie Lee to be quiet, pretty gutsy for this little known chef (and appreciated by the audience). He now mainly cooks on his YouTube channel and recently opened two restaurants in San Diego’s Little Italy, Graze, a casual eatery and bottle shop, and Not Not Tacos, an eclectic take on creative tacos.

Sam calls his culinary approach the “every man approach to cooking”. He’s like your neighbor down the street who invites you to watch the game and then brings out food so good that people crowd around the BBQ instead of the TV. His accessible food is just f-ing delicious (he also drops a lot of F bombs on his channel, just warning you).

As for his winning dish, this Italian Beef Sandwich is a good example of his genius - I mean, it’s a freaking beef dip sandwich but it was so good it won the taste buds of hundreds of foodies who all agreed that this was the best thing to eat at the San Diego Wine and Food Festival. I liked it so much that I was hoping to find it on the menu at one of his restaurants. No such luck with that but I did find a recipe on his YouTube channel that looks surprisingly similar that I think I’ll try out this weekend.https://www.thecookingguy.com/cookbook/2022/10/6/italian-beef

The San Diego Wine and Food Festival

But wait, I’m getting so far ahead of myself. So Sam wins the festival, but what is the San Diego Wine and Food Festival? In a nutshell, it’s one of the best foodie events in the entire country. You know that grassy area behind Seaport Village on the San Diego Bay where people normally fly kites? Well for one Saturday every November it gets converted into booth after booth of wine, food, and cocktails with live music, live food, and that perfect San Diego Vibe.

In the days leading up the The Grand Tasting you’ll find restaurants hosting multi-course gourmet dinners, there’s typically a trip to Baja to discover their wine and food scene, and there’s plenty of wine, lots and lots of wine. And on Sunday, as if you have not had enough, there’s the Grand Fiesta which features a Taco Knock Out competition, more wine, more cocktails, more beer, and yes, live music.

If all of this sounds intriguing then mark your calendars for next year, perhaps sometime in October when they announce the dates and events, and GO!

OK, enough of this chit (chat), let’s get a close up of the winning bite from Sam the Cooking Guy at the 2022 San Diego Wine and Food Festival.

Yes, I took a bite before I remembered to take a photo, but hopefully you can imagine just how tender the oxtail beef was. Succulent, beefy, drippy, oh man it was good.

later that same weekend….

Sam the Cooking Guy making tacos at the San Diego Wine and Food Festival’s Grand Fiesta

The Grand Tasting Event was held on Saturday. The next day there was Sam again at The Grand Fiesta taco competition where his Korean taco killed it! You can get these at his Not Not Tacos restaurant and I suggest you do that. The flour tortilla has that homemade chew to it, the Korean flavors really worked here. Love it. More please. (Hey, does Sam look a bit like the Tin Man in the shot below?)

What Else was really, really good at the San Diego Wine and Food Festival?

I always go to the San Diego Wine and Food Festival with good intentions to take notes, chat with the chefs, you know, act like a real journalist (hey, I did go to journalism school after all). And I always fail as soon as the gates open and I see all this delicious wine and food laid out in front of me and I run like a third grader to be first in line (I used to get in big trouble for that sort of thing). Too hard to take notes, memory too poor to remember. So this year I decided that my top winners would go to the places I went back to two or more times. That says something - to get back into a long line instead of moving on shows that I really liked what I just ate.

So the winners are:

Second Plade: JRDN: Suzuki Nigiri with guajillo ponzu, drunken fingerlime, black aioli, and negi green onion.

MY TAKE: The perfect one bite, tangy and melt in your mouth texture, this one nearly took first place in my book. Go check out JRDN at Tower23, a Pacific Beach location known for their incredible seafood and sushi. Official Website for JRDN

Third Place: HIGH PIE: Flaky crispy hand pies with different fillings from the restaurant that’s housed in the Top Gun house!

MY TAKE: Trust me, these little hand pies are incredible. Can you blame me for going back again and again for these delightful hand pies, some filled with cherries, some with apples and ice cream(!), each one just out of the fryer and piping hot? Oh, and there’s blueberry and pumpkin at their shop. I like these so much they’re going to be on my Thanksgiving menu this year :-) Official Website for High Pie

Scenes from the San Diego Wine and Food Festival 2022

So those are my top picks, but there were more delicious bites everywhere, a festive crowd, you really need to go next year! Here’s their official website for event info but for now check out some of the highlights of my day.

My Dinner at ARLO: The San Diego Wine and Food Festival

Food Festivals, Things to Do in San Diego, Things to Eat San Diego, San Diego Wine Food Fest, restaurantsLocal WallyComment

At a Glance….

ARLO SAN DIEGO: A contemporary casual restaurant in Mission Valley that creatively combines fresh local ingredients in a mash up of of flavors from around the world. Gourmet yet accessible dining. Official Website | 619-908-5058 | $$$ | Yelp

HAMEL FAMILY WINES: A family run winery located in the Sonoma Valley with wines that inspired Chef Josh Mousakes’ menu. Official Winery Website

SAN DIEGO WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL: Held each year around the second week of November, it’s a week long extravaganza featuring gourmet events like this one, food focused day trips, and one of the best wine and food festivals in the country. Official Website

San Diego Wine and Food Festival hosts a six course gourmet dinner featuring wines by Hamel Family from Sonoma

My Evening at ARLO: 6 courses, 6 wines

Now that Covid is loosening its grip I’ve started to venture outside again but seem to have a bit of Rip Van Winkle syndrome. Where’s Qualcomm Stadium? What? The Trolley runs to La Jolla now? And especially, what happened to the Town and Country Hotel???

I used to work in Mission Valley and to escape from a tyrannical boss I would walk along the river and around the Town and Country Hotel. It was dilapidated but oddly charming, but last time I drove the 8 (when was that, 2020, 2021??) it was just gone, then a pile of rubbish and dirt. Little did I know that during my time asleep that the Town and Country would rise again, returning as a cool and modern resort that rivals some of San Diego’s best. And within the resort is ARLO, a restaurant that’s been getting a lot of attention this past year (Best new restaurant, Best Fine Dining, Best patio dining).

So when I heard that they were featuring a gourmet six course dinner via the San Diego Wine and Food Festival, not even a stormy rainy night could keep me away.

A mad rush through the pouring rain from the validated parking structure to the restaurant, right on time for the dinner to begin. The setting is intimate, not too many tables but enough to make it fun, with the chef and winery introducing themselves and their vision for the night. Six courses, six wines, I’m ready!

Scallop Crudo, Orange creamsickle, sea grass, brie cheese

Scallop Crudo paired with Hamel Family Sauvignon Blanc

Let me first start by saying all of the wines we had were perfectly paired with each course - and all of them were over the top delicious. I especially liked how this sauvignon blanc paired with the freshness of the scallop crudo. Stunning presentation, you can tell that Chef Josh Mouzakes trained at The French Laundry, and the perfect opening to the evening.

Charred Chilean Seabass ith prosciutto, Medjoool dates, brioche, and allium powder

Charred Chilean Seabass with Hamel Family Grenache

Another impressive dish, a crispy yet moist slice of seabass on top of salty prosciutto and a softer than air brioche bun, looking like a play on sushi and oh so delicious. A dip into the date sauce, another winning plate. The brioche was so light and balanced out the proteins perfectly. Another one, please.

Black Pepper Squab, mission figs, butternut squash, caramelized plum

Black Pepper Squab with Hamel Family Isthmus

Served on top of a charred plank from a wine barrel, the squab was elegant yet begged to be picked up by your fingers, which of course I did. I love squab and the mission fig sauce along with the charred butternut squash and caramelized plum added a complexity that elevated the dish to gourmet level. Winner Winner Squab Dinner.

Wagyu Coulotte, chanterelle mushrooms, smoked potato purée

48 HOUR WAGYU COULOTTE WITH CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS, SMOKED POTATO purée WITH HAMEL FAMILY ranch CABERNET

Steak and potatoes? But not what you might think. It was of course the highest quality Wagyu but for me the stars were the mushrooms and potato. The chanterelles were very much the Thomas Keller philosophy of giving you a bite so delicious you wish there was more, only to move on to the smoked potatoes which had the same lingering effect. Oh how I loved both the mushrooms and potatoes. And yes, the 48 hour wagyu was quite nice, cooked and seasoned to perfection, though for me my love goes to the sides.

Tongue, cheek and tail rye wheat ravioli with tomato marmalade, preserved lemom ricotta

Tongue, Cheek and Tail ravioli with hamel family nuns canyon cabernet

In a prior life I worked in the tech industry and had to go to way too many meetings. It was there I learned the art of looking attentive while letting my brain drift to daydream mode. So yes I’ll admit it, five courses in I didn’t pay close attention to the description of the dish but you can trust me that it was yet another winner, the rich sauce complementing the tender meat that was wrapped in ravioli that had a satisfying chew, like the best al dente pasta you get in Italy. And I do remember the wine, perhaps the best pour of the evening and a perfect pairing. Look, it’s been a long evening so I think I did pretty good.

Honeycomb Pavlova, macerated apriocot, white chocolate tuille

Honeycomb Pavlova with hamel family late harvest sauvignon blanc

I love dessert wines, especially when paired with dessert, and the pavlova with its crispy, chewy exterior and softer marshmallow-like interior just melted in the mouth, a contrast of textures. A sip of late harvest sauvignon blanc, a delightful ending to a perfect meal.

Final Thoughts…

The San Diego Wine and Food Festival is a week long celebration of the best culinary experiences in San Diego and the Six Course Dinner at ARLO was no exception. But don’t wait until next year to check out ARLO - maybe go for Brunch this weekend, or hit up the bar for cocktails after work, or yes, go for dinner where you’ll find a menu that features everything from affordable wood fired flatbreads to plates for sharing to gourmet entrees. Check out their menu - and go check out what they did to the Town and Country Resort. It’s got that San Diego vibe that makes you feel like you’re on vacation even if you live 5 minutes away.

More info on ARLO | San Diego Wine and Food Festival Info

About the San Diego Wine and Food Festival

Every year around the second week of November is the San Diego Wine and Food Festival. The week long activities feature a myriad of culinary adventures, from gourmet dinners to trips to Baja to the Grand Tasting event on the bay behind Seaport Village on Saturday, and the Grand Fiesta event featuring a Best Taco competition and beers, wines and spirits from Baja California on Sunday. You can pick and choose which events you want to attend or buy package tickets for multiple days. I’ll post more info as the year progresses but mark your calendars now to check events and ticket sales around mid-October 2023.

How to Get FREE Tickets to the San Diego Wine and Food Festival 2023! Not Clickbait!!d

Food FestivalsLocal WallyComment

I’m Serious. You can go to the San Diego Wine and Food Festival for FREE. I’m talking about the BEST foodie festival in the entire United States, right here in San Diego in the area behind Seaport Village. The Grand Tasting Event happens on Nov 11, 2023, and features booth after booth of high end food bites and unlimited wine and spirits to sample in one gloriously delicious afternoon. You want to go. You need to go!

How to Get FREE Tickets to the San Diego Wine and Food Festival in 2023

Super easy and super fun, just volunteer to work the event \and you’ll be rewarded with a free ticket to the main event. Stop crying about how you can’t afford to go to the greatest food and wine event of the year and start dreaming about all the fun you’re going to have.

CLICK THIS LINK FOR VOLUNTEER INFO AND FREE TICKETS TO THE SAN DIEGO WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL!

Trust me, you will love this event. This isn’t some crummy street fair where the samples are smaller than a Costco cart and not nearly as delicious, this is gourmet bites from some of San Diego’s best chefs and restaurants served up with wines from Napa and Sonoma and other top wine regions.

Add to that some beautiful San Diego people to go with our beautiful San Diego sunshine, live music and fun vibe, and you get an event you won’t want to miss. No excuses, just click to volunteer and you can thank me later!

SAN DIEGO WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL 2023

THE GRAND TASTING EVENT, NOV 11, 2023

CLICK FOR MORE INFO ON THE EVENT!

How to Get Discount Tickets to the San Diego Wine and Food Fest 2022 - Cheap Tickets!

Food Festivals, eventsLocal WallyComment

San Diego Wine and Food Festival : Discount Tickets?? Yes!!

Discount Tickets to the San Diego Wine and Food Fest!

If you’re reading this then you probably already know that the San Diego Wine + Food Festival is THE food and wine event of the year. No lie, this event will blow your mind and taste buds and you’ll leave with a huge smile on your face like you just did something spectacular, which of course you did. But let’s face it - with inflation taking a bite out of the budget you need a break, and here it is:

GET FOUR TICKETS TO THE SAN DIEGO WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL FOR THE DISCOUNT PRICE OF $550! That’s right, four tickets would normally set you back $600 but for a limited time you can get four tickets for $550, a nice little discount that makes the event even better.

And just in case your friends give you that hesitation look here’s all the info you need to push them over the edge:

  1. The Grand Tasting Event is Nov. 12 and runs from 12 to 3. It’s on the Embarcadero area behind Seaport Village. There you will find a small city of booths handing out gourmet bites, high end wines, spirits and beer. This is not your typical “Taste of ….” event where they cheap out and hand out tiny cups of pasta with marinara sauce. These are delicious gourmet bites worthy of a Top Chef competition. They even use tweezers to place the micro greens just right on your bite, just like on TV!

  2. The event is super fun with live music, sunshine, and plenty of that San Diego vibe that we’ve been missing for the past few years. It simply is the most fun event of the year.

  3. It ALWAYS sells out so don’t wait too long.

San Diego Wine and Food Festival 2022 Line Up: Nov. 9-13, 2022 - Get Tickets Now!

events, Food FestivalsLocal WallyComment

The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival invites you to Arrive at Awesome this November 9-13 with its 18th annual bi-national festival and culinary celebration. The award-winning San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival is one of the country's most talked about events in wine and food and tickets are now available for the five-day celebration. This year the festival will return to pre-pandemic activities including the action-packed Grand Tasting on Saturday, November 12 located at San Diego's Port and stunning Embarcadero, and new events including various wine dinners, interactive expeditions, and a Latin American inspired Grand Fiesta.

"The 18th annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival brings locals and visitors alike to sunny San Diego to experience Southern California's diverse culinary landscape and the flavors inspired by San Diego's multinational influences," says Festival Co-Producer, Michelle Metter. "Surrounded by beach towns, laid-back coastal cities, and bustling urban centers, the festival takes attendees across the city to experience San Diego's cultural diversity, buzzing culinary scene, and signature flavor: Awesome."

Anchored in San Diego, California, the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival welcomes over 11,000 attendees and highlights over 60 nationally recognized and locally celebrated chefs, legendary winemakers, guest mixologists, award-winning authors, distillers, sommeliers, brewmasters, artisans and taste makers, and more. Additionally, the festival includes hundreds of domestic and international wine, beer, and spirit producers to taste from throughout the festival's multi-day experience. The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival also features an immersive cross border experience to Valle de Guadalupe, producing the only bi-national food and wine festival in the country.

As the 2019 winner of USA Today 10 Best Readers' Choice travel award contest for Best General Food Festival in North America, this festival is one of the country's most anticipated events in wine and food. Attendees can expect to experience memorable wine dinners, immersive expeditions, a walk around wine tasting at the Grand Decant, and taste extraordinary dishes made by worldwide chefs and unique wine, beer, and spirit tastings at the famous Grand Tasting.

The two newest additions to the festival this year are the Grand Fiesta, highlighting Latin inspired cuisine, wine, beer, and spirits along with the signature Taco TKO competition. and the Grand Decadent LUX experience.

Taking place on the final day of the festival, the Grand Fiesta features live performances, immersive brand experiences including a spirits of Mexico pavilion, unique wine and spirit samplings, and crafted culinary stations curated by award- winning chefs from San Diego, Baja and beyond.

The Grand Decant LUX experience is an exclusive and VIP tasting that will only be open to 50 ticket holders, allowing you to experience highly sought after cult wines and rare vintages. This VIP experience will include music, private chefs, exclusive lounge seating, caviar, dessert, and a fortified wine station.

To purchase tickets and preview the schedule of events and featured celebrities, visit the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival at https://www.sandiegowineclassic.com/tickets.

SAN DIEGO BAY WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL®

Travel to San Diego and Arrive at Awesome®. The 18th Annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival® is an international showcase of the world's premier wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities, and gourmet foods. Held November 9-13, 2022, the award-winning festival raises funds for culinary, oenology and hospitality scholarships and grants, and has awarded over $595,000 to individuals or nonprofits through previous events. For more information visit www.sandiegowineclassic.com. This festival is produced by World of Wine Events and Fast Forward Events & PR.

Media Contact:

Kristen Slizgi kristen.slizgi@fastforwardevents.com

Is the San Diego Wine and Food Festival 2022 Worth It?

Food Festivals, eventsLocal WallyComment

The San Diego Wine + Food Festival, aka San Diego Wine Classic , is an annual multi-day event held every November. This year it takes place November 9th-13th, 2022, with the Grand Tasting Event on November 12th. Let me cut to the chase - The Grand Tasting is the key event, the giant wine and food festival held on the giant grassy area behind Seaport Village sometimes called The Embarcadero. If you googlemap Malibu Farms (previously The Harbor House restaurant) you will be at the right place.

The Grand Tasting event features hundreds of booths (OK, I never counted them, but a lot!) all handing out samples of gourmet bites, glasses of wine, or sips of spirits. It lasts from noon until 3, though you can get in an hour early if you want to beat the crowds, and there’s an extra cost VIP tent that kicks it all up a notch.

For serious foodies there are events in the week prior to the Grand Tasting but when people talk about the San Diego Wine and Food Fest they usually mean this event.

Is The San Diego Wine + Food Fest Worth It?

The standard 4 hour ticket is $150. The early entry ticket is $200. The VIP ticket is $300. And a special four-pack of standard tickets is discounted to $550. The event always sells out. Look, that’s a lot of money, right, and my job isn’t to convince you to part with your cash but $150 doesn’t seem nearly as outrageous as it once did. I mean, I just went to to the movies and spent $26 for a ticket, $20 for a lousy glass of wine, and $17 for a chicken sandwich. Oh yeah, and the popcorn was another $10. So after tip I spent $90 to see Tom Cruise fly a jet while smiling. OK, this was at Cineopolis but that’s the movie theater near my house so don’t judge.

To compare, I could have gone to the San Diego Wine + Food Fest and done this:

Let’s compare again - Top Gun was about $90 for two hours of mind numbing distraction and average food. If my math is correct that’s $45 an hour. The San Diego Wine + Food Festival is $150 for three hours of non-stop foodie adventure with unlimited bites and sips from dozens and dozens of booths, hanging out in the San Diego sunshine surrounded by tons of fun people, dancing to the live music (too much wine, OK), and having one of those “best times of my life” experiences. More math - that’s $50 an hour. Compared with $45 for a movie that’s going to be on HBO by next month??? Is this even a debate?

So I guess I’m saying, YES, it’s worth it and YES, you should get tickets and go. I’ve gone every year for over 10 years in a row and it’s become one of my favorite things to do in San Diego. Oh sure, there are other “food fests” though out the year but none come close to the San Diego Food and Wine Festival. You have to trust me on this, get tickets and you won’t regret it. This is the ultimate San Diego experience.