Local Wally's Guide to San Diego

Local Wally's Guide to San Diego

Is BestaWan Pizza still the Best One? Cardiff's Iconic Surfside Pizza Joint Gets New Owners 2023

Local WallyComment

The Besta-Wan Pizza House in Cardiff, CA (North San Diego)

at a glance

Besta-Wan Pizza House, 148 Aberdeen Drive, Cardiff, CA | 760-753-6707

Funky, beachy pizza joint just a few blocks from the ocean. Expect a local vibe and a laid back surf scene.

TRIVIA: What’s that name mean? Imagine The Godfather asking you to bring him a pizza and you ask “which one?” and he says, and you need to say this in your best Godfather accent, “the besta one”. At least that’s my theory and it could be wrong but how could it be?

I moved to North County 25 years ago and while people like to say that it’s not the same as it used to be it’s frankly not that much different. Oh sure, there are fewer greenhouses and plenty more tract houses, and yeah, traffic is bad but the ocean still looks the same to me and that salty air and June Gloom hasn’t changed so this is where I’ll always call home.

But a few months ago something did change, something that was catastrophic if you read Nextdoor. Besta-Wan Pizza House, our local pizza joint known for the Kraut-za pizza, had changed owners… and the menu.

The Original Besta-Wan menu from 1965.

What’s a Kraut-za pizza? The Kraut-za is what they were famous for, a pizza with a thin layer of sauerkraut that was covered with spicy sausage and tons of gooey mozzarella cheese and topped with pepperoni. Stop making that face - you like a sausage and pepperoni pizza, right? The sauerkraut just addss a nice tang in an undercurrent sort of way. If you watch Food TV they call this "layers of flavor”. It was one of those things that made people go “uggh” until they took their first reluctant bite and then, yeah, they were convinced that every pizza joint should make this pizza. Except no one else did and that’s what kept so many of us locals coming back again and again. It was our special pizza that only locals knew about.

And then it was gone. Or was it?

Not a Kraut-za, but basically a Kraut-za

So yes, Kraut-za is no longer on the menu but Megan (everyone’s favorite waitress there) showed me a hack for how you can still get what is basically a Kraut-za - you simply order a cheese pizza and add sauerkraut, spicy sausage and pepperoni to it and there you have it, a Kraut-za pizza.

But was it as good as the real thing?

Here are a couple of photos of the Kraut-za Pizza take over the years:

2016

The Original Kraut-za from a photo I took in 2016

2018

Half Kraut-Za and half veggie (I know, this combination cancels each other out, right?) - this was a good one!

My Professional opinion of besta-wan’s quasi-Kraut-za pizza

The one thing about the old Besta-Wan is that it was never consistent. Sometimes the sausage was so spicy that I would break out in a sweat. Sometimes there wasn’t enough cheese. Sometimes the pizza crust was thick, sometimes thin, sometimes awesome, sometimes like dry cardboard. But when you got a good one, and that happened often, damn that pizza was hard to beat. Wait, you could not beat it is what I meant.

The new version of Kraut-za was very, very good. As good as the best one I’ve ever had there? No, but so close that everyone on Nextdoor needs to stop complaining and just go get this pizza and forget that things have changed because dammit that’s what happens sometimes and we need to embrace it when things are good and this pizza was damn good. I for one am glad that you can still get a Kraut-za and perhaps it’s even cooler that you need to be a local to know about it. And now you know too.

Dog friendly patio and this is my dog Birdy who is 6 months old and looks a bit worried that the pizza would not make the grade. She was very happy with some crust scraps.

Megan the waitress is so awesome and another big reason to go to Besta-Wan.

Pro Tip: People on Nextdoor have been complaining that the prices are higher than before and yeah, the medium pizza looked a lot like what I think we used to call the small but for a few bucks more you can get the large and it’s large all right - bring home the leftovers and just be happy about it.

Advance Info on 20th ANNIVERSARY SAN DIEGO WINE + FOOD FESTIVAL 2024 aka SD Bayfest

eventsLocal Wally1 Comment

Every year around mid November is the San Diego Wine and Food Festival, a week long celebration of gourmet food and wine adventures with THE GRAND TASTING on Saturday as the main event. The Grand Tasting is booths and booths of food and wine, all yours for the taking. Every year has been incredible and 2023 really knocked it out of the park but I anticipate that THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY of the SD Wine and Food Fest will be the BEST ever and you won’t want to wait to get tickets as it will guaranteed sell out.

HERE’S THE LATEST INFO ON THE SD WINE AND FOOD FEST 20TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2024

DATE: To be determined but I would bet The Grand Tasting will be on Saturday, Nov 9th, 2024. This makes the Grand Fiesta, aka Taco TKO, on Sunday, Nov 10th, with the various food and restaurant experiences the week before.

PRICING: Basic tickets were $250 last year but I suspect the pricing will increase in 2024, especially since their main competition, the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival, has tickets in the $400 range. If you can swing it the VIP experience is the way to go. You get in an hour earlier plus you gain entrance to additional food bites, the higher end stuff like caviar and oysters and for the VIPs. You want to do this if you can.

As more info is available I’ll update this. Of course you can always click the info button to be magically transported to the official website. Ahh, the internet is so cool.

Where are all the oysters??? Well, I helped empty a few. Don’t worry, plenty more coming!

WANT A REVIEW OF THE 2023 SAN DIEGO WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL TO SEE IF IT’S WORTH IT? Click here to read my review and check out the photos!

Holiday Event With The San Diego Symphony Orchestra: El Milagro del Recuerdo, Dec 3, 2023

Local WallyComment

The beauty of opera blends with mariachi to tell this heartwarming pastorela story with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra.

El Milagro del Recuerdo (The Miracle of Remembering) is a heartwarming holiday mariachi opera full of family traditions, love, and dreams of a better tomorrow. Sung in Spanish (with English and Spanish text projected above the stage) this new mariachi opera, a prequel to 2013’s Cruzar la Cara de la Luna, lovingly explores family traditions in the face of life-changing decisions and dreams of something more.

In a small town in Michoacán, Mexico, two women, Renata and Lupita, are raising their families while their husbands, Laurentino and Chucho, work as braceros in the United States. Laurentino manages to come home for Christmas, but his return enflames an ongoing argument with Renata about his long work trips. Will Laurentino’s urge to support his family overshadow Renata’s desire to keep her family together in a rapidly changing world?

This new mariachi opera, a prequel to 2013’s Cruzar la Cara de la Luna, lovingly explores family traditions in the face of life-changing decisions and dreams of something more.

Sung in Spanish, this opera marks the welcome return of mezzo-soprano Claudia Chapa, who made her Company debut as La Badessa/Zita in 2022’s The Puccini Duo, as Josefina. She is joined by mezzo-soprano Sishel Claverie as Renata and baritone Héctor Vásquez, who made his Company debut as Capitán in 2018’s Florencia en el Amazonas, as Aba. Stage Director Leonard Foglia (Cruzar la Cara de la Luna, El pasado nunca se termina, and Moby-Dick), returns to stage his libretto with James Lowe conducting.

To make things even more festive, there will be a variety of family-friendly activities -- pre and post-performance -- in the plaza, including a live muralist, music, holiday decorations and possibly even an appearance from Santa. Additionally, there will be delectable holiday-themed food items like Tamales, Mexican Sweet Treats, Mexican Hot Chocolate, a speciality cocktail and more. 

El Milagro del Recuerdo (The Miracle of Remembering) - HOLIDAY OPERA

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!

Where to Find the BEST Fresh Fish in San Diego - Haworth Fish is IT! SAN DIEGO LOBSTERFEST INFO!

Local WallyComment

Haworth Fish is where the locals go when they want the BEST fresh fish

Living in San Diego has its perks. Not only do we get plenty of SoCal sunshine and cool ocean breezes but every Saturday we can buy the freshest sushi grade fish right from the docks. You can even see the fishermen filleting the fish in the boats below, you just can’t get any fresher than that.

HAWORTH FISH AT A GLANCE:

PLACE: TUNA HARBOR DOCKSIDE MARKET: Every Saturday the public can go to the docks located near Seaport Village (set your GPS to this location) where there are multiple fish vendors selling what they caught. This is where Haworth Fish sets up their booth - you can count on them being there every Saturday from 8 am until 1 pm, or until sold out.

You might also find them at Driscoll’s Wharf, 4904 N Harbor Drive, on Fridays from 10 am until 4 pm. This is near the Pizza Nova in Pt. Loma. They are NOT always there so always check their website.

HAWORTH FISH WILL DELIVER TOO! You can visit their website early in the week to see what is coming in and order it to be delivered for a nominal $10 fee, waived if you order $100 worth of fish.

Haworth Fish in San Diego

What Fish does Haworth fish offer?

You never really know what they will bring in but you can usually count on tuna, yellowtail, albacore, and often opah, the round moonfish that’s usually associated with Hawaii. Whatever they have you know it’s super fresh, sushi grade, and though you should never buy seafood based solely on price the prices at the docks are way lower than at a standard fish market or a Whole Foods - and way fresher!

Pieces are cut into consumer friendly sizes but be ready with a sharp knife when you get home so you can remove the skin and any perhaps the “bloodline” - but that’s super easy, even for someone who has never done it.

Tell Me More about the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market

There’s more than great tuna at the market. The Tuna Harbor Dockside Market also has booths with prepared fresh fish (great fish tacos, fish and chips, ceviche, and tons more!) and it’s just super fun to walk up and down the dock seeing what’s available, from fish so fresh it’s still alive to lobsters when in season. Come as early as you can if you want the best selection and bring a cooler - there’s plenty of free ice so no need to pack your own. And check this out, if you buy a whole fish (impulse buy, I’ve done it!) you can have them “process” it right there for a maximum charge of $13. That’s pretty great!

is the fish sustainably caught?

One of the key focuses of the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market is to provide the public and chefs with sustainably caught seafood. I’m no expert but I do appreciate that the fishermen here pride themselves on being responsible in their catch and reducing by-catch. You can visit their website to see how the fish are caught here.

Haworth Fishing uses Rod and Reel, Harpoon, Longline, Trap Fishing & Deep Set Buoy Gear, all sustainable methods.

Why Haworth Fishing?

I really like supporting a family run business like Haworth Fishing. Art, David, and Nick Haworth are 3 generations of tuna fisherman based out of San Diego, California. The Haworth family started fishing tuna in 1955 and continue to fish today with a fleet of 6 commercial boats. The fleet consists of the Pacific Horizon, Gutsy Lady, Sea Haven, Kaylee H, Elizabeth H, and Tiffany H. Just super nice people who care about the fish and their customers.

Is Haworth Fishing and the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market the Best Place to buy fresh fish?

If the freshest fish is what you are after then Haworth Fishing at the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market is the place. Oh sure, there are other places to buy fish in San Diego - notably Pt. Loma Seafood, The Fish Market restaurant, Blue Water Seafood. And sure, Whole Foods, Lazy Acres, even Costco has “fresh” fish (or is it “freshly thawed”??). But why go there when you can go straight to the docks where the fish come in, where you can actually look down at the boats and see the fish? This is the same fish you will find in the fancy, expensive San Diego restaurants so skip the middleman and go straight to the docks.

Lobsterfest Oct 8th, 2023,

Lobsterfest is Coming! Oct 8, 2023

Come join the celebration of lobster season opening at the 4th annual Lobsterfest on Sunday, October 8th! Starting at 8am, the beloved fishing families will be selling whole lobsters while chef @marcus_twilegar is serving up delicious lobster dishes! Last year they sold out in less than 3 hours, so be sure to come early to catch the action! The event is FREE but be sure to join our guest list - CLICK HERE for all of the official info.

San Diego Wine + Food Fest 2023: Grande Fiesta Taco TKO, Nov 12th, 2023 - Info and Tickets

Local WallyComment

Sam the Cooking guy cooking up tacos at the San Diego Wine and Food Fest TKO

Explore some of Southern California and Mexico’s best wines, spirits, and cuisine at the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival finale, Grand Fiesta. Celebrating the cross-border culinary influence of Latin America on Southern California, Grand Fiesta showcases the vibrant culture of Mexico through cuisine, wine, beer, spirits, art, live music, and more. 

Dance your way through expertly crafted culinary stations curated by chefs from throughout San Diego, Southern California, Baja and beyond.

The event is held on Nov 12, 2023, in the large grassy park called Liberty Station Ingram Plaza, 2751 Dewey Rd
San Diego, CA 92106. Expect tons and tons of tacos, all you can eat, along with glasses of wine and beer, all you can sip, and plenty of sunshine, music and good vibes all around.

Duck Birria Tacos at the Grand Fiesta, San Diego Wine and Food Festival

TACO TKO

The mouthwatering battle for the title of San Diego’s Most Awesome Taco is on! Your challenge, should you choose to accept it: Put your tastebuds to the test and cast your vote to determine which taco will take home top honors in our annual Taco TKO competition. 

ATTIRE: Casual

IMPORTANT INFO:

Ticket is all inclusive. All food and beverage tastings are included in ticket price.

Must be 21+ to attend.

San Diego Wine + Food Fest 2023: Sonoma Wineries Will Be There and So Should You!

Local WallyComment

Get ready to experience Sonoma County, one of the world's premier winegrowing regions, at the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival!  The Grand Tasting Event will be held on Nov 11th, 2023 - this is the huge tasting event on the large grassy area behind Seaport Village with rows and rows of pop up eateries and wine samples, unlimited food and wine and sunshine!

Sonoma County is known for its commitment to sustainably farmed grapes, multi-generational family farmers, and for producing word-class wines. With over 100 varietals, 19 distinct growing regions, over 1,800 grape growers and more than 425 wineries in Sonoma County, there's never been a better time to explore and taste. 

Sonoma County Winegrowers is bringing your favorite wineries and wines to the Grand Tasting. Come visit the Sonoma County Winegrowers tent, taste incredible wines, meet the winemakers, and experience the region while enjoying the beautiful views of San Diego Bay. 

San Diego Wine and Food Festival 2023: Everything You Need to Know, Discount Tickets, List of Events

Local WallyComment

San Diego Wine and Food Fest, aka SD Bayfest, is back for 2023

San Diego bay food and wine festival: nov. 8th - 12th, 2023 - Everything you need to know before you go!

AT A GLANCE: A week long wine and food exposition featuring dinners and events during the week and culminating with The Grand Tasting event held at the Embacadero Marina Park North, the grassy area behind Seaport Village that overlooks the San Diego Bay.

The Grand Tasting event offers rows and rows of pop up booths handing out gourmet bites, wine, beer and spirits. It’s a true San Diego celebration! The next day is The Grand Fiesta, aka Taco TKO competition, which is a separate event held on Sunday at the Liberty Station Ingram Plaza that features dozens of taco professionals battling it out to decide who makes the best taco in San Diego - and you get to try them all!

Celeb Chef Brian Malarkey is in the house!

I’M CONFUSED - the san diego wine and food fest 2023 IS A WEEK LONG EVENT?

I know, it’s confusing but basically most people focus on The Grand Tasting event. People come to this year after year and it’s super fun to grab some friends and all go together. If you’ve never been to the San Diego Wine and Food Festival then just go to this event.

During the week are various dinners and wine tasting events for those with more time (and more budget) and you can expect some incredible experiences, such as chef driven dinners or blind tasting events.

The Grand Tasting is the fireworks grand finale… but as they say, wait, there’s more! A bit under the radar is Grand Fiesta which is arguably one of the very best food events in San Diego. Look, we love tacos, right? So what’s not to love love love about an event where you can sample literally dozens of tacos along with wines from Mexico and beer and spirits in a leisurely and casual setting? It’s a bit like the afterglow of the big event and an exceptional way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

let’s get back to the grand tasting event - what’s the vibe, what’s the dress code, what to expect

The San Diego Wine and Food Festival’s Grand Tasting event isn’t your average street fair sort of thing. The food is gourmet, the wines impressive, and the setting right on San Diego Bay is breathtaking. We are so lucky to live here, right?

The dress code is pretty flexible. The young and trendy come dressed to impress but you’ll find plenty of jeans and casual wear. It’s San Diego attire so come as you are, perhaps bump it up a notch, but don’t worry, it’s not stuffy or snooty or the slightest pretentious. The age demographic is also pretty wide with every age group represented, so whether you are 20-something or retired if you like food, if you like wine, if you love a good San Diego event, this is for you.

Dress nice, but don’t worry about dressing up.

discount tickets to the san diego wine and food Fest 2023 - how about free tickets?

Purchase tickets early and take advantage of the various packages they offer, such as the Grand Tasting 4-pack which is basically 4 tickets for the price of 3 - a really good deal. Here’s the link for all of the ticket offers.

FREE TICKETS? Well, not really free per se, but if you volunteer to work the event they pay you back by allowing you to attend the various events. Here’s all the info you need on how to score free tickets just by volunteering.

SAN DIEGO WINE AND FOOD FEST VIP TICKETS - WORTH IT?

There’s enough to keep you busy in the main section of the event but if you can swing it the VIP section gets you into a sectioned off area with live music, better bites, and elevated tastings. It also gets you into the event early so yes, it’s definitely worth it!

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.