Food, Glorious Food

Whether you are visiting or living in San Diego, all foodies and oenophiles alike should mark their calendars as two outstanding annual culinary events will tantalize the taste buds this fall.

Celebrate the Craft in La Jolla

In North County, The Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla hosts Celebrate the Craft, a farm-to-table culinary event on Sunday, November 1st.  Now in its seventh year, Celebrate the Craft spotlights fresh regional ingredients, exceptional wines and innovative cooking techniques. Culinary artisans and gourmet producers also gather on property for guests to sample and discover new products. Many of San Diego’s finest chef’s will demonstrate their talents, as attendees savor the incredible bounty of flavors—tickets for this picnic are $65.

Set back on the bluffs of La Jolla overlooking the famed golf course, The Lodge at Torrey Pines is a luxe craftsman hotel modeled after Greene & Greene’s famed Gamble and Blacker houses in Pasadena, California, exquisite examples of early 1900s Craftsman-style architecture.  The hotel displays incredible attention to detail with its Stickley-styled furniture and William Morris designs.  Their fine dining restaurant A.R. Valentien is one of San Diego’s finest. Book a room or buy picnic tickets here.

San Diego Bay food & Wine Festival

Heading downtown, The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival runs November 18-22.  This massive culinary celebration features wine dinners, cooking classes by celebrity and local chefs, along with auctions and soirees. Many of San Diego’s  favorite restaurants also present wine-pairing dinners during the festival.  Macy’s School of Cooking and at the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center offer intimate cooking and wine classes featuring the likes of Paul Bartolotta and Allessandro Stratta, James Beard Foundation award-winning chefs from Wynn Las Vegas, who will each host their own class exploring the cuisines (seafood and Italian) of their renowned restaurants in Las Vegas. These 90-minutes classes are $75 with limited seating.  The four-day festival culminates with The Grand Event at Embarcadero Park North where 170 wineries and spirit producers along with 60 of San Diego’s top chefs invite you to sample their finest.  Enjoy an afternoon by the water, nibbling on gourmet edibles and sipping elixirs from the vine.  Packages are available.  For tickets you can also call 619-342-7337.