The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival will return on Monday with seven days of events in both San Diego and Baja California as part of this year’s celebration of Mexican culture, heritage, cuisine and winemaking.
The highlights of this year’s 19th annual festival will be a guided, all-day culinary tour of Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe on Wednesday, and the Grand Tasting food festival on Nov. 11 in Embarcadero Park.
Grand Restaurant Group hosts a booth at the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival’s Grand Tasting event.
(Courtesy of James Tran)
As part of this year’s events, Mexican beer, wine, spirits and food will be in the spotlight all week long. Wines from the Valle de Guadalupe will be featured at the Grand Decant wine tasting on Nov. 10; there will be a dedicated Baja Pavilion at the Grand Tasting on Nov. 11; and there will be a Grand Fiesta celebrating Baja culture and cuisine on Nov. 12.
“California’s ongoing culinary dialogue with Mexico is something our team has always been excited about, and becomes more and more potent every year,” says Michelle Metter, the festival’s co-producer and co-founder of Fast Forward Events, in a statement. “It is our goal to foster a deeper connection, understanding, and sense of celebration with our neighbors to the south, and we’re so happy to be working with the Consulate General of Mexico to cultivate these relationships.”
Dishes are prepared at the Grand Tasting of the San Diego Wine & Food Festival.
(Courtesy of Bradley Schweit)
This year’s festival will feature more than 70 chefs, farmers and fishermen; hundreds of wineries; and more than 20 events that includes gourmet dinners at local restaurants, wine events, culinary tours, a blind tasting master class, a craft beverage celebration, parties and a class on the history of tequila and mezcal in Mexico. Here are some of the highlights.
A wine tasting for the San Diego Wine & Food Festival.
(Courtesy of San Diegio Bay Wine & Food Festival)
Grand Decant: Wines from throughout California, Baja, Europe, Australia and New Zealand will be sampled with gourmet bites and caviar. 6-9 p.m. Nov. 10. Julep, 1735 Hancock St. $85.
Grand Tasting: More than 200 booths will be set up at this outdoor event offering unlimited food and beverage tastings. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 11. Embarcadero Marina Park North, 400 Kettner Blvd. $200.
Grand Fiesta: Presented by the Consulate General of Mexico, this festival finale will celebrate the cross-border influence of Mexico through cuisine, wine, beer, spirits, art, live music and more. Noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 12. Liberty Station, Ingram Plaza, 2751 Dewey Road, San Diego. $95.
Weekend traffic and visitors to Little Italy fill India Street.
(Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune)
Baja Culinary Expedition: This round-trip excursion (passport required) will offer a guided tour to the sights, sips and flavors of the Valle de Guadalupe. 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday. $550. Buses leave from Moniker General, 2860 Sims Road, San Diego.
Love Thy Neighbor(hood) Expedition: Little Italy: This guided walking tour will visit the district’s restaurants, rooftop bars and breweries as well as landmarks that celebrate its rich history. 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday. $220. Meet at 600 Date St., San Diego.
Thanks to financial contributions from the city of San Diego, a 30-foot-tall Convoy sign will be installed later this year on the median at Opportunity Road and Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa.
(Courtesy, Bennett Peji Design)
Love Thy Neighbor(hood) Expedition: Convoy District: This docent-led bus tour will take visitors to four restaurants in this newly designated Pan-Asian cuisine district: Jasmine Seafood, Cross Street Chicken & Beer, Mekong Cuisine and Crab Hut. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday . $220. Meet at 4609 Convoy St., San Diego.
Chef’s dinners: Several local restaurants are hosting prix-fixe dinners with beverage pairings on Tuesday through Nov. 10. Prices range from $160 to $370. Partiicpants include Kingfisher, Huntress, Coasterra, Hudson & Nash, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse and, Ranch 45.
Tickets can be purchased individually or in combinations at sandiegowineclassic.com.
Santa Gula has opened in the Gaslamp Quarter.
(Courtesy of Gaslamp Quarter.)
Santa Gula opens in Gaslamp
Santa Gula, a new culinary and entertainment destination owned by Karina’s Group, opened Thursday at 554 Fourth Ave., San Diego. The 80-seat restaurant and bar, situated in a 1911 brick building, will offer a shareable plates menu, cocktails and nightly live jazz and other music, as well as DJs. Santa Gula is open from 5 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays. Visit karinasgroup.com
Sublime replaces Mak Mak
Last spring, restaurateur James Limjoco opened the Asian street food concept Mak Mak Organic in downtown Oceanside, but it didn’t prove a good fit for the heavily-touristed area. After a short revamp last month, Limjoco has reopened the space at 121 N. Cleveland St. as Sublime TapHouse. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Limjoco ran Sublime Ale House outlets in North County for more than a decade before deciding to test out the Mak Mak concept. Sublime was famous for Limjoco’s gourmet mac ‘n’ cheese, pizza and extensive list of local beers on tap. Visit instagram.com/sublimetaphouse.
pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com
