This year marks the fourth annual BUBBLYFEST By The Sea returning on Oct. 5-8 to the Avila Beach Golf Resort in the coastal community of Avila Beach.
The marquee celebration is one of California’s most popular wine events for both winemakers and fans of the bubbly. The 2017 festival will feature wines of Alsace, J Vineyards, Gloria Ferrar, Voveti and 60 other top sparkling wine and champagne producers from around the world together in one place to mingle with “lovers of the bubbly.”
Montage Laguna Beach, the luxurious five star, five diamond oceanfront Laguna Beach resort, will host the 10th annual Laguna Beach Taste of the Nation For No Kid Hungry event on May 21, 2017.
Eclipse Chocolate founder founder and chocolatier Will Gustwiller of San Diego will appear as a contestant on the competitive Food Network television program Guy’s Grocery Games in a special “Guy’s Chocolate Games” episode airing February 12 at 8/7c. The owner of the South Park chocolate shop and bistro filmed the episode in Santa Rosa in November 2016, but has remained silent about show details and outcomes.
Episode details displayed on Food Network’s website reveal that four contestants will use chocolate to create a variety of sweet and savory dishes. Episode challenges include transforming a German chocolate cake into a lunch, making a chocolate dessert with a budget determined by an arcade game and, in the final game of the episode, two chefs will use surprise ingredients to make a romantic chocolate dinner. Contestants have the chance to win up to $20,000.
The new Crudo restaurant in Carmel Valley boasts Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with an Asian touch that features locally-sourced, gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian menu items. Renowned chef and owner Pascal Lorange takes pride in offering diners unique, yet simple presentations that you won’t find anywhere else in San Diego.
Belgian-born Lorange is a world renowned chef who has cooked in Michelin-star kitchens and been in the restaurant industry for more than 25 years. As a child, he would accompany his family on weekly trips to the market to help his parents prepare his favorite dish, “pave de cabillaud” (cod steak). From the age of six, Lorange wanted to continue in the family tradition of four generations of chefs, including his grandfather, uncle, brother and nephew.
The holidays are here, which means the season of spending has also arrived. Make your wallet happy by spending less before the time of giving with these San Diego restaurants and bars that offer happy hour entrees and drinks, all under $10!
Indulge in “farm-to-fork” munchies made with organic ingredients and drinks to pair at Farmer’s Bottega, every day between 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Tuesday all night at the bar. The Organic Grape Tomato Bruschetta and the Heirloom Tomato Flatbread are perfect starters for the evening and should be enjoyed with a glass of the House Red Wine, a Fresh Puree Bellini in either Strawberry or Blackberry, or a Kombucha cocktail as a Mojito, Margarita, or Mule.
In 2008, friends and partners Arturo Kassel and Chef Ryan Johnston established this little neighborhood eatery on the map in La Jolla. The concept was perfect for La Jolla: quaint, cute, modern, and comfortable—you name it! The food is simple, humble, and straightforward with some esoteric choices thrown in. This approach has won acclaim in a number of national and local publications, adding to their positive reputation throughout the culinary community. From flatbread to burgers to charred bone marrow or fried sweetbreads, this made-from-scratch food is fresh, local, and seasonal. One of my favorite starters is the Cutting Board, an assortment of house-cured meats, artisan cheeses, mustards, spreads, and pickles. Another very popular dinner item is the fork-tender braised beef cheek with balsamic cipollini onions, potato puree, and pecorino. Additional locations now include shorter-order items and take-out at the PrepKitchen in La Jolla, Del Mar, and Little Italy. Whisknladle, 1044 Wall St., La Jolla, CA 92039; (858) 551-7575; whisknladle.com; American; $$.