Food Events
There are so many foods and dining choices in San Diego that every day can be a food event if you want. A series of upscale destination restaurants, cafes, bars, breweries, and casual, historic hangouts often define more than 100 neighborhoods throughout the region. With a little effort, you can find every type of cuisine in the world in San Diego. Special events centered around San Diego’s food culture take those desires to another level.
One of the best places to start a foodie journey is during San Diego Restaurant Week. Hosted by the California Restaurant Association, over eight days, more than 150 restaurants in 30+ neighborhoods across the region open their doors to draw in new diners.
Diverse and special menus are the norm offering guests special prix-fixe pricing with two-course lunches for $10, $15, $20, and $25 and three-course dinners for $20, $30, $40, and $50, depending on the restaurant’s price points. Tickets are not necessary for this delectable week of discounted dining, but reservations are recommended.
It’s the perfect way to find new gems in every part of the area. This experience is so popular that it has grown to two restaurant weeks in September and January.
The San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival is a weeklong celebration set against the backdrop of sailboats and sandy beaches in November. It attracts thousands of people to dozens of events, hundreds of domestic and international wineries, the celebration of craft beer and spirits, local culinary legends and nationally recognized celebrities, and a Grand Tasting Finale on the Embarcadero Marina Park North.
Foodies get mobile at the Food Trucks Festivals. Roaming restaurants on wheels go big in a series of gatherings to celebrate San Diego’s popular food truck culture. Forget what you may think about food trucks from the past. You’ll find some of the best street cuisines with ethnic delicacies ranging from Mexican, Asian, and Italian, to classic American finger food and unusual offerings you won’t find anywhere else.
Go to the San Diego Brew Fest at Liberty Station NTC Park for a casual celebration highlighting San Diego’s immensely popular craft brew culture. The event has unlimited beer tastings of dozens of local and international craft beers, San Diego's most popular food trucks, music, and many good times. It’s limited to 21 and over, and no pets are allowed.
Other notable food fests worth checking out are the Julian Grape Stop Festa, the Amps & Ales, the San Diego Zoo Food, Wine and Brew Celebration, Taste of Gaslamp, the La Jolla Art & Wine Festival, Taste of North Park, the Blended Festival, and A Taste of Coronado. Other the smaller side, check out Farmer’s Markets taking place seven days a week throughout the region. You won’t find fresher produce and unique food offerings like you will at these farm-to-table gatherings.
These just scratch the surface, though. With a bit of keyword digging, you can eat to your heart’s at food-themed gatherings most days of the year.
