FOOD EVENTS THIS WEEK

You’re hungry. Your social calendar requires mawing. Enjoy.

by Troy Johnson

Posted Tuesday, October 30, 2012, 03:42PM

One of three former animals required for the almighty Turducken.

TONIGHT: 30^th on 30th @ North Park

While Hillcrest was bilking its tenants on rent and Downtown was shiny-shirting its way to yet another overpriced steakhouse, North Park became ground zero of San Diego’s food revolution. Though more saturated than a piece of tres leches these days, it’s still the place for discerning grubby locals. And 30^th on 30^th is a stroll down its bistro’d aorta—30^th Street (which also hits South Park and Normal Heights)—for one night of mouth-trawling at a heavy discount. Pretty much every restaurant worth its salt offers up a deal. Some highlights of tonight’s event (starting about 5 or 6PM).

Alchemy: $1 oysters all night.

The Linkery: $3 pulled pork sliders

Splash: Fourth Annual Halloween Chile and Cinnamon Roll Feast. Chile, sweetbuns and glass of wine for $5 (yeah, total).

Urban Solace: Pumpkin curry for $3.

URBN North Park: New cocktail: Red Eye (Bulleit Bourbon, Luxardo Maraschino, lemon) for $5. New appetizer: Italian Bean Dip (roasted red pepper, garlic, lemon, parsley, Thai chili, EVOO) for $3.

Everywhere: Hipsters in costumes that require longwinded explanations of text and subtext!

Click here for the full lineup.

NOV. 3: Sushi School @ Café Japengo.

Got a bamboo sushi mat for a wedding gift from that friend who’s always said you’d be so much better if you were cultured? Currently using it as a blind for a very small window? Café Japengo sushi chef Jerry Warner will teach you how to bilk it for all its wedding-giftiness. He’s doing a two-hour tutorial on the essentials of sushi: how to get the perfect, vinegary sumeshi (sushi rice) without getting it stuck in your hair; how to know if a cut of fish is sushi-worthy; a schooling on types of sushi fish; making traditional and hand-rolls; and the best local spots to buy sushi essentials. Everyone will get to taste their own creations (for better or worse), and two sake tastings. You don’t need to bring a thing. In fact, everyone gets their own maki board (bamboo sushi mat) to take home. Space limited; call for reservations. 8960 University Center Lane, 858.450.3355, cafejapengo.com.

NOV. 3 & 4: Turducken Festival @ Iowa Meat Farms and Siesel’s Meats.

Turducken is a ridiculous creation meant to satiate carnivores with acute attention deficit issues. It’s also delicious. And no one does meat better than Iowa Meat Farms/Siesel's. Theirs is a semi-boneless turkey stuffed with sage dressing, wrapped around a boneless duck with apple-cinnamon dressing, wrapped around a chicken stuffed with Cajun cornbread. It’s the Voltron of holiday proteins. On Saturday they kick off their 8^th annual, two-day Turducken Festival—whether their top-notch butchers create loads of these bird-within-a-bird-within-a-bird specials (they sell 500-plus every year). This year they’re introducing the Mini-Turducken, so that you can eat it and still fit into your Mini Cooper. At the festival you learn how to entertain for the holidays (tip: spike the eggnog) and how to handle turkey, how to make the Siesel turducken gravy. Oh, and samples of this mythical bird-beast. Festival takes place at both Iowa Meat Farms (6041 Mission Gorge Rd.) and Siesel’s Meats (4131 Ashton St.). http://iowameatfarms.com