Wine Vault & Bistro
Wine Vault & Bistro
10-Course Flavors of Christmas Menu
WHERE: Wine Vault & Bistro, 3731-A India St., San Diego
WHEN: Dec. 21 & 22
COST: $45
MORE INFO: www.winevaultbistro.com
I have no idea how owner Chris Gluck does it. I once proposed to a well-known chef that maybe he buys truckloads of frozen food. The chef said nope, he just knows how to run a restaurant. Regardless, WV&B remains the greatest “deal” in San Diego gourmet food. The menu from Gregory Chavez (ex-Lodge at Torrey Pines, Leroy’s) for the two-night “10-Course Flavors of Christmas” will include fresh Dungeness crab with Banyuls reduction, cedar-smoked salmon, honey-glazed Temecula ham, pomegranate-glazed duck breast, roasted lamb, hazelnut butter cake, etc. He’ll also be pouring three wines and housemade eggnog, all for forty-five dollars. No more. That’s it. The restaurant is a front for something, I just don’t know what yet. Maybe it’s a front for generosity. Make reservations. It’ll sell out.
Whiskey & Cheese
WHEN: Jan. 8, 6-7:30PM
WHERE: Venissimo Cheese at The Headquarters, 789 West Harbor Dr., Downtown, 619.358.9081
COST: $60
MORE INFO: www.venissimo.com
When I heard plans for the historical Old Police Headquarters in San Diego, I had grand visions of an all-local retail outlet. Maybe even a greatest hits of the city, with beloved burger bars, cocktail dens and fish taco icons. That didn’t happen (see Cheesecake Factory). But they did get a local taco shop in Puesto and one of San Diego’s most loved (and only) cheese shops in Venissimo—great educators on all things pungent and wonderful. Like this whiskey and cheese pairing session, which includes a Tennessee whiskey with fromager d’Affinois, an Irish whiskey with Honey Bee Goat Gouda, a 16-year single malt Scotch with Roquefort. Support your local cheesemonger, and go check out their new digs.
Mubahay Philippine Fundraiser
WHEN: Dec. 11, 6-9PM
WHERE: Fluxx, 500 Fourth Ave., Downtown, 619.232.8100
COST: $20
MORE INFO: ilovemusubi.webconnex.com/mabuhay2013
Nino Camillo knows how to run a good event, as evidenced by the all-out, feelgood party that is his “I Love Poke Festival.” Now he’s rallying his troops for a food festival in support of the millions of Filipinos who have no source of clean water after Typhone Haiyan. Mabuhay (which means “live” in Tagalog) will feature chefs like Antonio Friscia (Stingaree, ex-Gingham), Eric Manuel (The Dana), Jason Velasquez (Katsuya) for some Filipino and Asian-inspired grub, plus two of the city’s top Filipino DJs (DJ Question and Freddie Joachim) spinning 90s-era hip-hop. Proceeds will go to Waves for Water, a clean drinking water program spearheaded by Hurley.
