Another Del Mar Wine & Food Festival has come and gone, and this year was one of the best (and hottest) yet. The festival took over San Diego from September 30 through October 4 with five days of dinners, tastings, parties, and culinary events. The week kicked off with the Signature San Diego Opening Night Party at Monarch Ocean Pub, followed by chef-driven dinners and wine experiences, a celebrity pickleball tournament, and the two-day Grand Tasting at Surf Sports Park, where more than 100 chefs and restaurants served bites alongside wineries, breweries, distilleries, and other beverage makers.
Courtesy of Del Mar Wine & Food Festival
During both days of the Grand Tasting, some of San Diego’s best restaurants and chefs went head to head in the annual Culinary Competition, presented by Redfin.
Saturday’s competition judges included Beth Demmon, San Diego Magazine‘s food news columnist; Pam Kragen, San Diego Union Tribune’s arts & entertainment editor and chief dining & theater critic; and Sam the Cooking Guy, a local cookbook author, TV cook, and restaurateur. The judges based their votes off four categories: taste, originality, presentation, and skill level. While eternal bragging rights are undeniably a prize in themselves, first place also included $5,000 cash, a custom Rob Machado co-branded surfboard, a two-night stay at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, dinner for four at AMAYA Modern Mexican (including a bottle of wine), a craft chef’s knife by Leucadia Blade Co., and a special gift from Justin Wines. Not a bad deal.
After many tastings and thorough discussion, Saturday’s judges named three winners: In third place for Saturday’s competition was Glassbox’s tenderloin and mushroom risotto. The sushi restaurant, led by Chef Ethan Yang, also took first place in the 2025 Saturday Grand Tasting Culinary Competition and won Readers’ Choice Best Overall Winner at San Diego Magazine’s 2026 Omakase Open. Glassbox came back swinging this year with its creamy, umami-packed tenderloin and mushroom risotto. You might be thinking: risotto from a sushi restaurant? Apparently, Yang can do it all. And on a 100-degree day, a cooked dish isn’t the worst idea in the world.
In second place came Nómada’s duck taco, made with duck confit, mole negro, pickled onion, duckskin chicarron, smoked cotija, and micro cilantro. Chef Alex Carballo only opened Nómada less than a year ago in Carlsbad, but his Mexico-travel-inspired menu has already made its mark on the coastal town, and now has impressed the tastebuds of our judges. Congrats, Nómada.
And finally, in first place: Alchemy Choose Thy Poison’s smoked tuna empanada. Another new(ish) kid on the block—it turns two in November—the restaurant is an intimate dining experience in Barrio Logan. The hybrid masa empanada is stuffed with mezquite smoked yellowfin, caramelized onions and sweet peppers, queso chihuahua, and served with a chipotle toreado cream dip. The bold, contrasting colors catch your eye first, then the smoky, rich flavors seal the deal.
Sunday brought more sun, heat, and a new round of competition and judges. Chef Roberto Alcocer of Michelin-starred Valle in Oceanside and former Food Network Star winner and cookbook author Melissa d’Arabian joined forces to narrow down Sunday’s entries from an array of talented chefs.
First place prize included $5,000 cash, a custom Rob Machado co-branded surfboard, two-night stay at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, dinner for two at Lilian’s, craft chef’s knife at Leucadia Blade Co., and special gift from Justin Wines.
UTC’s beloved Italian steakhouse, The Amalfi Llama, came in third with itsslow-braised short rib empanada, served with (or without) chimichurri. Word of the wise: their chimichurri is the way to go, and the judges clearly agreed.
Courtesy of Del Mar Wine & Food Festival
In second, Alchemy: Choose Thy Poison did it again. The Barrio Logan restaurant came back again to win once again with its smoked tuna empanada on Sunday. The double-win made it one of the most talked about dishes all weekend.
Finally, Chef Bryn McArthur of Amaya at Fairmont Grand Del Mar brought home first with cured kampachi, topped with braised pineapple, salsa macha, and served in a black pepper tart. The dish reflects the kind of polished, technique-driven you’d expect from Amaya, but McArthur gives it some personality with the sweet-and-spicy combo of the pineapple and salsa macha, along with the peppery crunch of the tart.
Lili Kim is a content coordinator and writer for San Diego Magazine, with experience highlighting local businesses and communities. When not writing or shooting film, she is likely brewing her seventh cup of tea of the day or strolling along Sunset Cliffs.
