If you prefer to keep your kitchen free of Frankenstein-type ingredients* like red dye 40 or “chocolate” chips that don’t actually have any chocolate in them, bring your shopping list to The Salted Table. The culinary workshop and market opened last week in Encinitas behind Salt Culture, the boutique created by world-renowned professional surfer Rob Machado and his wife Sophie.
Sophie Machado, along with her brother PJ Vilardo and his wife Jenna Vilardo, opened The Salted Table to pay homage to their Italian roots. It provides San Diegans a space to learn skills like bread baking and pasta making, along with ingredients to create nourishing meals for friends and family.
“We’re blessed with beautiful parents who told us to dream big,” says Machado. “If we’re going to teach the next generation, or even reteach the generations already here, I want to do it in a way where the ingredients you’re using are important.”
Salted Table carries specialty items like local honey on tap, Bayou cast-iron cookware, fresh-milled organic grain, pasta boards to make your own noodles, and Italian olive oils and balsamic vinegar, thanks to a partnership with local importer Baker & Olive. If you’re not sure how to use the goods you acquire, you’re in luck. The space holds 10 cooking stations for classes for children (on Tuesdays), adults (Thursdays and Fridays), and all-ages (Wednesdays).
Class cost varies by theme and ingredients, with children’s classes averaging $38 to $48, adults $68 to $98, and all-ages $38 to $58. Weekends are earmarked for private events, with priority given to Salt Society members.
The Salt Society is a yearly membership with different tiers: The Host ($249/year), The Gatherer ($149/year), and The Salted Circle ($99/year), with varying levels of perks like discounts, presales, guest passes, and priority access to workshops. “You get first dibs on registering for classes, and you also have the option to book out private [events] for Saturday and Sunday,” explains Machado.
Workshops will change with the seasons, with monthly themes like Pumpkin (October), Gathering Table (November), Chocolate (December), and Reset Table (January). Each month, guests will learn skills like how to make sides for Thanksgiving, baking pumpkin bread, or exploring the value of bone broths. And yes, you can eat what you create—just grab a seat at one of the bistro tables in the shared patio and garden.
Machado says she plans to go all-out for the holidays. Both Salt Culture and The Salted Table close on November 1 for complete transformations into immersive Christmas experiences, which they’ll unveil on November 5. “Our theme for Christmas [this year] is Della Robbia Christmas, which is a traditional Italian Christmas,” says Machado, explaining that in various parts of Italy, people decorate wreaths adorned with dried fruits and other sweets. (Expect the halls to be fully decked for the annual Encinitas Holiday Parade on December 5.) In the meantime, the trio of owners are giving it their all.
“My grandpa’s famous quote was, ‘Failure isn’t trying something and it not working out, but having an idea and doing nothing with it,’” she says. And while their grandparents are no longer with us, their legacy and influence lives on.
The Salted Tableis now open at 932 South Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas (behind Salt Culture). Market hours are Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Class availability varies, so check theclass schedulefor upcoming events.
*“Frankenstein’s Monster-type ingredients” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
Courtesy of the San Diego Museum of Art
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Beth’s Bites
Happy first birthday, Pepino! Michelin-trained chef Sebastian Becerra’s Peruvian cafe hits a year in business this November and is throwing a party on Sunday, November 1. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., DJ Adam Salter will be spinning tunes while Zac Cloud serves amaro cocktails. Chef Mike Reidy (formerly of The Fishery) will be in the kitchen whipping up some one-day-only specials, so why not come nurse your Halloween hangover on a lovely La Jolla patio?
If you prefer a taco party to a birthday party, The San Diego Museum of Art is combining Día de los Muertos with The Taco Party, the sequel to SDMA’s The Cake Party earlier this year. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on November 1, the free community event will host live music, art stalls, and a collaborative ofrenda by visiting artist Betsabeé Romero with a selection of San Diego students. From noon to 4 p.m. in the May S. Marcy Sculpture Court and Garden, the ticketed Taco Party will offer unlimited tacos, plus music and drinks from Panama66, Mujeres Brew House, Marta, and De La Calle Tepache. There will also be a photo booth, so come dressed your best.
I’m still not sure how I feel about QR code menus, but Infusion Labs in Pacific Beach recently took technology even further by launching a new app where patrons can order via a live AI voice system. The app accepts regular orders if you know what you’d like, or you can describe what sort of mood you’re in and what flavors you prefer and the virtual assistant will suggest a few items, then confirm your order before paying. It’s a brave new world out there.
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Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
