Farm to Fork Week
WHERE: Various Locations
WHEN: January 15-22
Eating food grown by local farmers is a good thing. Selfishly, food grown down the street tastes better, because they can pick it at peak ripeness and drive it down the road to your mouth (as opposed to having to put a tomato on a train for a week from Florida to California, in train cars filled with argon gas). It also supports our local farmers, and keeps money in the community. So, a good thing. But as we proved in our “Farm to Fable” story, there’s a lot of B.S. in the farm-to-table scene. Frauds. Liars. Charlatans.
Unfortunately, there was no list or resource to verify who’s doing it right. And now there is. Trish Watlington of The Red Door made it. She went directly to farmers and asked, “Who’s buying local food on the regular?” They told her. Simple as that. She banded those restaurants together, and they’re doing their own version of Restaurant Week. Except these restaurants are verified, by farmers, to truly be the leaders in the farm-to-table movement. So if that matters to you, here’s where you can go to make sure you’re getting fresh local produce and keeping the money local. Restaurants added to the list so far (it will build as it gets closer): Red Door, Wrench & Rodent, Whet Noodle, 608 Oceanside, Jeremy’s on the Hill, Biga, Garden Kitchen, Cardamom Café & Bakery, Saiko Sushi.
COST: Varies
Michelin-Starred Chefs Dinner
WHERE: Civico 1845, 1845 India Street, Little Italy
WHEN: January 18, 5:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. (Two seatings)
Civico 1845 has made a good name for itself by developing an entirely vegan Italian menu at their bistro. And now the owners—brothers, Dario and Pietro Gallo, are bringing some big-time friends to San Diego for one night of Michelin-starred Italian food.
Italian chefs Antonio and Luca Abbruzzino own two restaurants—Antonio Abbruzzino in Calabria, and Ristorante Abbruzzino in Milan. For this partnership with Civico, they’re creating a meal focused around Southern Italy’s best imported ingredients—Calabrian chile peppers, red Tropea onions, San Marzano tomatoes, and Campania’s buffalo mozzarella—and San Diego’s own bounty. They’re doing two seatings, each featuring an appetizer, two pasta dishes, two entrees, and two desserts. The dishes will then be added to Civico’s menu throughout the year.
COST: $80
MORE INFO: Call the restaurant at (619) 431-5990
Filipino Flavor
WHERE: JSix, 616 J Street, Downtown
WHEN: January 26, 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
For having such a strong Filipino culture in San Diego, I’ve been disappointed in the restaurants. It seems the best Filipino cooking is still done at home. That’s why this collaboration dinner excites me. A few of San Diego’s better Filipino chefs are creating a four-course feast to show the best of the Philippines’ food culture, divided into various areas of the islands. A part of the proceeds will go to Chef Celebration, which helps young chefs afford the training they need.
COST: $55
The Best Food & Drink Events in January
Civico 1845 | Photo by Paul Body
