Calling all Foodies! Taste of Cardiff is Upon Us!

Are you a foodie?  A foodie is defined as a person keenly interested in food, especially in eating or cooking.  I don’t know about you, but I fall cleanly into both categories.  So last week, when my cousin suggested “Taste of Leucadia” for our bi-weekly “date,” I was all in.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Taste of “insert San Diego city here,” it can be summed up as a food tour of a particular neighborhood or area of San Diego.

Taste of San Diego is the first and original food tour.  The purpose of the tour is not to underscore “designer food” but true “hometown cooking.”  Last fall, I attended Taste of San Diego during which various San Diego restaurants, wineries, and breweries set up food stands and offered a sample or two of their cuisine.  The entry ticket cost about $40.  Look for this event in late summer 2013!

Until then, other communities around San Diego offer similar events.  As mentioned, I attended Taste of Leucadia last week, which, unlike Taste of San Diego, served food directly from each restaurant.  Patrons walked along Highway 101, sampling the proffered cuisine while listening to live music.  My personal favorites were the mussel and shrimp paella and stuffed dates from soon-to-be-opening, Solterra Winery & Kitchen, and the butternut squash ravioli and marinara meatballs from Vigilucci’s.  The event cost $20 if the ticket was purchased in advance from three given locations or $25 if purchased on the day of the event.  (Note: I purchased my ticket the day before on the event website and was charged $25 to purchase via paypal, the only online method available.)

For all of you Carmel Valley residents, Taste of Cardiff is a great option and a fantastic opportunity to support restaurants in a neighboring community.  Taste of Cardiff happens next month on May 16 from 5-8 p.m.  Tickets cost $25 in advance and $30 day of.  Live music stations will be featured to motivate your walking or biking in between restaurants.  What a great way to stay active and burn off those calories as you consume them!

So get out there, you foodies, and taste, taste, taste!
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Darcie Czajkowski lives, works, and plays in Carmel Valley.  While she is a securities litigation attorney by day, her passions lie in writing, cooking, and traveling.  She has written two women’s fiction novels and is pursuing publication.  She also enjoys playing tennis, hiking at Torrey Pines State Reserve, and frequenting North County’s best happy hour spots.