Full plate: September food + drink happenings
Fill your bellies with food and drinks events around San Diego including City Heights Street Food Fest, Diner en Blanc and Taste of South Park.
9.5: Taste of Del Mar
Indulge in more than 30 culinary creations from Del Mar’s best restaurants while rocking out to live music and wetting your whistle at 15 sip stops situated between the featured eateries.
Del Mar Village, Del Mar, visitdelmarvillage.com
9.7: Carlsbad Brewfest
Join 2,000 fellow beer aficionados as you knock back samples from more than 40 craft breweries and cider houses during this afternoon of music, entertainment and games.
Holiday Park, Carlsbad, carlsbadbrewfest.org
9.8: 2nd Annual Seany’s Chef’s Fest
Meet many of San Diego’s leading chefs and vote for the most delish dish during this culinary competition that raises funds to send kids with cancer on camping trips.
Green Acre Campus Pointe, University City, theseanyfoundation.org
9.8: Farmers, Chefs and Fishermen
Traipse between 20 tasting stations and sink your teeth into scrumptious small plates from several of the city’s best chefs at this event kicking off Farm to Fork Week and featuring an assortment wine and cider from local vintners and beverage-makers.
Mission Hills Nursery, Mission Hills, farmtoforksd.com
9.11: Heart of Pacific Beach Restaurant Walk
Embark on a self-guided stroll along Garnet Avenue and adjacent streets during this leisurely, vegetarian-friendly food tour showcasing some of the beach neighborhood’s best bites.
Dawes Street to Lamont Street, Pacific Beach, pacificbeach.org
9.12: City Heights Street Food Fest
Celebrate the vibrant culture of City Heights by reveling in live music, art and spoken-word performances while imbibing beer and wine and sampling street food from around the world.
Fair@44, City Heights, cityheightscdc.org
9.13: Grand Chef Throwdown
Thirty talented cooks from both sides of the border welcome discerning diners to nosh on sweet and savory bites during this competitive foodie fest that concludes with an indulgent three-course dinner.
Hotel del Coronado, Coronado, hoteldel.com
9.14: America’s Finest BBQ State Championship
This barbecue cook-off set amid the San Diego Bay Fair invites open-fire enthusiasts to ingest a bounty of brisket, pork, ribs and chicken, then wash it all down with craft beer while watching thrilling boat races and listening to live local music.
Crown Point Park, Pacific Beach, americasfinestbbq.com
9.14: North Park Pub Crawl
Fill your belly with craft beer and flavorful apps during this alcohol-infused afternoon that includes complimentary beverages and bites at Mike Hess Brewing, True North Tavern and North Park Beer Co.
Various venues in North Park, classy.org
9.15: Ponce’s Mexican Restaurant’s 50th Anniversary Party
Help one of San Diego’s most venerable Mexican eateries celebrate half a century in business as Ponce’s throws a birthday party featuring great food, specialty drinks and live entertainment for the restaurant’s biggest fans.
Ponce’s Mexican Restaurant, Kensington, sandiego.gov
9.21: 8th Annual Diner en Blanc
Don your finest whites for this posh picnic centered on appearance and etiquette and hosted at a mysterious location that’s kept under wraps until the last minute.
Venue TBD, sandiego.dinerenblanc.com
9.21: 25th Annual San Diego Festival of Beer
This indoor-outdoor cancer-fighting fundraiser features food trucks, merchant booths and live entertainment along with unlimited samples of 120 brews from more than 50 beer-makers.
Broadway Pier, Downtown, sdbeerfest.org
9.21: San Diego Zoo Food Wine & Brew
More than 160 restaurants, wineries and breweries join a selection of SoCal’s best merchants and entertainers for an internationally inspired tasting event complemented by exotic animal interactions.
San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, zoofoodandwine.com
9.21: Taste of South Park
An eclectic assortment of restaurants, coffeehouses and bars invite foodies to get their fix during this one-day walkabout to more than 20 of South Park’s most mouthwatering spots.
Various venues in South Park, southparksd.com
9.21-23: Robb Report Culinary Masters Weekend
Join several celebrated chefs during three days of epicurean enticements including a multicourse fine dining experience, a gourmand golf tournament, a decadent dinner and a bountiful brunch on the final morning.
Fairmont Grand Del Mar, Carmel Valley, cvent.me/bGk3b
9.22: 3rd Annual Fiestas Patrias Beer Fest
Commemorate Alta California’s independence from Spain at this free festival that commences with a colorful parade and features oodles of food alongside musical acts, equestrian performances and an abundance of entertainment inspired by San Diego’s 19th-century settlers.
Bayside Park, Chula Vista, facebook.com
9.22-29: San Diego Restaurant Week
More than 180 local restaurants offer steep discounts on prix fixe menus during this semi-annual eight-day affair, which now includes more cafes, bakeries and fast-casual options than previous years’ events.
Throughout the City, sandiegorestaurantweek.com
9.27-29 and 10.4-6: El Cajon Oktoberfest
Tantalize your taste buds with authentic German food, beer and booze during two fun-filled weekends featuring a traditional Bavarian band and authentic folk dances among many other attractions.
German American Societies of San Diego, El Cajon, germanclubsandiego.org
9.29: San Diego Sake Fest
Celebrate World Sake Day by sampling rice wines from two dozen Japanese and Californian brewers while also feasting on carefully paired food samples from many of East Village’s most admired eateries.
Quartyard, East Village, quartyardsd.com
9.29: 24th Annual Encinitas Oktoberfest
Sink your teeth into traditional German fare — and knock back a bevy of Bavarian brews — during this authentic Oktoberfest celebration that boasts timeless tunes and a sprawling street fair featuring more than 200 artisans.
Mountain Vista Drive and El Camino Real, Encinitas, encinitasoktoberfest.com
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