San Diego Chefs Join Star-Studded Lineup at Valle Food & Wine Festival
The Valle de Guadalupe is on fire right now, with so many amazing new wineries and restaurants seemingly popping up daily, and the Valle Food & Wine Festival is THE place to be for San Diego foodies this weekend!
Culinary celebrities from both sides of the border will be leading the way through a curated selection of top Baja wines, a Craft Beer Garden, live music, celebrity cookbook signings, Meet the Winemaker wine tastings, live auctions and much more!
History
The Valle Food & Wine Festival was founded in 2017 by chefs Javier Plascencia and Nancy Silverton along with food writer Carolina Carreño. The second annual festival, now run by Carreño and Fernando Gaxiola of the travel company Baja Food + Wine, is held in the fast-growing wine and travel region, Valle de Guadalupe, in Ensenada, about 60 miles south of the US/Mexico Border. It is unique in drawing a lineup of first-rate chefs from both sides of the border to promote and celebrate the bounty of the region and the unique cuisine of Baja California, which is now being recognized world-wide.
Chefs cook in a wide open field, surrounded by vineyards and mountains, over open fires, and in barrel smokers and Caja Chinas, exemplifying the rustic chic style of the Valle. The multifaceted day-into-evening festival is drawing top chefs from San Diego to participate, including:
Brian Malarkey (Herb & Wood)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmPKUF_n8cq/?hl=en&taken-by=brianmalarkey
Jason McLeod (Ironside Fish &Oyster, Born & Raised)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnDDeQ1gaVC/?hl=en&taken-by=ironsidechef
Jason Knibb (Nine-Ten Restaurant and Bar)
https://www.instagram.com/p/u1Zkqxlkr-/?taken-by=jayknibb
Trey Foshee (George’s California Modern, Galaxy Taco)
They’ll be joined by other top chefs visiting from the United States:
Flor Franco (Franco on Fifth)
Claudia Sandoval (Claudia’s Cocina)
Andrew Spurgin (Bespoke Event Styling)
Martin San Román (Dobson’s)
Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, Leña Brava)
Nancy Silverton (Mozza Restaurant Group)
Dominique Crenn (Atelier Crenn)
Jonathan Waxman (Barbuto, Adele’s)
Michael Mina (The Mina Group)
Ori Menashe (Bestia, Bavel)
Walter Manzke (République, Petty Cash)
Nancy Oakes (Boulevard)
Chandra Gilbert (Gracias Madre, Cafe Gratitude)
Dahlia Narvaez (Mozza Restaurant Group)
Ryan DeNicola (Chi Spacca)
And of course, there will be an amazing lineup of local chefs from Baja California:
Javier Plascencia (Finca Altozano, Misión 19)
Benito Molina and Solange Muris (Manzanilla)
Drew Deckman (Deckman’s en el Mogor)
Miguel Ángel Guerrero (La Querencia, La Esperanza Baja Med)
David Castro Hussong (Fauna)
Sheyla Alvarado (TrasLomita)
Giannina Gavaldón (Olivia El Asador Del Porvenir)
Angelo Dal Bon (Tre Galline)
DeniseRoa (Rancho La Puerta)
Adria Montaño (Don Ramen, Azarosa)
Ruffo Ibarra (Oryx Capital, Pancracia)
Marco Marín (Latitud 32)
Bianca Castro-Cerio (Biscotti’s)
The Festival’s Chosen Charity
Valle Wine & Food Festival supports Corazón de Vida Foundation, a U.S.-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization that that has been providing life-changing support for orphaned and abandoned children in Baja California for 25 years. A percentage of the proceeds from this year’s Valle Food & Wine Festival will be targeted toward the foundation’s college scholarship fund.
This is one festival we’ll have on our calendar every year!
See you there!
