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Do this: Three summer event series to check out
As we slide into yet another rainy weekend, summer might feel far off. But never fear, warmer days are on the way and with them come a host of dining events.
Three of the area’s most popular summer fine dining event series have released their dates, and if you want to go, you need to make plans now. These ticketed events sell out quickly, and for good reason. Each offers a unique evening where some of the best chefs and winemakers come together to offer each guest a memorable experience.
You can see the full lineups on the websites, linked below, but I noted events that caught my eye, in case you need a guiding hand. Check it out, and dream of summer days ahead.
- Six events between May 10 and Nov. 10
- Locations vary
- Tickets: $85 – $185, depending on event
Wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains, an organization that promotes the area’s wine industry, throws this annual event series with some of the Central Coast’s best chefs and winemakers. Each event takes place at a different location throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains and explores an aspect of local winemaking through wine and food. On July 25, hike along Montebello Road, known as the “chaine d’or” or “golden road,” and learn how the nearby terroir influences the legendary wines in the area ($85 per person). On Aug. 11, celebrate the bounty of the season at a midsummer harvest dinner prepared by Home chef Brad Briske at the beautiful Lester Estate Vineyard ($175 per person).
- Four local events between June 1 and Oct. 23
- Locations vary
- Tickets: $385 – $525, depending on event
This legendary event series hosts elaborate dinners in exotic, extreme locations all over the world in an effort to bring guests a farm-to-table experience like none other, but its roots are in Santa Cruz. Founder and artist Jim Denevan started the radical event company in Santa Cruz in 1999, and hosts several local events annually. Everett Family Farm in Soquel is a favorite location, and on June 1, chef Santos Majano, who recently returned to the dining scene with the opening of Hook & Line, is preparing a meal alongside Birichino’s playful wines ($385 per person).
- Five events between June 7 and Oct. 11
- Location: The View restaurant at Chaminade Resort & Spa in Santa Cruz
- Tickets: $147.50 per person
It’s no wonder Chaminade named its restaurant after its greatest asset – the panoramic view of Monterey Bay from the restaurant’s wide, Spanish-style patio is truly stunning. At each event in its Vine to View dinner series, Chaminade executive chef Avram Samuels creates a four-course dinner paired with wines from a different local California winery. In August, explore wines from Napa Valley-based Caymus Vineyards. In September, Alfaro Vineyards in Corralitos takes the stage with locally produced wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Best of the Week Ahead
Below, find a curated list of the best food and drink events in Santa Cruz County for the coming week. At the top, I share my picks of unmissable local happenings.
News of the week
ICYMI – here are the food news stories from Lookout that you might have missed, plus important news from beyond our borders picked by yours truly.
- Bocci’s Cellar is for sale: Santa Cruz’s ‘oldest restaurant’ listed for $1.199 million (Lookout)
- With Hook & Line, chef Majano and team bring seafood focus to former Soif spot downtown (Lookout)
- California salmon fishing banned for second year in row (CalMatters)
- A year after leaving Live Oak, Italian bakery Emozioni opens in Soquel Village (Lookout)