The Craft Brewers Conference is in town this week, and even though it’s not open to the public, there are plenty of events going on as industry professionals from near and far celebrate the world’s best beverage in San Diego. The conference culminates with the announcement of the World Beer Cup winners on Saturday night, and the following day the number of local events drops to just one — but it’s a sure-fire winner.
The Artisan Food & Craft Beer Festival from 12-3pm at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens promises to be one of the best food & beer events of the year, for a variety of reasons. First, you’ll get to try the creations of ten local chefs who’ve each been expertly paired with beers from two different breweries by “Dr.” Bill Sysak, Stone Beverage Coordinator and Certified Cicerone. Also, the event is a fundraiser for Chefs Celebration and twelve local students planning to attend courses at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley; it is fitting then that two previous scholarship recipients are current Stone employees. And the venue itself, the scenic garden area of Stone’s property in Escondido, is ideal.
Here’s the list of chefs and breweries set to feature on Sunday: Sea Rocket Bistro’s Tommy Fraioli is making a peach bread pudding with lemon chantilly cream and blueberry sauce, paired with Beachwood Brewing 3rd Dimension Tripel & Iron Fist Golden Age. Leah Delyte Di Bernardo of E.A.T. Marketplace is making a quesadilla with wild mushroom, caramelized sweet Temecula onion, smoked gruyere cheese and crème fraîche alongside shredded heirloom beets and micro cilantro salad, hand-scored tortilla chips, hot zucchini relish and pickled smokin’ jalapeños. These are paired with Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale & Green Flash Barleywine Style Ale. Greg Frey Jr. of BlueFire Grill will make a Mesquite-Smoked Shelton Farms Chicken with ruby crescent potato salad, lovage, and spicy Persian lime, paired with The Lost Abbey Avant Garde Ale and Black Market Rye IPA. Dawn Parks of The Wild Thyme Company will contribute a dulce de leche Tiramisu with banana mascarpone and caramel corn, paired with AleSmith Wee Heavy and North Coast Brother TheloniusBelgian Style Abbey Ale. Ricardo Heredia of Alchemy is making braised Paso Prime beef tongue, achiote, house made tortillas, red onion and micro cilantro, paired with Port Brewing Wipeout IPA and Green Flash Hop Head Red Ale. Kyle Bergman of The Lodge at Torrey Pines will prepare head cheese with pickled spring vegetables, paired with Ballast Point Wahoo Wheat Ale and Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale. Scot Blair of Monkey Paw Pub & Brewery is making an open-faced steak and garlic Baguette with pesto and Manchego cheese, a skewer of mozzarella, olives, and marinated peppers and a balsamic and basil drizzle, paired with Stone Smoked Porter and Lightning Fulminator Lager. Alex Carballo of Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens is making Espresso and Cocoa-Dusted Venison Carpaccio with herb salad and shaved Manchego cheese, paired with Ballast Point Abandon Ship Smoked Lager and Monkey Paw Mighty Joe Young. Lance Repp of La Valencia Hotel will serve Moroccan Spiced Lamb Sliders with citrus olive tapenade and pickled slaw, paired with AleSmith Nautical Nut Brown Ale and Iron Fist Dubbel Fisted. Daniel Barron of Evolve Cuisine Forward is making Stone IPA deconstructed s’mores, paired with The Lost Abbey 10 Commandments and Stone Imperial Russian Stout. Also, The Aniata Cheese Company and Debra Katz and Naomi Couse of Sadie Rose Baking Co. will be on hand providing treats.
Tickets are $65, and are available here.