When you pair an ideal growing climate with a nurturing environment for culinary enterprises, what is the result? In California, it’s limitless options for food and drink experiences as flavorsome and diverse as the state itself.
“Our mix of cultures from across the globe makes for an equally dynamic cuisine,” says Caroline Beteta, CEO of Visit California. “From American and new-wave California cuisine to exquisite gourmet selections, little of California’s culinary selections exist without a dash of another vibrant culture.”
Equally important, California’s bountiful variety of home-grown ingredients is unparalleled, a fact that destinations throughout the state are quick to emphasize when promoting their visitor and meetings appeal. Among them is Sacramento, which was recently designated “America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital” by the state of California and launched an annual “Farm-to-Fork Week” celebration in September.
“No major city is more centrally located amid such a vast range of high-quality farms, ranches and vineyards that are sourcing their products to Sacramento’s restaurants,” says Steve Hammond, president and CEO of the Sacramento CVB.
Dining Rooms
Buoyed by an improving economy, chef-driven restaurants celebrating local ingredients are popping up in destinations across California.
Among the exciting new options for group dining is The Ranch Restaurant & Saloon in Anaheim, which recently unveiled a private dining and event center where expansive city views take in the Disneyland Resort and Angel Stadium. With a 14,000-bottle wine cellar and four dining rooms seating up to 200 people, Executive Chef Michael Rossi serves up American regional cuisine with an emphasis on California-raised meats and produce.
A San Diego seafood classic since 1971, Tom Ham’s Lighthouse emerged in May from a $3.5 million renovation with several large private dining rooms that have adjoining patios overlooking the harbor.
Recently named the top new restaurant in the U.S. by Bon Apetit, Alma in downtown Los Angeles is where Chef Ari Taymor creates dishes highlighting ingredients from the restaurant’s own gardens. The intimate restaurant can host groups of up to 20.
In San Francisco, Michael Chiarello, acclaimed Napa Valley chef and vintner, recently opened Coqueta at Pier 5 on the Embarcadero. The stylish restaurant, which has won rave reviews for its Spanish tapas, lets small groups dine in the midst of the action at a long central table. Also on the waterfront, Chef Jan Birnbaum’s Epic Roasthouse offers a 60-seat private dining room where the sparkling lights of the Bay Bridge cast a magical silhouette outside the window. PageBreak
Wines, Brews and Spirits
Whether out among the vineyards or in convivial urban tasting rooms and brewpubs, places to taste great California wines, brews and spirits often serve as great choices for events or tours.
In Napa Valley, two new event spaces are opening this month at Hall Wines in St. Helena. One is the historic Bergfeld Winery, an 1885 stone structure where 40 percent of Napa’s wines were once produced. It has been revamped to host receptions and wine-pairing dinners. The other is a new glass Visitor’s Center with expansive vineyard views and areas for chef’s demonstrations and hands-on instruction in the wine-making process. The new space augments that of Hall Wines Rutherford, a secluded hilltop winery with an elegant wine-cave dining room and spacious terrace overlooking the valley.
“We want to create fun, interactive ways for groups to learn about Napa Valley, our wine and wine in general,” says Ed Curry, director of sales and marketing at Hall Wines. “How to pair food and wine will also be a big emphasis, even things like incorporating a grilling class into a wine pairing.”
Just off the historic plaza in downtown Sonoma, Envolve Winery debuted a new tasting room that opens onto a charming patio. Groups of up to 50 can hold private wine tastings, which can include talks on the winery’s organic wine-making process and cheese selections from the Sonoma-based Vella Cheese Co.
The Sonoma County town of Healdsburg, nationally recognized for its burgeoning food and wine scene, has several new wine-tasting rooms to enjoy, including Mueller Winery, which opened its spacious new digs across from the Raven Performing Arts Center; Valdez Family Winery and Gracianna Winery.
One of the hottest trends in tasting experiences has been the explosion of urban wine-tasting rooms, microbreweries and distilleries. One of the most versatile is San Francisco’s Press Club, a wine bar in downtown San Francisco that hosts everything from wine pairing dinners for 20 to gala receptions for 600.
“The Press Club is very flexible, and it’s just steps away from Moscone Center,” says Barbara Edwards, president of California Host, a DMC. “It’s a great choice for convention groups.”
Downtown wine venues with event space abound along the Central Coast, many of them representing an array of local wineries and offering the chance to imbibe while enjoying Pacific views. They include Surf City Vintners in Santa Cruz; A Taste of Monterey on Monterey’s Cannery Row; Four Brix Winery & Tasting Room in Ventura; and Deep Sea Wine Tasting Room on Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara.
Craft distilleries are coming onto the scene throughout the state. One of the originals is St. George Spirits in Alameda, where groups of 20 can tour the facility and taste the artisanal spirits and liqueurs made on-site. Another is Paso Robles Craft Distilling, which makes gin and vodka from grapes grown in the Paso Robles area. San Francisco’s Anchor Brewery and Distillery, a well-known brewer that also makes a small-batch whiskey called Old Potrero, offers the chance to tour both operations.
While craft breweries abound throughout California, San Diego, which hosts two annual beer festivals and has over 70 craft breweries, is a particularly sudsy spot. Among its most group-friendly beer venues is Stone Brewery World Bistro and Gardens, which has two locations, including a new one at Liberty Station with bocce courts, an outdoor cinema and 23,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor dining space.
“Stone Brewery is a great venue for anything beer-related. We do beer tastings and beer dinners, which are extremely popular,” says Lynn Lee, director of sales of Allied PRA San Diego, a local DMC.
