I’m thinking 2016 is the year Leucadia could officially come into it’s own as a San Diego foodie dining destination.
With the addition of several new restaurants and coffee shops since last year, there really is something for everyone in this stretch of coastal cool.
From fine dining to funky taco joints and everything in between, the Taste of Leucadia is your opportunity to sample this eclectic dining scene.
I had a conversation with Leucadia 101 Main Street Association Executive Director Carris Rhodes to find out what’s new at this year’s event.
This event get’s bigger and better every year. Who are the new participating restaurants this year?
We are lucky enough to have had a variety of new restaurants open up in Leucadia in the last year! New participants include Birdseye Kitchen (Vietnamese and Thai food), The Lanai (Hawaiian plate lunch and fish), The Sandwich Spot Encinitas, French Corner and the soon to open Moto Deli.
What is the Platinum Plate Award and how would a restaurant qualify for that?
There is some fierce competition for our 2016 Platinum Plate Award! This award is chosen by attendees who vote for their favorite taste of the evening. Only one vote per ticket holder is allowed. Options to consider when voting are: quality of the Taste provided, atmosphere, staff and overall enthusiasm from the restaurant. Each participating restaurant is eligible to be the winner! Past winners have included Vigilucci’s Trattoria Italiana (2014) and Pandora’s Pizza (2015). Ticket holders will have a unique voting code sent to their email the evening of the event to vote.
And it’s not just restaurants; you have the very fun sip stops as well.
Select Leucadia businesses along Vulcan and N Coast Hwy 101 will be opening their doors to sip stop ticket holders for wine and beer sampling from San Diego’s best homegrown brands. The event will also feature an incredible craft beer pavilion with 12 craft breweries, live music, a photo booth and Leucadia charm. Each sip stop ticket holder will receive a commemorative taster glass as well.
And what do you have in store for the beer drinkers?
You can’t have an event without craft beer in San Diego anymore! I have to say, all of the craft breweries are incredible to work with and there is a real sense of team spirit among them. Look for unique tasters from 15 different breweries, many of whom have storefronts in Coastal North County! Fun fact: Duckfoot Brewing Co. will be featured in the Craft Beer Pavilion and they started in a garage off of Phoebe Street in Leucadia before they opened their official brewery!
And what would Taste of Leucadia be without killer music. What is the lineup this year?
The music line up is going to be a delight for your ear! Look for beer pavilion performances from Wish and the Well and Jack Loban and performances along N Coast Hwy 101 from Emily Afton, Kiki Halliday, Boaz Roberts and Cordelia Degher. We have a real California folk influence in the lineup this year.
And in the spirit of Leucadia being an eco-friendly community, you have a shuttle happening to ease parking concerns?
We have two shuttle busses power by bio fuel that will transport attendees from City Hall (505 N. Vulcan Ave) from 5 to 9 p.m. Since the Taste of Leucadia can be a bit of a trek the will also have designated stops along the event route to give your feet a rest too.
Beside yourself, who else is responsible for making this cool event happen?
In addition to the Leucadia Main Street Staff, there is a great sense of team spirit with regards to this event. All of the restaurants put their best face forward during the event and are thrilled to welcome both loyal customers and new customers to their establishments! We have a dedicated 15 person volunteer Board of Directors at the Leucadia 101 Main Street who host sip stops, pass out posters, promote the event and volunteer at the event. Restaurants and breweries are donating their volunteer time and product to make this event an incredible fundraiser for the Leucadia 101 Main Street Association and a fantastic promotion for our brick and mortar businesses.
How do folks get tickets and any thing else you would like to add?
Tickets go on sale March 16 and we only sell 1,000 so get them while they are available! Taste tickets are $20, Taste and Sip Stop tickets are $35 and Sip Stop only Tickets are $20 (we have very limited quantities of these) Ticket can be purchased online at leucadia101.com and in our office at 386 N. Coast Hwy 101.
David Boylan is the founder of Artichoke Creative an Encinitas based integrated marketing firm. He also hosts Lick the Plate Radio that airs Monday through Friday at 7 p.m. on FM94/9, Easy 98.1, and KSON. Reach him at [email protected] or (858) 395-6905.
