The perfect way to end summer is with bare feet in the sand, eating tasty food, drinking good wine and all for a good cause. That is what An Evening on the Beach is and that is why it is the Please The Palate pick of the week.
I look forward to An Evening on the Beach every year. I put the date on my calendar and wait in anticipation. This year, I had a last minute trip up to Mendocino for an event that was set to end at 4pm. I booked the 5:20pm flight out of Santa Rosa and left the event a little early to make my flight. I landed at 6:50pm, hopped in my car and headed straight to the Jonathan Club in Santa Monica. I arrived at 8:00pm, two hours after the event started but nothing would stop me from attending.
The number of food and wine events that take place are numerous. And most of these events support worthwhile causes. But there are a few food and wine events that stand out above the others and one of them is An Evening on the Beach. After all, when you have your bare feet in the sand as you enjoy good food, good wine and good cocktails all for a good cause, then you have a night of good fun. And that is why this week's Please The Palate pick of the week is the annual event An Evening on the Beach.
As it still feels likes summer, An Evening on the Beach is the perfect event for a summer evening. The 8th annual event returned to the Jonathan Beach Club in Santa Monica where two dozen restaurants, more than a dozen wineries and a handful of spirits were joined by 700 guests, everyone with their feet in the sand.
While in San Francisco for an Italian wine event, a meal at St. Vincent was apropos. After all, St. Vincent, named for the Patron Saint of Vintners, is owned by David Lynch who wrote the book Vino Italiano. With a great passion for Italian wine, David has put together an extraordinary wine list of Italian wines but also features wines from France, Spain and California and beyond.
We ordered a bottle of the Cascina Luisin 2011 Dolcetto d'Alba "Bric Trifüla," Piemonte, Italy. With delicious notes of blackberry and violets, this juicy medium-bodied Dolcetto was velvety on the palate. The bottle was a great value, costing only $36. And, even better, all of the wines at St. Vincent are available through their retail store. So, if you like a wine, buy a bottle and take it home for later.