Local Wally's Guide to San Diego

Local Wally's Guide to San Diego

Where to Find the BEST Fresh Fish in San Diego - Haworth Fish is IT! SAN DIEGO LOBSTERFEST INFO!

Local WallyComment

Haworth Fish is where the locals go when they want the BEST fresh fish

Living in San Diego has its perks. Not only do we get plenty of SoCal sunshine and cool ocean breezes but every Saturday we can buy the freshest sushi grade fish right from the docks. You can even see the fishermen filleting the fish in the boats below, you just can’t get any fresher than that.

HAWORTH FISH AT A GLANCE:

PLACE: TUNA HARBOR DOCKSIDE MARKET: Every Saturday the public can go to the docks located near Seaport Village (set your GPS to this location) where there are multiple fish vendors selling what they caught. This is where Haworth Fish sets up their booth - you can count on them being there every Saturday from 8 am until 1 pm, or until sold out.

You might also find them at Driscoll’s Wharf, 4904 N Harbor Drive, on Fridays from 10 am until 4 pm. This is near the Pizza Nova in Pt. Loma. They are NOT always there so always check their website.

HAWORTH FISH WILL DELIVER TOO! You can visit their website early in the week to see what is coming in and order it to be delivered for a nominal $10 fee, waived if you order $100 worth of fish.

Haworth Fish in San Diego

What Fish does Haworth fish offer?

You never really know what they will bring in but you can usually count on tuna, yellowtail, albacore, and often opah, the round moonfish that’s usually associated with Hawaii. Whatever they have you know it’s super fresh, sushi grade, and though you should never buy seafood based solely on price the prices at the docks are way lower than at a standard fish market or a Whole Foods - and way fresher!

Pieces are cut into consumer friendly sizes but be ready with a sharp knife when you get home so you can remove the skin and any perhaps the “bloodline” - but that’s super easy, even for someone who has never done it.

Tell Me More about the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market

There’s more than great tuna at the market. The Tuna Harbor Dockside Market also has booths with prepared fresh fish (great fish tacos, fish and chips, ceviche, and tons more!) and it’s just super fun to walk up and down the dock seeing what’s available, from fish so fresh it’s still alive to lobsters when in season. Come as early as you can if you want the best selection and bring a cooler - there’s plenty of free ice so no need to pack your own. And check this out, if you buy a whole fish (impulse buy, I’ve done it!) you can have them “process” it right there for a maximum charge of $13. That’s pretty great!

is the fish sustainably caught?

One of the key focuses of the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market is to provide the public and chefs with sustainably caught seafood. I’m no expert but I do appreciate that the fishermen here pride themselves on being responsible in their catch and reducing by-catch. You can visit their website to see how the fish are caught here.

Haworth Fishing uses Rod and Reel, Harpoon, Longline, Trap Fishing & Deep Set Buoy Gear, all sustainable methods.

Why Haworth Fishing?

I really like supporting a family run business like Haworth Fishing. Art, David, and Nick Haworth are 3 generations of tuna fisherman based out of San Diego, California. The Haworth family started fishing tuna in 1955 and continue to fish today with a fleet of 6 commercial boats. The fleet consists of the Pacific Horizon, Gutsy Lady, Sea Haven, Kaylee H, Elizabeth H, and Tiffany H. Just super nice people who care about the fish and their customers.

Is Haworth Fishing and the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market the Best Place to buy fresh fish?

If the freshest fish is what you are after then Haworth Fishing at the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market is the place. Oh sure, there are other places to buy fish in San Diego - notably Pt. Loma Seafood, The Fish Market restaurant, Blue Water Seafood. And sure, Whole Foods, Lazy Acres, even Costco has “fresh” fish (or is it “freshly thawed”??). But why go there when you can go straight to the docks where the fish come in, where you can actually look down at the boats and see the fish? This is the same fish you will find in the fancy, expensive San Diego restaurants so skip the middleman and go straight to the docks.

Lobsterfest Oct 8th, 2023,

Lobsterfest is Coming! Oct 8, 2023

Come join the celebration of lobster season opening at the 4th annual Lobsterfest on Sunday, October 8th! Starting at 8am, the beloved fishing families will be selling whole lobsters while chef @marcus_twilegar is serving up delicious lobster dishes! Last year they sold out in less than 3 hours, so be sure to come early to catch the action! The event is FREE but be sure to join our guest list - CLICK HERE for all of the official info.

San Diego Wine + Food Fest 2023: Grande Fiesta Taco TKO, Nov 12th, 2023 - Info and Tickets

Local WallyComment

Sam the Cooking guy cooking up tacos at the San Diego Wine and Food Fest TKO

Explore some of Southern California and Mexico’s best wines, spirits, and cuisine at the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival finale, Grand Fiesta. Celebrating the cross-border culinary influence of Latin America on Southern California, Grand Fiesta showcases the vibrant culture of Mexico through cuisine, wine, beer, spirits, art, live music, and more. 

Dance your way through expertly crafted culinary stations curated by chefs from throughout San Diego, Southern California, Baja and beyond.

The event is held on Nov 12, 2023, in the large grassy park called Liberty Station Ingram Plaza, 2751 Dewey Rd
San Diego, CA 92106
. Expect tons and tons of tacos, all you can eat, along with glasses of wine and beer, all you can sip, and plenty of sunshine, music and good vibes all around.

Duck Birria Tacos at the Grand Fiesta, San Diego Wine and Food Festival

TACO TKO

The mouthwatering battle for the title of San Diego’s Most Awesome Taco is on! Your challenge, should you choose to accept it: Put your tastebuds to the test and cast your vote to determine which taco will take home top honors in our annual Taco TKO competition. 

ATTIRE: Casual

IMPORTANT INFO:

Ticket is all inclusive. All food and beverage tastings are included in ticket price.

Must be 21+ to attend.

San Diego Wine + Food Fest 2023: Sonoma Wineries Will Be There and So Should You!

Local WallyComment

Get ready to experience Sonoma County, one of the world's premier winegrowing regions, at the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival!  The Grand Tasting Event will be held on Nov 11th, 2023 - this is the huge tasting event on the large grassy area behind Seaport Village with rows and rows of pop up eateries and wine samples, unlimited food and wine and sunshine!

Sonoma County is known for its commitment to sustainably farmed grapes, multi-generational family farmers, and for producing word-class wines. With over 100 varietals, 19 distinct growing regions, over 1,800 grape growers and more than 425 wineries in Sonoma County, there's never been a better time to explore and taste. 

Sonoma County Winegrowers is bringing your favorite wineries and wines to the Grand Tasting. Come visit the Sonoma County Winegrowers tent, taste incredible wines, meet the winemakers, and experience the region while enjoying the beautiful views of San Diego Bay. 

San Diego Wine and Food Festival 2023: Everything You Need to Know, Discount Tickets, List of Events

Local WallyComment

San Diego Wine and Food Fest, aka SD Bayfest, is back for 2023

San Diego bay food and wine festival: nov. 8th - 12th, 2023 - Everything you need to know before you go!

AT A GLANCE: A week long wine and food exposition featuring dinners and events during the week and culminating with The Grand Tasting event held at the Embacadero Marina Park North, the grassy area behind Seaport Village that overlooks the San Diego Bay.

The Grand Tasting event offers rows and rows of pop up booths handing out gourmet bites, wine, beer and spirits. It’s a true San Diego celebration! The next day is The Grand Fiesta, aka Taco TKO competition, which is a separate event held on Sunday at the Liberty Station Ingram Plaza that features dozens of taco professionals battling it out to decide who makes the best taco in San Diego - and you get to try them all!

Celeb Chef Brian Malarkey is in the house!

I’M CONFUSED - the san diego wine and food fest 2023 IS A WEEK LONG EVENT?

I know, it’s confusing but basically most people focus on The Grand Tasting event. People come to this year after year and it’s super fun to grab some friends and all go together. If you’ve never been to the San Diego Wine and Food Festival then just go to this event.

During the week are various dinners and wine tasting events for those with more time (and more budget) and you can expect some incredible experiences, such as chef driven dinners or blind tasting events.

The Grand Tasting is the fireworks grand finale… but as they say, wait, there’s more! A bit under the radar is Grand Fiesta which is arguably one of the very best food events in San Diego. Look, we love tacos, right? So what’s not to love love love about an event where you can sample literally dozens of tacos along with wines from Mexico and beer and spirits in a leisurely and casual setting? It’s a bit like the afterglow of the big event and an exceptional way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

let’s get back to the grand tasting event - what’s the vibe, what’s the dress code, what to expect

The San Diego Wine and Food Festival’s Grand Tasting event isn’t your average street fair sort of thing. The food is gourmet, the wines impressive, and the setting right on San Diego Bay is breathtaking. We are so lucky to live here, right?

The dress code is pretty flexible. The young and trendy come dressed to impress but you’ll find plenty of jeans and casual wear. It’s San Diego attire so come as you are, perhaps bump it up a notch, but don’t worry, it’s not stuffy or snooty or the slightest pretentious. The age demographic is also pretty wide with every age group represented, so whether you are 20-something or retired if you like food, if you like wine, if you love a good San Diego event, this is for you.

Dress nice, but don’t worry about dressing up.

discount tickets to the san diego wine and food Fest 2023 - how about free tickets?

Purchase tickets early and take advantage of the various packages they offer, such as the Grand Tasting 4-pack which is basically 4 tickets for the price of 3 - a really good deal. Here’s the link for all of the ticket offers.

FREE TICKETS? Well, not really free per se, but if you volunteer to work the event they pay you back by allowing you to attend the various events. Here’s all the info you need on how to score free tickets just by volunteering.

SAN DIEGO WINE AND FOOD FEST VIP TICKETS - WORTH IT?

There’s enough to keep you busy in the main section of the event but if you can swing it the VIP section gets you into a sectioned off area with live music, better bites, and elevated tastings. It also gets you into the event early so yes, it’s definitely worth it!

Del Mar Wine and Food Festival Review - Get Ready for 2025 Event!

Food FestivalsLocal WallyComment

Del Mar held it’s annual wine and food festival, appropriately called the DEL MAR WINE + FOOD FESTIVAL at the Del Mar Surf Sports Park, aka the polo fields for locals, it encompassed eight acres of food and wine stalls, live music, and plenty of SoCal vibe. I was there. I almost didn’t go since I had just gotten back from an exhausting camping road trip. My car was still filled with stuff, I was tired, and the idea of waiting in long lines to get tiny bites of food and dinky sips of wine was not high on my list. But I was wrong. So so very wrong!

And now all I can thing about is the 2025 Grand Tasting event coming up Oct 5th and 6th.


So much food, so much wine, surpassed all expectations!

So let me cut right to the chase and tell you that this is possible one of the GREATEST wine and food festivals in San Diego, possible the best in the US and I’m not exaggerating. The sprawling space left plenty of room for guests to roam around, never feeling squeezed, pushed or schmushed. The crowds were manageable and if I wanted something to eat I would walk right up and GET IT! That’s right, lines were short and because of the shear number of options you rarely had to wait. But was the food any good?? Or was it the typical marinara pasta in a tiny cup? Oh ye of little faith, be ready to be blown away!

The food was 100% GOURMET bites - wait, they were not really bites but damn near plates. I mean, come on, a lobster slider that was basically a full half of a full size gigantic lobster roll? I had three, though I must admit by the 3rd one I was eating “artichoke style”, meaning eating the lobster off the top. Hey, I know this is bad manners but when the food is this good and there’s so much of it you have to do what you have to do. I had to try everything, you understand.

One of the few booths with a longer line was Tanner’s Prime Burger which was a crispy smash burger made with, well yes, prime beef and tons of melty cheese. See what I mean? That’s a full size burger. I waited maybe 5 minutes for this tasty, tasty burger. OK, yes, I know I needed either a better hand model or a manicure but rememer I just got back from camping!

And the list of food went on and on and on! Inside the VIP tent there were unlimited oysters, caviar on tator tots, and glorious sushi. Every bite was la culinary dream come true. Wait, did you just say caviar on tator tots??

Mr. A’s caviar on tator tots at the Del Mar Wine and Food Festival

Mr’s A’s, a long standing San Diego foodie favorite, served up homemade tator tots topped with black pearl caviar sitting on a mimosa creme Asian pear sauce and this is how I want my tator tots from now on. Napoleon Dynamite!

Want some oysters? You could stand here all afternoon and eat them like an otter, they just kept on coming!

DEL MAR WINE + FOOD FEST: WORTH IT!

I could go on and on and I will - I’ll show you all of my food shots with descriptions in an upcoming article. But for now let me just say that this is a very worthy contender for the best wine and food festival I have ever been to. No tiny bites, no baby sips, no lines, just an incredible day in Del Mar that you will not want to miss next year! Do it - mark your calendars not for next Sept 2024 to go to this event.

What to Expect for 2025

Here’s a shortcut to all of the events at the Del Mar Wine and Food Festival for 2025 - OFFICIAL SITE

The event is Sept 13th and 14th, 2025 - Two full days of wine and food and fun. You can get tickets to both days and there’s enough variety that you won’t feel like it’s a repeat. Or just get tickets to Saturday or Sunday, either day is going to be super fun. Expect PLENTY of food and so much wine and beverages that you will find yourself saying “NO MORE, PLEASE NO MORE!” to incredible wine and delicious bites.

I love this event. Trust me, you need to go!