Inaugural Take-Out Taste of The Village to spotlight 16 La Jolla restaurants March 22-25

Themes and menus for the inaugural Take-Out Taste of The Village are coming together as 16 restaurants prepare to make multicourse dinners showcasing what The Jewel’s restaurateurs have to offer.

The event will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. March 22-25, with four restaurants participating each night. Tickets are $85 for a four-course dinner for two, with one course each provided by each night’s participating restaurants. Twenty percent of ticket sales (plus any gratuities) goes to the restaurants and the rest goes to the La Jolla Village Merchants Association.

“We are super excited,” LJVMA Vice President Morgan Barnes said of the event, adding that it “will reconnect our community and bring a sense of interactive fun back to The Village.”

“We hope everyone can come out to support not only local business but one another,” Barnes said. “It’s a chance to gain back our sense of togetherness with our neighbors and friends.”

Participants will receive an insulated reusable bag on the evening of their choice and will visit that night’s four restaurants. They’ll pick up one course at each location to eat at home or at a favorite picnic spot.

For places like Smallgoods Cheese Shop & Cafe on La Jolla Boulevard, just having patrons walk in the door is a huge boost.

“The ticket sales are helpful, but more importantly, this event gets people into our shops,” said co-owner Jenny Eastwood. “Patrons will get to see the place, meet the people who run these businesses and who they are dealing with. It’s huge exposure.”

“We love The Village and being a part of the business community,” she added, “and this event is an opportunity for citizens to support us in a way that is really fun. Plus, the little extra revenue is amazing.”

While Take-Out Taste of The Village is an event, it is not a gathering, according to La Jolla Village Merchants Association Executive Director Jodi Rudick. LJVMA says COVID-19-related health and sanitation protocols will be in place, with enhanced cleaning, facial coverings required and tickets limited to prevent lines at restaurants.

For El Avocado, which is participating in the Vegetarian Night (Tuesday, March 23), the event will be an opportunity to “show off what you can do,” said Shanti Claydon, owner and executive chef of the Prospect Street vegan restaurant. “The course we’re doing isn’t something that is on our menu. This has been the worst year ever for restaurants, so we need the support. We think it’s so important for locals to support their neighborhood restaurants.”

Here are the themes, restaurants and dishes for each night:

Monday, March 22: California/Coastal

Course 1: Raymundo’s Taco Shop — shrimp taco

Course 2: Duke’s La Jolla — Hawaiian ahi poke

Entrée: Cove House — stone crab BLAT

Dessert: Haagen-Dazs La Jolla — half-pint ice cream

Tuesday, March 23: Vegetarian

Course 1: Cherrywine Modern Asian Cuisine — Rangoon-style stir-fried veggie and tofu noodles

Course 2: Parakeet Cafe — grilled veggie bowl

Entrée: El Avocado — banh mi

Dessert: Bobboi Natural Gelato — half-pint gelato (vegan options available)

Wednesday, March 24: Seafood & Charcuterie

Course 1: Smallgoods Cheese Shop & Cafe — sampler appetizer platter

Course 2: Jose’s Court Room — ceviche

Entrée: Eddie V’s Prime Seafood — Parmesan-crusted lemon sole

Dessert: Froglanders Crepes & Yogurt — crepe

Thursday, March 25: Italian

Course 1: Isola Pizza Bar — farinata fries

Course 2: La Dolce Vita Ristorante — penne alla vodka

Entrée: Piazza 1909 — porchetta alla romana

Dessert: American Pizza Mfg. — giant cookie (to be baked at home)

To learn more or buy tickets, visit lajollabythesea.com/event/takeout-taste-of-the-village. ◆