Por Jeff Clemetson | Editor<\/p>\n
Goodbye Taste of La Mesa. Hello Taste of San Diego \u2013 East.<\/p>\n
After 10 years of running the popular foodie event in La Mesa, the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce is changing venues, and also changing its name.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just didn\u2019t want to be La Mesa-centric anymore because we never were,\u201d said La Mesa Chamber of Commerce President Mary England. \u201cAll of our restaurants weren\u2019t from La Mesa. So it just made sense to change the name.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s Taste of San Diego \u2013 East will be held in an 11,000-square-foot ballroom in the Town & Country Hotel in Mission Valley. England said the move made sense because Taste of La Mesa had long outgrown the La Mesa Community Center and Town & Country, although located in San Diego, has been a member of the chamber since its inception.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo of course they were the first location we approached,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The large ballroom will combine the event under one roof \u2014 a major improvement over past events at the Community Center, which were separated into two different buildings, one of which didn\u2019t have air conditioning.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cIt got to be too difficult to manage. It was like having two separate events,\u201d England said, adding that because of the two separate buildings, she had to do two of everything such as have two announcers for the prize raffle. \u201cThe problem was either cut the number of restaurants, cut the number of tickets, or move. That was pretty much the dilemma we had.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parking will also be improved. Town & Country will provide guests with free onsite parking close to the event. At the previous location, the chamber had to hire traffic control, parking attendants and a shuttle to meet the needs of guests at the taste event. The limited parking also limited the number of VIP tickets sold because preferred parking was part of the package.<\/p>\n
\u201cI only had 136 parking spaces because we parked in a community lot on the grounds of the Community Center and they have swim meets going on and other events so I couldn\u2019t control any of the lot,\u201d England said.<\/p>\n
Although moving a popular event is always risky, England said she surveyed sponsors and businesses over a year ago to see how they would feel about moving locations.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of them had the comment, \u2018What took you so long?,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
For attendees coming from La Mesa, the new location is a short drive west against rush-hour traffic, and England pointed out that previous Taste of La Mesa events drew people from all over.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot all the people that went to the La Mesa Community Center for the Taste of La Mesa were from La Mesa anyway,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been selling to Santee, Spring Valley, San Diego.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ample parking and spacious ballroom will give guests the room to \u201ctaste, savor and mingle while enjoying the great food samplings prepared by all of our chefs and their staffs,\u201d England said.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s list of participating restaurants include: Anthony\u2019s Fish Grotto, BJ\u2019s Restaurant and Brewhouse, BO-beau kitchen + garden, Brew Coffee Spot, Brigantine Restaurant of La Mesa, Cafe Carmel Bakery, Cali Comfort BBQ, Dream Dinners, Eccentric International Chefs, Edible Arrangements, Hooleys Public House, Jersey Mike\u2019s Subs, Lantern Crest Senior Living, Little Roma, Los Pinos Taco Shop, Marie Callender\u2019s, Outback Steakhouse \u2013 Mission Valley, Pick Up Stix, Ranch Events, Red Lobster, Surf Rider Pizza Co., Sycuan Casino Resort, Terra American Bistro, The Hills Local Pub, and Valley Farm Market.<\/p>\n
Taste of San Diego \u2013 East will be held June 3 at Town & Country Hotel, 500 Hotel Circle North in Mission Valley. VIP tasting runs 5-8 p.m. and general admission tasting runs 6-8 p.m.<\/p>\n
Ticket pricing prior to May 28 (pricing increases after that date), which includes complimentary parking and unlimited visits to all food vendors, is $60 for VIP tasting and $40 for general admission. Tickets may be purchased at lamesachamber.com<\/a> or by calling the chamber office at 619-465-7700.<\/p>\n