Press Room | Press Releases | THE ARTISAN TABLE AT A.R. VALENTIEN HOSTS VISITING VINTNERS

THE ARTISAN TABLE AT A.R. VALENTIEN
HOSTS VISITING VINTNERS
The Lodge at Torrey Pines® offers relaxed,
intimate alternative to traditional restaurant dining

SAN DIEGO, California (April 2010) - Take fresh artisan foods and wines from the best producers in Southern California, add the warmth and comfort of dining with kindred spirits in a lovely and gracious environment, and you have an experience in dining like no other. The Lodge at Torrey Pines® offers a special Vintner Artisan Table dinners this summer on the Terrace at A. R. Valentien, signature restaurant at The Lodge.

These special dinners will be held according to the following schedule:

Brewer-Clifton, May 19th 7:00PM $110.00
Steve and Crystal Clifton, Owners and Winemakers
Au Bon Climat, June 3rd 7:00PM $110.00
Jim Clendenen, Owner and Winemaker
Ridge, June 24th 7:00PM $115.00
Eric Baugher, Winemaker
Cakebread, July 8th 7:00PM $110.00
Dennis Cakebread, Owner and Winemaker
Nickel & Nickel, August 5th 7:00PM $125.00
Bruce Mooers, Director of Sales

In this relaxed, intimate alternative to traditional restaurant dining, guests enjoy a variety of seasonal dishes in a welcoming, less formal setting, with ten to sixteen at the table. The Vintner Artisan Table dinners include a variety of menu items prepared served family style in four courses: appetizers, main course, cheese, and dessert and coffee, along with California wines selected by the vintners to complement each unique meal.
The menu changes weekly as seasonal and specialty foods become available from the premier local producers.

"To me, this is what dining is really about," says Jeff Jackson, Executive Chef at The Lodge. "Sharing time and experiences in a relaxed and beautiful but non-pretentious setting as you enjoy the fruits of our passion for preparing fresh, wholesome meals."

Guests have the opportunity to make new acquaintances among the other diners as well as to meet the chefs and vintners and discuss the evening's menu items.

The Artisan Table was inspired by the warmth and popularity of the annual Celebrate the Craft festival, which is hosted at The Lodge every autumn. The dinner features family-style serving at a large, communal table. "The conviviality that results is unforgettable," says Jackson. "Each person participates in a warm, intimate dining experience that isn't that common outside of one's home with family and close friends."

Vintner dinners are inclusive of wine and exclusive of tax and gratuity, The Artisan Table is offered in addition to the standard Thursday evening menus at A. R. Valentien and The Grill.

The Lodge at Torrey Pines® is a tribute to the California Craftsman Movement and is modeled after Greene and Greene's famed Gamble and Blacker houses in Pasadena, California, two of the finest examples of early 1900s Craftsman-style architecture. The Lodge features 170 spacious guest rooms, including 8 suites, more than 13,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, a 9,500 square-foot full-service spa and two restaurants serving contemporary California cuisine. The Lodge is adjacent to the Torrey Pines Golf Course and is within walking distance of Torrey Pines State Reserve.

The Lodge at Torrey Pines® is owned and operated by Evans Hotels, San Diego. For Artisan Table reservations please call (858) 777-6635, hotel reservations call 800-422-8386, or for further information please contact Jamie Cheng at (858) 777-6712, jcheng@lodgetorreypines.com, or visit www.lodgetorreypines.com