Valentine’s Day, San Diego Theatre Week, Culture & Cocktails and more… Check out the top San Diego weekend events for February 13-16.
Edited by Brooke Knetzger.
EVENTS
San Diego Jewish Film Festival
Feb. 13-23. The 30th annual film festival explores Jewish experiences through a slew of shorts, documentaries and feature films. The event will span over the course of 11 days, at five different venues and will feature 35 films from 13 countries. See website for different pass options and additional information. sdcjc.org
San Diego Theatre Week
Feb. 13-23. More than 30 San Diego performing arts organizations come together to promote and celebrate the vast array of performing arts in the city through a variety of special promotions. Tickets to participating performances will be offered at $15, $30 and $45 levels. Participating theaters Lamb’s Players Theatre, Cygnet Theatre, New Village Arts and many more. See website for showtimes and locations. sandiegotheatreweek.com
5K Paw Walk in the Garden
Feb. 15. Don’t miss the one day of the year that furry friends are allowed in the Garden! San Diego Botanic Garden is once again partnering with Rancho Coastal Humane Society for the 8th Annual 5K Paw Walk in the Garden. Both organizations benefit from this great event, where dogs and their human companions follow a scenic route through the 37-acre garden. 8 a.m.-noon. San Diego Botanic Garden, 230 Quail Gardens Dr, Encinitas. Register
Pooch, Smooch & Adoption Event
Feb. 16. This Sunday, find true love at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe during Morada’s Sunday Brunch. The Inn is collaborating with SPOT (Saving Pets One at a Time) for a Valentine’s Day weekend adoption event. Cozy up to dogs at the Pooch Smooch kissing booth, benefitting SPOT. SPOT’s professional matchmakers will be on hand to pair guests with the perfect pooch. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $5. 5951 Linea Del Cielo, Rancho Santa Fe, 858.756.1131. theinnatrsf.com
VALENTINE’S DAY
Bencotto
Feb. 12-16. Known for their handmade pasta and excellent Italian pairings, Bencotto will offer a special Valentine’s Day a la carte only menu on Valentine’s Day, as well as a Valentine’s Day three-course prix fix menu on February 12, 13, 15 and 16 for $45 a person. Guests will choose from options like their Gnocchi di Brasato and their Lasagna al Tartufo. 750 W Fir St, Little Italy, 619.450.4786. lovebencotto.com
Domaine Chandon Valentine’s Tasting at JRDN
Feb. 13. Kick off the long weekend early with Domaine Chandon on JRDN’s sunset patio. Guests will sip on five to six tastings of sparkling wine paired with small bites prepared by executive chef David Warner. One of the first French-owned sparkling wine ventures in the U.S., Domaine Chandon is highly remarked as producing some of the best sparkling wines in Napa Valley. 6-8 p.m. $40 per person. 723 Felspar Street, Pacific Beach, 858.270.2323. t23hotel.com
Bull & Bourbon
Feb. 14. Bull & Bourbon Steakhouse at Sycuan Casino Resort will celebrate Valentine’s Day with a special “Sweethearts & Steaks” five-course dinner on Friday night. The steakhouse will offer specials such as their Lobster & Smoked Purple Peruvian Potato Salad, Shrimp Scampi, Crab Cakes, Harissa Half Chicken, Beef Wellington, Market Fish, and more. End the night with their Red Velvet Cake for two. Finish off the night with their rich Red Velvet Cake for two. 5-10 p.m. $75+ per person. Sycuan Casino Resort, 5469 Casino Way, El Cajon, 619.659.3374. bullandbourbon.com
The Westgate Hotel
Feb. 14. Enjoy a four-course prix-fixe menu with an optional wine pairing prepared by Executive Chef Fabrice Hardel. Menu highlights include the Diver Scallop with bowfin caviar and grilled leek in a vermouth emulsion; the Cape Grim New York Steak with charred shallot, Yukon gold potato puree, in a port wine reduction; and Raspberry Mascarpone Mousse on a pistachio sponge cake, topped with raspberry sorbet. $79+ pp. 5- 9 p.m. 1055 Second Avenue, Gaslamp. westgatehotel.com
Hornblower’s Valentine’s Cruises
Feb. 14-15. Celebrate this Valentine’s Day on the water with an intimate cruise from Hornblower. Guests can expect stunning views, wonderful dinner and drinks and live music for dancing. Romance is on the horizon! See website for various cruise options and pricing. Pier 1, Hornblower Landing: 1800 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego. hornblower.com
FOOD + DRINK
Mendocino Farms Downtown
Now Open. The popular upscale fast-casual sandwich and salad destination has opened its fourth location in downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter. The opening signals the company’s further integration into San Diego’s dining landscape as they bring their seasonal, chef-driven menu of gourmet sandwiches and creative salads into the downtown area. Other locations include La Jolla, Del Mar and Carlsbad. The new location offers lunch and dinner daily from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. 180 Broadway, Suite 102, San Diego, 619.398.3860. mendocinofarms.com
Sunday Supper at BANKERS HILL Bar + Restaurant
Feb. 16. The popular eatery has introduced a new home-style favorite to its Sunday Supper series, chicken pot pie. BANKERS HILL’s Sunday Supper features a weekly home-style dinner entrée not regularly available on the menu. Inspired by the classic favorite, BANKERS HILL’s chicken pot pie is a combination of stewed chicken, carrots, potatoes and winter vegetables topped with fluffy pastry crust, priced at $16.95 per person. Guests may choose to pair the meal with a glass of Fossetti Mocali’ Rosso Toscano for $22.95. Available every Sunday. 2202 4th Avenue, Bankers Hill. bankershillsd.com
ARTS + CULTURE
Culture & Cocktails at San Diego Museum of Art
Feb. 13. The San Diego Museum of Art’s pre-Valentine’s Day edition of Culture & Cocktails centers around the exhibition Bouguereau & America, with a special nod to William-Adolphe Bouguereau’s canvases that portray Cupid, his arrows and his escapades. Guests can look forward to a complimentary cocktail, waffle dessert bites, a photo booth and much more. $10 members, $25 nonmembers. Ticket prices increase the day-of. 6 – 10 p.m. 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park. sdmart.org
Hurricane Diane
Feb. 13-16. This unconventional new comedy from Pulitzer Prize finalist Madeleine George tells the tale of the Greek god Dionysus’ return to the modern world disguised as the butch gardener Diane, whose secret mission is to seduce mortal followers and restore the earth to its natural state. Where better to begin than with four real housewives from New Jersey? The New York Times cheered Hurricane Diane as an “astonishing new play,” and New York magazine hailed it as “hilarious and full of keen observation and profound human affection.” Through March 8. The Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park. Tickets
The Great Leap
Through Feb. 16. When an American basketball team travels to Beijing for an exhibition game in 1989, the drama goes deeper than the strain between countries. For two men with a past and one teen with a future, the game is a chance to claim personal victories on and off the court. Tensions rise right up to the final buzzer as a pivotal moment in history collides with the action in the arena. Sharp-witted and weighty, this perceptive new play explores the cultural and political risks of raising your voice and standing your ground. Cygnet Theatre, 4040 Twiggs St., Old Town. cygnettheatre.com
Photos: San Diego Jewish Film Festival courtesy sdcjc.org. San Diego Theatre Week courtesy San Diego Theatre Week. 5K Paw Walk courtesy San Diego Botanic Garden. Bencotto courtesy Bencotto. JRDN courtesy JRDN. Bull & Bourbon courtesy Bull & Bourbon. Culture & Cocktails courtesy San Diego Museum of Art. The Westgate Hotel courtesy Sandy Huffaker. Hornblower courtesy Hornblower. Pooch, Smooch & Adoption event courtesy The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. Bankers Hill courtesy Wicked Creative. Culture & Cocktails courtesy the idea brand. Hurricane Diane courtesy The Old Globe. The Great Leap courtesy Cygnet Theatre.
