“Eat. Drink. Give,” is the tagline for Culinaria, and San Antonio’s week-long wine and food festival exemplifying the excellence of participating restaurants and the wonderful indulgence for their patrons that dining out in this city has come to embody is taking place May 18-21 this year. Are you ready? The largest problem you’ll chance to come across during this event is that you’ll be full by day two. Literally offering something for everyone, the week entails several food events ranging from fine dining to food trucks and champagne to beer. Culinaria itself is an independent, not-for-profit organization, dedicated to the promotion of San Antonio, in the Texas Hill Country, as a premier food and wine destination, while encouraging community growth and enhancement. Holding various events throughout the year (San Antonio Restaurant Week, 5K Wine and Beer Run, and Culinaria Wine and Food Festival), proceeds from each will benefit cornerstones of their mission, and all have food at their heart. One example is the provision of culinary scholarships, another being the Culinaria Farm.
Things to Do
San Antonio’s Culinaria Wine and Food Festival is Fast Approaching. Are You Ready?
Photo: Flickr/Brendan DeBrincat
Food is always at the core of what Culinaria does. Sharing the talents of San Antonio’s culinary community is their definitive goal, but it’s also more than that. Encouraging event participation that involves delicious food and fine wines is one aspect while enhancing that strong culinary community to inspire a healthy way of life for the residents of San Antonio is another. Bringing the city together via education is a component of what this organization does, and the upcoming Culinaria Farm will help address that need. With an end-goal of promoting the values of a diet based on the farm-to-table process, the farm is designed to teach community members the growth of produce and its transformation into a healthy and tasty meal.
Photo: Facebook/Culinaria San Antonio
Each time a participant eats or drinks at a Culinaria event, they are giving. The proceeds from the purchase of a ticket help to establish and maintain such programs, and build the foundation for a healthy San Antonio, grounded in how and what is consumed and drank. This year’s Culinaria Wine and Food Festival features “The Culinaria Dinner – From Campfires to Tablecloths”, taking place at Kirby’s Prime Steakhouse on May 18, running parallel to “Underground Dinner at SweetFire Kitchen” at La Cantera Resort & Spa. Tickets can be purchased online on the event website. The luncheon event at Becker Vineyards in the Texas Hill Country on May 19 is unfortunately sold out, however, the evening event entitled “Bubbles and Pearls” is taking place at La Cantera Resort & Spa at Topaz Bar for 7 p.m. and features poolside dining on oysters, shrimps, and scallops, enhanced by champagne. “Tex-Mex and Tequila” and the “Grand Tasting” are the events taking place at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. on May 20, featuring seminars and tastings, and jaw-dropping gourmet food, respectively. And Sunday’s events (May 21) wrap this festival up nicely with a “Southern Sunday Brunch” at 9 a.m. and “Burgers, BBQ & Beer” at 1 p.m. To learn more about the Culinaria Wine and Food Festival, visit their website for event schedule, full details, and ticket information. And prepare to be impressed by the experiences, the flavors, and the passion from which these festivities are prepared, right here in San Antonio, in the Texas Hill Country.
