Sold out for the fourth time in eight years, Oceanside’s original tasting event returns Oct. 1.
Story by Elizabeth Bickford / Photos by Road West Photography
It’s that time of year again, when we get to hit the Downtown streets and try all the best Oceanside eats!
MainStreet Oceanside is hosting Oceanside’s original tasting event on Oct. 1 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Eighth Annual Taste of Oceanside will offer 61 food and craft beverage tastings from local restaurants, breweries, wineries and distilleries. If you missed out on Taste of Oceanside tickets, you can still bite and sip your way through Downtown Oceanside — at your own pace — by taking our new Taste of Oceanside 5-Course Challenge Oct. 3-6 16. Enjoy five courses at five Downtown restaurants for a chance to win local prizes (see below for more info).
Starting Oct. 1, local longtime favorite restaurants, along with newcomers to the culinary community, will have a chance to showcase their menus, which encompass a variety of cuisines. Both Taste of Oceanside attendees and Taste of Oceanside 5-Course Challenge participants can expect to try barbecue, Mexican, Italian, Indian, gastro pub fare and more.
BARBECUE
Miss Kim's by That Boy Good
A decade ago, Kim Millwood and her husband, Mark Millwood, felt that Downtown Oceanside was in desperate need of Southern barbecue. That Boy Good, home of Dirty Fries topped with mac and cheese sauce, meat, TBG sauce and jalapeños, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year in Downtown Oceanside.
TBG has two locations to serve the Oceanside area in Downtown — Miss Kim’s by That Boy Good at 207 N. Coast Highway and That Boy Good BBQ at 326 Horne St. — and the team is still expanding. They have filed documents with the City of Oceanside to open a second-floor restaurant above Miss Kim’s. Their new concept will feature high-end cocktails, a 21-plus blues jazz club and a new menu to fit the theme.
That Boy Good has participated in every Taste of Oceanside. This year Miss Kim’s by That Boy Good anticipates serving gumbo with a bite of cornbread for participants to try. Miss Kim’s will also be hosting live music by Tim Atkins, a local musician. They embrace the event and promise to never run out of food!
Over the past decade, Kim has seen how collaborations with MainStreet have supported the growth of businesses in the community. She says, “They have found a way to support locals, Marines and tourists alike.”
MEXICAN
Craft Coast Beer & Tacos
Craft Coast Beer & Tacos opened Downtown in August of 2021, one of the hardest times to start a restaurant anywhere. The business was able to work within the restrictions in place, and they began to make a home in the Oceanside community. Craft Coast was able to receive support from the city to create a vibe and food-centric experience for locals and tourists.
Owners Blake Masoner, Brian Gillen and Lars Erickson have ties to the North County community. Living in Oceanside and Vista, Gillen and Erickson felt that building something in their local community was not only important to utilize family ties but to support the area they call home. The co-owners agreed that the Oceanside vibe is inclusive and welcoming to new businesses and creates an environment for growth. They feel Oceanside has been able to keep its small-town roots while embracing change.
Craft Coast Beer & Tacos is known for its delicious Birria tacos. Craft Coast’s tacos pair best with their Mexican lager, Agua Baja, or you can try them with one of their rotating craft beer selections. Attendees can expect to try both Birria & Consommee and Agua Baja at Craft Coast during Taste of Oceanside.
Craft Coast also offers catering featuring a custom taco cart that delivers fresh and delicious food for any event.
Be sure to stop by Craft Coast for a bite and sip on Oct. 1!
ITALIAN
Blade 1936
Blade 1936 offers delicious dining in a historical landmark in Downtown Oceanside — The Blade-Tribune Building by famed architect Irving Gill. When owners Mario Cassineri, Jean Carlo Ferraiuolo and Danilo Tangali bought the building, the original plan was to create a coffee shop. Over time, however, the concept of Italian modern cuisine started to take shape. The newspaper warehouse was converted into a beautiful dining area complete with bits of history sprinkled throughout the space. The owners decided to incorporate a woodfire pizza oven in their kitchen. Blade 1936 has been certified as a Neapolitan pizza maker by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, meeting the standards of serving a true, traditional Neapolitan pizza. Impressively, Blade 1936 is currently one of only two restaurant members in San Diego.
Blade 1936 opened in September of 2019, and the restaurant has survived some of the toughest times in our city. This year, the restaurant feels like it has room to breathe and is looking forward to reaching out to the community through Taste of Oceanside. At the event, the restaurant will be welcoming participants to their outdoor patio area for a bite of something special, such as meatballs with marinara.
In addition to the main dining spaces, the restaurant offers a private dining room.. The room is furnished with historical objects donated by those who appreciate the history of the building, and the display wall, covered in repurposed wine crates, makes a lovely backdrop for any event. Over the next year, the restaurant hopes to expand their catering availability and eventually expand into more of the building that they own.
Blade 1936 offers weekly promotions like all-day happy hour on Tuesdays and Date Night on Wednesdays featuring a three-course dinner with a bottle of wine.
INDIAN
Curry & More Indian Bistro
Curry & More Indian Bistro, owned by chef Saransh Oberoi, opened earlier this year in Oceanside. The overall community and its vibes have attracted this seasoned professional into our city. After a few attempts at moving into Oceanside, Saransh felt it was the right time. Curry & More’s other locations in San Marcos and Ranch Bernardo demonstrate its restaurant model. Oberoi appreciates the Oceanside community and how it works together to provide for one another. During the pandemic, he noted, the community stood shoulder to shoulder and helped pull each other up.
Curry & More features northern Indian cuisine and classical Indian dishes while taking pride in a little experimentation. The classic Chicken Tikka Masala is always a crowd pleaser, as well as their garlic naan. The restaurant is looking forward to serving a curry sample at its second Taste of Oceanside event.
When discussing the expansion and rebirth of Oceanside, Chef Oberoi described it as being brilliant.
“The expansion and community support allows for small businesses to execute big ideas,” Oberoi said. He feels that the potential for growth in Oceanside is uncapped.
Oberoi is looking forward to more growth in Oceanside and expects to see a new Michelin restaurant in the area. Chef Oberoi has experience with Michelin restaurants and cooking on TV. A winner on the “Beat Bobby Flay” series, this famed chef is one great reason to stop in and try Curry & More!
GASTRO PUB
Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen
Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen has been in Oceanside for over 11 years. Originally on the corner of Tremont Street and Wisconsin Avenue on the southern edge of Downtown Oceanside, the restaurant is now celebrating its one-year anniversary on Mission Avenue. The new permanent location has offered opportunities to reach new patrons, and the delicious Southern fare of the Flying Pig is a favorite of many in the area.
The restaurant’s gastro-style cooking with a California influence offers diners a beautiful marriage of flavors set in an inviting environment. The menu offers a variety of Southern items, like deviled eggs, hush puppies, shrimp and grits, and a rotating steak of the day. However, the gastro pub's signature dish might be the pork chop.
Owners Roger “Roddy” Browning and his wife, Aaron, appreciate the cohesive restaurant collaboration in the Oceanside area. Aaron feels the restaurant community has found a way to support and grow together in a style of cooperation versus competition. Oceanside is now a flourishing center for collaboration and food experimentation. The Flying Pig has participated in many MainStreet Oceanside events and is excited to be returning to Taste of Oceanside this year. They were still moving during the last event and look forward to welcoming participants into their new space.
Oceanside's original tasting event, Taste of Oceanside is part of MainStreet Oceanside’s Eat & Shop Local Oceanside series of annual events, which also includes ’Tis the Season to Shop Local starting on Small Business Saturday and Mother's Day Is Sweet the Saturday before Mother's Day. To learn more about Taste of Oceanside and view all 2022 participants, visit TasteofOceanside.com.
Taste of Oceanside 5-Course Challenge
Take our new challenge to eat local in October! Register and download our scavenger hunt mobile app. Then try five courses at five different Downtown Oceanside restaurants Oct. 3-16 for a chance to win one of three prizes. Participate in three easy steps:
1. Register
for the Taste of Oceanside 5-Course Challenge at mainstreetoceanside.com/5coursechallenge. Your registration enters you into local prize giveaways.
2. Download
the GooseChase app and search for the Taste of Oceanside 5-Course Challenge game or enter Game Code GD5K7D.
3. Try 5 courses at 5 Downtown restaurants
Starting the Monday after Taste of Oceanside, dine at Downtown Oceanside restaurants, coffee shops, breweries and tasting rooms participating in the Taste of Oceanside 5-Course Challenge. Enjoy five courses at your own pace at five Downtown restaurants — a cocktail, appetizer, main course, dessert and coffee or tea — for a chance to win. Snap selfies or shoot video to document each course you try. You must complete all five courses to be entered into our giveaways. See prizes and find out more at TasteofOceanside.com.
Event details
Oct. 1, 2-5 p.m.
SOLD OUT! Come taste your way through Oceanside’s exciting food and brew scene — one bite and sip at a time. Walk or ride your bike to each participating venue — or take the Taste Trolley — to sample local handcrafted cuisine and, optionally, beverages by the restaurants, brewers and wineries that have made Oceanside one of the leading foodie destinations in North County San Diego. Explore Downtown restaurants and businesses along the way while enjoying musical performances throughout the district.
In all, enjoy 34 food and 24 craft beverage tastings at Taste of Oceanside this year, plus 3 bonus tastes. These offerings by new participating restaurants and bars, including Al Fresko, Communal Coffee, Ignite Coffee, Parlor Doughnuts, Ryes and Grind (in the former LTH+ space) and The Space Pad. All of the restaurants of The Fin Hotel will be joining Taste for the first time this year: Haetae Oceanside (inside KNVS), KNVS, North County Roastery and The Switchboard Restaurant & Bar. (Read more about these restaurants on page 18.) The following restaurants of Downtown Oceanside’s resort hotels, Mission Pacific Hotel and The Seabird Resort, are returning for 2022: Piper Restaurant, The Shore Room and Valle.
On Sept. 30, the Taste of Oceanside VIP Party will be back for the third year from 5-7 p.m.
A portion of proceeds from every ticket sold will be donated to the North County Food Bank. Based in San Marcos, the North County Food Bank provides food assistance to working-poor families, fixed-income seniors, low-income military families and children living in poverty throughout North County.
Taste of Oceanside will continue to promote zero waste in Oceanside by giving a reusable metal spork to attendees, as well as a reusable sip cup to attendees who purchase combo tickets. These commemorative gifts will prevent over 17,500 cups and 24,500 utensils from going to our landfill.
MainStreet would like to thank event sponsors Green Oceanside, City of Oceanside Economic Development, Visit Oceanside, Pierside South, Oceanside Adventures and Energy Upgrade California for their support.
Taste of Oceanside VIP Experience
Sept. 30, 5-7 p.m.
Oct. 1, 2-5 p.m.
SOLD OUT! From an elevated evening on an ocean-facing rooftop to a fun-filled afternoon at local restaurants and shops, treat yourself to a weekend full of the very best of Downtown Oceanside! Returning for 2022, the Taste of Oceanside VIP Experience offers attendees of Oceanside's original tasting event back-to-back tastings with the Third Annual Taste of Oceanside VIP Party on Friday, Sept. 30, and the Eighth Annual Taste of Oceanside on Saturday, Oct. 1.
From 5-7 p.m. on Sept. 30, the Taste of Oceanside VIP Party will return to the rooftop of Pierside South with special guest chef Daniel Elliott Pundik of Local Tap House and the soon-to-open Ryes and Grind. Enjoy bites by Elliott, cocktails by Señor Grubby’s, Harry Potter-themed desserts by Bliss Tea & Treats and live music by Tralain while taking in unforgettable sunset vibes above the Oceanside Pier and Downtown Oceanside.
Find out more at TasteofOceanside.com.
Taste of Oceanside 5-Course Challenge grand prizes
Take our challenge to shop, eat and play local this Mother’s Day and you could win one of these three grand prizes:
1. A FOUR PACK OF 2023 VIP TICKETS
Enjoy four tickets to the 2023 Taste of Oceanside VIP Experience. VIP tickets include admission to the Taste of Oceanside VIP Party and food and beverage combo admission to Taste of Oceanside next year.
2. ART AFTER DARK EXPERIENCE
Receive two 2022 tickets to Art After Dark: Metamorphosis at Oceanside Museum of Art on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 7-10 p.m., plus two guest passes and two kid passes to the Oceanside Museum of Art.
3. A NIGHT OUT IN DOWNTOWN OCEANSIDE
Receive a $100 gift card for a night out Downtown at the restaurant of your choice.
Find our more at mainstreetoceanside.com/5coursechallenge