BRAVO! EAST COUNTY DINING CLUB EVENT AT TIRAMISU TRATTORIA IS ANOTHER SUCCESS

By Miriam Raftery

October 3, 2017 (La Mesa) – Our second East County Dining Club event once again filled a local restaurant to capacity. Guests savored special Italian dishes, homemade pasta,Italian and local wines, and  live Italian vocal music  at Tiramisu Trattoria in La Mesa--also winning a wealth of prizes, meeting neighbors and making new friends.

Owner David Chiodo (photo, right) proved a perfect host, serving up a special menu and offering gracious hospitality to our guests. 

Diners delighted in Buono Sergia Sicilian wines as well as award-winning San Pasqual Winery vintages to taste. Mike and Linda McWilliams (photo, left) from San Pasqual Winery in La Mesa were also on hand to pour samples of their wonderful wines.

My personal favoite was the Cavatelli di Ricotta, a tasty dish with their own homemade pasta, Italian bacon and loads of cheese. Watch for this dish in our upcoming "Taste of East County Cookbook" for dining club members!

Valerie Watts (photo, right), a local vocal instructor and opera singer with experience in concerts halls of Europe, performed Italian arias as well as popular Italian songs, even leading our joyful participants in a chorus of “Volare.”

Many guests also went home winners, with silent auction wine baskets and drawing prizes.

Prizes and sponsors included restaurant gift certificates (Downtown Café and Nicolosi’s, donated by Steve Goble), amethyst& citrine necklaces,  Italian coffee from Tiramisu, a wine rack,  pottery, Nainsook Gallery art class, Club Pilates classes, Italian cookbook from Maxwell’s House of Books, Idea Field fused glassmaking class, Public Square coffee gifts, Jamul Car Wash  Jamul Car Wash gift certificate, Kidz Danz Kompany dance show tickets, Laguna Mountain Rendezvous tickets and more.

If you missed out, stop by Tiramisu in La Mesa's downtown village and let them know you heard about them on East County Magazine! 

Our third East County Dining Club adventure will be held on Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. at Himalayan Cuisine in La Mesa.  Our “Feast from the Feast” at Himalayan will feature exotic foods from India, Tibet and Nepal.  There is no prepaid price for this event; you can order directly off the menu, however RSVP’s are strongly recommended since our first two events sold out!

If you RSVP before Oct. 15 you will receive a free entry into a drawing for a Himalayan Cuisine gift basket. RSVP:  (619)698-7617 or editor@eastcountymagazine.org.

Watch for more details soon on our “Feast from the East!”

Also, consider joining our East County Dining Club for just $10 a year. You don’t have to be a member to attend our events. Members will receive a free “Best of East County Cookbook,” two free drawing tickets at your next event, and first invitations to future events at restaurants chosen by our reviewers-- giving you priority  to reserve space before we open up the invitation to the public. 

Each restaurant is donating at least 15% of proceeds to benefit East County Magazine, published by the nonprofit Heartland Coalition, our East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts, and East County Dining Club.  100% of drawing tickets and silent auction prizes also benefit these nonprofit causes, as we in turn help our members discover wonderful dining adventures with local restaurants in our communities.