Top California Dining Experiences - page 3

After 10 years in Italy and a Master’s in Food Philosophy and Sustainability, I’ve come back to my hometown to delve into the food scene here. It is truly a pleasure and an honor to educate people about the best of what California can produce. My family began making olive oil 20 years ago on our home property. It has since grown to a full fledged business and our oils regularly win awards at domestic and international competitions. You will taste olive oil like the professionals do, learn the basics of cheese tasting, and sip some of my favorite Californian wines coming from small artisanal producers, many of whom I call friends. All while enjoying the beauty of our working farm nestled in Suisun Valley!

The renowned San Diego Zoo Safari Park presents more than 3,500 animals roaming in large enclosures that replicate their natural habitat. Go on a safari adventure unlike any other outside of Africa itself, with exhibits inspired by the African Serengeti and the Asian Savanna. With mobile tickets, simply scan your phone for direct entry into the Safari Park. Ticket must be redeemed on travel date selected. Tickets must be purchased at least one day prior to visit. After 3+ years of construction, Elephant Valley is now officially open! Come immerse yourself in this incredible conservation habitat and meet a multi-generational herd of eight African savanna elephants.

Tables at Hollywood’s Hard Rock Cafe fill up quickly. With this pre-fixe lunch or dinner, guarantee that you’ll get a reservation and your meal of choice. Enjoy a high energy atmosphere and an unbeatable soundtrack as you dine, and choose a menu theme (2- or 3-course) to match your favorite tunes. A drink and dessert are included, and Hard Rock’s menu is diverse enough to suit all tastes, including vegetarians.

Combine a walking tour of San Francisco's historic waterfront with the top tastes of the city on this private adventure. In just a few hours, learn about the area's maritime past, spot sea lions bathing in their natural habitat, visit a hidden fisherman's chapel, and much more. As you explore with your guide, sample San Francisco's culinary gems, from the fresh flavors of Fisherman’s Wharf to the sweet delights of Ghirardelli Square. Leave with your appetite thoroughly satisfied and plenty of local recommendations.

Peek behind the scenes at the California Academy of Sciences with VIP tickets to the Thursday NightLife—an adults-only event that proves museums aren’t just for kids. Sip cocktails and nibble hors d'oeuvres at a private reception, then go inside “The Vault” to see glittering gemstones and prehistoric treasures not on view to the general public. You’ll also take a walk on the wild side with express entry to the Osher Rainforest dome and get starry-eyed during a planetarium show.

Learn the diverse and unique story of San Francisco through food and history. San Francisco has been the epicenter of change. From the hippie movement of the 60s to the current gentrification taking place with the tech boom. We’ve narrowed down some of the best locally owned, small restaurants in San Francisco. These are our favorite places to bring friends and family when we are trying to impress them with our local expertise on the food scene. Once booked, this tour will include tastings and the history of the neighborhood. So, bring comfortable shoes and a hungry stomach, as you'll be visiting some of these locations and more!

Join us on a day-long, small-group wine tour of Charming Hideaway Mountainside wineries in Napa! You’ll visit two wineries tucked away in the hills above the Napa Valley and be served a picnic lunch in an idyllic winery setting. Your tour guide will tell fascinating stories and share many interesting tidbits about local history, culture and wine making. You have the option to taste at the wineries (tasting fees run about $50 per person at each winery). Our specialty is intimate, light hearted and truly memorable experiences. Once the tour concludes, you will be dropped off from where you were picked up. The tour typically has 8-10 guests on board.

Taste an array of culinary offerings in San Francisco's Mission district during this 4-course progressive dining experience. Follow a foodie guide through the historically Latino neighborhood packed with bars and restaurants. Stop at four different restaurants for a prix-fixe menu starting with two appetizer stops followed by an entree and concluding with dessert. Along the way, hear the stories of restaurant owners and chefs, which will give a behind-the-scenes perspective of the area, while enjoying food tastings.

Skip the guesswork of where to eat in San Francisco’s Mission District and head straight to trusted local favorites on a guided food tour. Instead of navigating menus and lines on your own, you follow a local expert to a curated mix of classic and modern bites that showcase the neighborhood’s culinary diversity. Sample standout dishes without missing the spots locals actually love.

Los Angeles is known for its incredible foodie scene. Tacos are a local staple of Angeleno's diets. You can find tacos everywhere, but if you want to find the secret, locals only stand out tacos, come ride with us. Starting out at LA's historic food hall, Grand Central Market, with so many choices you'll want a guide to show you the best stalls to visit. We've curated the rest of our taco cruise to highlight a variety of the best tacos downtown LA has to offer; from Michelin starred chefs, to street stand, off the beaten path taqueros, we'll try as many as we can before you're full. Riding bikes while chasing tacos enables us to bypass the traffic, and seek out the hidden local treasures and pathways only accessible by bike.

Join us on a walking food tour in San Francisco’s “Little Italy”, known locally as North Beach, for a culinary adventure through one of the city’s most iconic and delicious neighborhoods. Steeped in Italian heritage and known for its vibrant food and drinks scene, North Beach draws equal parts locals and tourists to its trattorias, bakeries and cocktail bars. We a local epicurean concierges will treat your palate to coal-fired thin crust pizza, meatball sandwich on focaccia and traditional Sacripantina cake, among other eats, while sharing stories about these historic eateries and you won’t be left wanting more. Views of Coit Tower and the Transamerica pyramid make perfect backdrops as you graze your way through the diverse restaurants and hear from chefs and artisans about their backgrounds and passion for being a part of San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood.

Combine sightseeing with fine dining on this Napa Valley Wine Train tour. Reserve an exclusive seat in the Champagne Vista Dome of a 1952 Pullman full-dome railcar, and experience an intimate 3-course dining experience. Take in sweeping views of California's wine country as you enjoy a chef-prepared meal. Perfect for celebrating a special occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary.

Try your hand at making the best taco you’ve ever tasted on this tour in Tijuana. Your guide will meet you in San Diego, then escort you into Mexico to make it stress free. Then you’ll visit the market, pick out all your ingredients, and then put together some tasty tacos. No cheating and going to the taco stand. This is your very own creation.

Experience the beauty of Napa Valley with daily group wine tours from Napa. This full-day tour takes you to three premier wineries, with a professional driver guiding your group. Enjoy a fun and easy outing with fellow wine enthusiasts while savoring exceptional wines and stunning landscapes. Includes hotel transfers, a boxed lunch, and bottled water. Tasting fees extra.

If you've ever wanted to be the host or hostess with the mostest and impress your guests with Insta-worthy charcuterie boards and grazing tables, then this is the class for you! If you just want to relax, have fun, chat with a well-traveled Tahoe local and eat delicious charcuterie, then this is also the class for you! I'm happy to accommodate food allergies and custom orders.

Visit Rosarito Baja from San Diego, come and taste the sea food of this village in Rosarito and walk along the beach.

Perfect for romantic evenings, private dinner parties, family brunches, business lunches, personal wellness retreats, and photo shoots. You tell us what you want to eat and drink and we will work with our network of local chefs to create a menu -- you are also welcome to simply rent the boat and bring your own food and beverages. Nearly a century old, this 3-cabin yacht exudes timeless elegance. With abundant natural light, views of the mountains, and the subtle swaying of bay waters, it is a retreat space that calms the senses and soothes the soul. The teak interior includes a quaint kitchenette, two bathrooms three small gathering spaces. At the rear of the boat is a cozy open-air space that seats four, with a roof overhead for protection from the elements. There's also room for 4 to 6 people to gather on the front of the boat. Base pricing noted here is for use of the space; contact us to decide on a menu and determine additional pricing for food and drink.

Dive into San Francisco’s foodie scene at the Ferry Building before making the trip to Alcatraz for a self-guided audio tour. Join your local guide and small group for a tasting tour of the farmer’s market and sample artisan cheese, chocolates, freshly baked bread, and much more. Then enjoy an enlightening deep dive into the history of San Francisco’s infamous maximum-security prison with the award-winning 'Cellhouse Audio Tour.'

Embark on a guided tour through an amalgam of thought-provoking art installations at San Francisco’s Gregangelo Museum and meet the creatives behind them over lunch. You will tour three enchanting gardens where more than 30 local artists have crafted mesmerizing pieces meant to provoke meaningful discussions about an array of topics. This activity is ideal for anybody who enjoys grassroots art.

Find some hidden spots for tasty vegan food when you book this small group tour to Mexico. Your guide will easily meet you in San Diego and assist you in crossing the border to make that hassle free. Then you’ll hit the streets of Tijuana, sampling several vegan delights, and indulging in a local craft beer, too.

Let’s Do Lunch! A visual feast with San Francisco artists “One of the last havens for artists in the city” - SFGate - During this Behind-the-Scenes Visit, enjoy a homemade, multicultural meal with our creative team. Immerse into this vibrant world of local artists as you explore their studios, gaining insight into their creative process and witnessing firsthand the magic behind their masterpieces. With exclusive access to several installations and intimate conversations with the artists, a chance to meet local luminaries, and perhaps witness spontaneous performances, this cultural encounter offers many surprises. Come connect with fellow travelers and locals in this heartfelt experience of joy and inspiration!

Discover a bright, social cocktail experience that feels distinctly San Francisco. Hosted inside Gold Bar Distillery’s 1930s Art Deco Pan Am hangar on Treasure Island, this hands-on class pairs creative mixology with sweeping views of the Bay and San Francisco skyline. The experience highlights Pacific House Gin, crafted by Gold Bar Distillery and known for its vibrant botanicals, fresh citrus, and smooth, approachable character. Guests shake, stir, and garnish three colorful cocktails while learning how botanicals shape flavor and balance. One of the moments guests love most is seeing the first cocktail come together, a bright, beautifully balanced drink they just made themselves. Even guests who normally don’t reach for gin often leave surprised by how refreshing and enjoyable these cocktails can be. Getting here is easy, including a scenic six-minute ferry ride from the San Francisco Ferry Building. Pacific House Gin is the Official Gin of Bay FC.

If a deluxe cookout dinner surrounded by the iconic sites of Yosemite Valley isn’t enough, then you can feel good know that your booking your adventure through a socially and environmentally sustainable, worker owned, certified B-Corp.

It's not often that you can visit a winery in the heart of a city! Berkeley has been home to what we call 'urban wineries' for almost 20 years. Although these producers don't own any vineyards of their own, they work directly with grape growers from all around northern California. It is important to note that I am very selective about my choice of wines and wineries. With thousands of wineries in the state, many small, fine wine oriented producers are overlooked by large scale industrial operations. I like to champion true artisans and support small businesses!