FRAGRANT BREEZE: It's one of the telltale signs of summertime. Picture yourself walking through a neighborhood and imagining what people might be making for dinner within each home. Maybe quesadillas, maybe salad, maybe fried chicken. You can't tell, because there are no clues, but if someone is grilling hamburgers? Or ribs? You know. You know from a block away, and you have to fight the temptation to go knock on the back gate and introduce yourself and walk in for a hot dog or steak. (Honest question: How many people have done this? Followed their nose and met a new neighbor?) But what if you could go to a place, not far from the ocean, where it was all grilling, and you didn't need to knock upon any back gates or fences for a chance at a gooey cheeseburger? Such a place exists, it's the Seaside Concert area at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, and Grill Fest is landing there, in all of its tasty-good-smelling-ness, on Saturday, Aug. 9.
THE PROS AT THE GRILLS: Some "20 seasoned BBQ pros and restaurants" shall wield the sauce-covered brushes and tongs during the event, which puts the edible-nice emphasis on attendees wandering and sampling. You'll nab five "sample-sized portions" for a tenner and once the food is out, it is out (so get there around 1 p.m.). You'll get in by paying six bucks at the racetrack, too, so stash some cash for that. As for the grillers representing? Jo's Texas Brisket and Fargo's BBQ are two among the twenty. We're officially about to enter the second third of the third month of the summer season, or at least the observed summer season, meaning this: Time is waning. Have you smelled a good grill yet? No? How about some smoky goodness mingled with ocean air? Things'll get delicious at Del Mar.
