Taste of the Grove took place on Friday, September 8th and is part of the Morro Bay Avocado & Margarita Festival that took place on Saturday, September 9th. This was the 2nd annual Taste of the Grove (and the 11th Avo & Marg Fest but we only did Taste of the Grove) held at The Packing Shed, a Morro Bay avocado farm on Highway 41. I had never even heard of this venue prior to last years event but it’s absolutely perfect.
It’s tucked down away from Highway 41 and it feels so intimate because it’s not a huge space, you’re surrounded by trees, and the rustic wood buildings really add that ‘Central Coast vibe’. I have no idea how many people attended the event but another way in which it feels intimate is that the head count seems low. At least lower to most any other event in San Luis Obispo County that I have been to.
You’ll see who some of the vendors were by going through the photos in the slideshow below, but the way it works is that each food vendor creates something to serve that contains avocado. I have to say, some of these folks were really creative and even the ones that weren’t super unique still killed it. There were farms, caterers, and restaurants all dishing stuff out. I’ll admit, we had to go back to some tables twice. There were also some wineries, a brewery, and cocktails to wash all of that avocado goodness down.
All in all, this has, in two short years, become a favorite. Kyle and her crew do an incredible job decking this venue out as well as organizing and attaining the vendors that come in. So, a BIG thank you to Kyle for the fantastic job. Another thank you goes out to all the vendors. You guys are awesome and we appreciate all the hard work you put in to things like this.
Some things that stood out:
I already stated this but the venue really is incredible.
The quality of the vendors is legit!
This event skews older in age which is good because you miss out on all the 21-year old partiers. Sorry 21-year old partiers, I’m getting old.
There was also live music which added to the ambiance.
Jeffry’s Catering had an amazing H.M.B.L.T. slider. We also really enjoyed the bites from Olea Farms, Chef Charlie, and the nacho bar from Farmstead Ed was insane!
Leave a Reply