Appetite for Golf

Charity food festivals have long been a popular means of attracting benevolent-minded types, who purchase a ticket to engorge themselves with gastronomic treats for the benefit of others. Golf tournaments can also be a successful fund-raising tool.

It was only a matter of time before the two concepts were joined. Enter Golf FoodFest 2000, an 18-course meal of sorts to be held Wednesday in Ventura.

The Ventura County chapters of the National Assn. of Catering Executives and California Restaurant Assn. have teamed up to host the event at the Buenaventura Golf Course. Proceeds will go to Ventura County Food Share, an area food bank.

Several area restaurants, caterers and other vendors will serve their specialties to tournament players. Each hole on the course will feature a different food and beverage. For instance, Eric Ericsson’s, a seafood restaurant in Ventura, will serve ahi tuna rolls, which will be paired with sake or a Japanese beer. The food list includes blooming onion (Outback Steakhouse), clam chowder (Andria’s Seafood), deviled eggs (Merlin’s Kitchen), sandwiches (Buenaventura Catering), barbecue and coleslaw (Danny’s Sizzling Steaks), tamales (Familia Diaz), cookies (Plug Nickel), tacos (Cabo Grill) and doughnuts (Krispy Kreme Doughnuts).

“Since our organizations are both food-related, we thought it would be fun to let some of our members show off what they do--along with having the golfers have a good time with a usual fund-raiser type of tournament,” said event co-chairwoman Stephanie Hougue, a catering executives association member.

As for the golfers, when they aren’t eating, they will be playing in a scramble tournament. A silent auction will be held on the course and golfers of all experience levels are invited to participate.

“It’s more about fun than a competitive tournament,” Hougue said.

DETAILS

“Golf FoodFest 2000” will be Wednesday at Buenaventura Golf Course in Ventura. Registration: 11 a.m. Shotgun tee-off: 1 p.m. Cost per player: $135, includes golfer goodie bag, cart and green fees, food and post-tournament cocktail party. For more information or to register, call the Wedgewood Banquet Center at 658-1308 or Stephanie Hougue at 985-6022.

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Come Sunday: All Parrotheads and anyone with a pair of flip-flop sandals are invited to Daume Winery in Camarillo for its annual Jimmy Buffett Beach Party.

The decidedly informal event will include wine tasting, food-wine pairings, barrel samples and a continuous soundtrack of recorded Jimmy Buffett music.

The free open house--the winery is open to the public just twice a year--will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Dress for the surf.

The winery is at 270 Aviador St., Camarillo. For more information, call 484-0597 or (800) 559-9922. Internet: https://www.homebeerwinecheese.com.

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French Independence Day: 71 Palm in Ventura will again offer its special Bastille Day menu on July 14, which commemorates the 1789 storming of the Bastille prison in Paris, during the French Revolution.

Chef Didier Poirier and his staff will prepare a dinner that opens with a crudite plate (raw vegetables with a sour cream-horseradish dip), followed by a selection of garlic sausage, dried French salami and pate. Main course choices: steak au poivre avec gratin dauphinois (grilled rib-eye steak with green peppercorn sauce and scalloped potatoes); grilled salmon bearnaise; and fettuccine with fresh spinach, goat cheese and garlic confit. For dessert, napoleon, made of crisp layers of puff pastry. A glass of red or white house wine, plus coffee or tea, will accompany the meal.

Cost: $40, not including tax and tip. Doors open at 5 p.m., service until 9 p.m. For reservations, call 653-7222. The restaurant is at 71 N. Palm St., Ventura.

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Rodney Bosch writes about the restaurant scene in Ventura County and outlying points. He can be reached at 653-7572, fax 653-7576 or by e-mail at: [email protected].