SOLD OUT Farm-to-Table Dinner Featuring Merenda Wine Bar and Burgeon Beer

Featuring Chef Xavier De La Cruz

Chef Xavier De La Cruz of South Oceanside's Merenda Wine Bar was born and raised in Long Island, New York, but some of his earliest and most lasting food memories come from summers spent on his grandmother’s farm in the Dominican Republic. Meals there were made with what was available — vegetables from the garden, meat they raised themselves, fish they caught. Watching his grandmother cook from the heart, with what she had on hand, sparked something in him early on. By the time he was 10, he knew he wanted to be a chef.

He followed that passion all the way through culinary school at Johnson & Wales, then jumped straight into the New York restaurant world. Along the way, he’s cooked in a wide range of kitchens — from the plant-forward creativity of ABCV to the bold Chinese-American flavors at Silver Apricot, where he ran the kitchen as Chef de Cuisine. He’s spent time on the hot line, worked whole-animal butchery and seafood production, developed recipes, built teams, and opened restaurants from the ground up.

Xavier’s style is rooted in strong technique and a deep respect for ingredients, but more than anything, he believes that good food should come from a place of joy. A chef once told him, “As long as you're learning and having fun, the rest will follow.”

Featuring Burgeon Beer Company 

Burgeon Beer Company is a San Diego‑born brewery (Carlsbad HQ, taproom, and private events space, plus locations in Escondido, Vista, and Little Italy) that was founded in 2016 by three local high‑school friends who are obsessed with great beer, outdoor vibes, and community spirit.