Monday, October 5, 2009

from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Grill at The Lodge at Torrey Pines

Cost: $15 for members

Please join us for a special member reception to meet and welcome Erika Lesser, Executive Director of Slow Food USA. Erika has worked for Slow Food USA since its founding in 2000, and also spent a year working at Slow Food's international headquarters in Italy for the University of Gastronomic Sciences, before returning to New York in 2004 to take on her current position. A native of Boston, Erika graduated from Brown University with a BA in Italian Studies and Art History, and worked in the food and nonprofit sectors while earning a MA in Food Studies from New York University. Erika also serves on the boards of Community Food Security Coalition and Slow Food International.

Erika is in San Diego to speak about Slow Food: Growing a Social Movement to Change the Food System, part of the San Diego Natural History Museum's Sustainable Planet Series. Click Here to purchase tickets to her lecture on Tuesday, October 6 at 6:30 p.m. She will also be featured on KPBS' These Days program on Tuesday morning.

Enjoy a private evening with Erika and other San Diego Slow Food members. Join us on Monday, October 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Grill at The Lodge at Torrey Pines. Acclaimed chef Jeff Jackson and the chefs from The Grill will be preparing farm-to-table bites and featuring local drink specials.

The Grill at The Lodge at Torrey Pines is located in the bottom floor of the hotel, adjacent to the Torrey Pines Golf Course. Free parking is available in the golf course parking lot; free valet service is also offered at The Lodge. The Grill will also be offering $30, three-course dinners for those who'd like to stay on after the reception.

The cost for this special event is $15, with all proceeds donated to UCSD's International House. Please Click Here to purchase tickets and RSVP for this not-to-be-missed event!