Forget the Wine Spectator Best Buys, join Lindsay Pomeroy of The Wine Smarties as she reveals to you some of her best buys and her favorites here in San Diego. She will share with you wine-buying tips and regions that offer the best value for the money. Lindsay's experience directing 2 restaurant wine programs and a retail store will prove to be invaluable as she tells you the where's and what's of wine buying in San Diego. She will scower Ralph's, Albertson's, Trader Joes, BevMO! and smaller wine shops in town to bring you the most up-to-date wine buys out there! This class is designed for the bargain hunter in you! This class will be served with The Prados famous flatbread and hummus, artisanal meat, cheese and fruit platters.

The Balboa Park Food & Wine School is proud to welcome Gina Freize, “Cheese Wiz,” from Venissimo Cheese in Mission Hills and Keri Busino, Southern CA District Manager of Icon Estates Wines. They will take you on a journey through 5 perfect wine & cheese pairings. Learn some simple tips on how to match cheeses with different wines as well as the basics of wine & cheese. Venissimo carries more than 120 varieties of imported and domestic artisan cheeses at any given time in the Mission Hills shop. Gina passionately believes in the “glory and goodness of cheese.” The course will appeal to both beginners and connoisseurs. You will not want to miss this class!

Join Lindsay of The Wine Smarties as we taste some of the new organic wines out of our great country! Organic wines have been getting some great press these days for their quality and health benefits. In this health-conscious society, it is becoming more important to eat and drink foods in their purest forms. We'll be discussing the differences between Organic and biodymanic and reintroduce you to some of your household favorites as well as new wineries to watch! This class will be served with The Prados Flatbread and Hummus, Cheese and Fruit Platters and a selection of housemade breads.

You won't want to be left out of this class! Join Chef Miles of Mister Tiki Mai Tai Lounge as he brings the secrets of the Pacific Islands to you! Be sure to wear you grass skirts and Hawaiian shirts and bring your appetite! The menu will include: EDAMAME; TRADITIONAL MISO SOUP; ISLAND SANGRIA; STUFFED AHI SASHIMI; CITRUS SHRIMP & MINT SALAD; TIKI'S SURF & TURF: SEARED U-10 JUMBO SCALLOP, WASABI CRUSTED PETITE FILET and finishing the evening with COCONUT FRUIT SOUP the class will be served with House Chardonnay and Cabernet.

Talk about a Celebrity Chef! Join us for what is sure to be a culinary delight with Top Chef Contender, Brian Malarkey of The Oceanaire Seafood Room. As always he will bring charm, knowledge and surely some stories of running a Restaurant and being a contestant on a Reality TV Show. His menu will include Fresh Alaskan King Crab and Caviar Martini; Basil Fed Escargot and Anchovie Butter; Italian Black Truffle Risotto; Sea of Cortez Black Seabass “Beurre Noisette” and finishing with a Cheese Course, the menu will be wine paired by Laura Dove, The Prados Sommelier.

Here is is! One of the most popular sushi classes in town! Join Jeff Roberto, our Sushi Maestro as he shows you the ins and outs of Sushi rolling and tricks of getting those chopsticks to work for you! You will be sipping on signature Prado Martinis while enjoying rolls and rolls of sushi! On the menu is California Rolls, Spicy Tuna Rolls, Shrimp Tempura Rolls, Rainbow Rolls, and MORE. This will be a hands-on cooking class with a limit of 2 martinis per person.

Now you can drink your dinner! Peter Robson has done it again, come enjoy and "drink your dinner" with his recipes that use cocktail ingredients in a way you've never seen before! You will enjoy the fire in the pan and the flavors of the cocktails with your food. So grab a friend, a date or just your mate and come eat and "drink your dinner". Menu to incluse: Tom Collins Wilted Spinach Salad, "Da Bull" Shrimp, Manhattan Marinated Pork Chops, Lemon Drop Carrots, Johnny Walker Red Baby Potatoes and Coconut Rummed Plums over Vanilla Gelato. This class will be served with House Chardonnay and Cabernet.

The Grill Master is back to sizzle and smoke, char and flame! Join Executive Chef Hanis Cavin of Kensington Grill and he continues to show you new and creative ways to cook with your Barbeque Grill. This class is part of our Outdoor Grilling Series and is held on the beautiful and serene terraces of The Prado Restaurant in Balboa Park. The menu will be revealed soon and we will serve House Chardonnay and Cabernet during the class.

Close your eyes and picture Cinque Terre which is kilometers of sheer rocky coastline in northern Italy, terraced hills and vineyards sloping steeply down to the sea. Five little villages are built into the rocks between the beach and the hills. Can you just imagine? Now open your eyes and your appetite as Nadia brings the cuisine of this area to you, as she does so well. The menu is to include: Focaccia with Basil and Roasted Garlic; Artichoke and Potato Soup with Basil Pesto and Pine Nuts ; Ricotta and Sun Dried Tomato Ravioli with Parmesan Cream Sauce and Toasted Walnuts; White Fish with Olives, Herb and Pine Nuts with White Wine Sauce; Savoy Cabbage Ligurian style with Raisins and Fennel Seeds; and finishing with a Jam Tart with Apricot Sauce. This menu will be paired with wines hand picked by Laura Dove, The Prados Sommilier.

What better way to end the work-week and the month of May then with a hands on Sushi Class! Join Jeff Roberto as he helps you roll the evening away and teaches you the right and wrong of eating and ordering sushi. You will be rolling and enjoying California Rolls, Spicy Tuna Rolls, Shrimp Tempura Rolls, Rainbow Rolls, Tuna Sushi, Fresh Water Eel Roll Sushi, and Yellowtail Sushi. This class will be served with The Prados famous cocktails (limit 2 per person).

Ahh the wonders of spring! After a brisk and chilly winter, San Diegans welcome the scent of fresh cut grass, bouquets of tulips and daffodils, and sunny walks through the winding walkways of Balboa Park. Why not start the afternoon in the culinary kitchen with an entertaining, appetite-satisfying brunch with mimosas, and the views of Balboa Park’s gardens? The menu includes: Classic Quiche Lorraine, Spanish Frittata, Apple Pancakes with Grand Mariner Cream, Leeked Baby Potatoes, Parmed Oven-roasted Roma Tomatoes, and Brandied Blueberries over Vanilla Gelato. You’ll want to take a mid-afternoon stroll to walk off this one!

This class is sure to knock your socks off! Pete Robson had created a new menu around 'Cocktail Cuisine', and I am sure he will be checking ID's! This 21 and up menu will include: Spicy Cosmopolitan Arugula Salad; Pina Coloda Shrimp; French 75 Chicken Breasts; Tequila Sunrise Carrots;Whiskey Swizzle Potatoes; Bermuda Rummed Grilled Peaches. The class will be served with House Chardonnay and Merlot.

Hold on to your sweet tooth, Aubrey our Baking Gal is back in the kitchen and for the month of May she is treating us to the secrets of her healthy muffins and scones. This class you will learn how to make scrumptious blackberry-banana muffins and dulce de leche scones! The class will be served with fresh fruit and mimosas to compliment, and you will be taking home not only new recipes but warm baked goodies also!

Ready for Summer? So is Pete Robson and he is pulling out his tried and true BBQing recipes to share with all. The menu will include: Grilled Baby Bok Choy, Grilled Bourbin Mashed Potatoes, Grilled Portobella Mushrooms with Burgandy Glaze,Grilled Shrimp in Orange and Tarragon Butter, Rosemary Smoked Lamb Chops, and Vanilla Gelato with Burn Orange Sauce. Class will be served with House Chardonnay and Cabernet.

Our Nadia has done it again, she has come up with a brunch menu to indulge in! The class will be a wonderful way to begin anyones Saturday afternoon with a menu to include: Tomatoes, Roasted Bell Peppers and Capers Garlic Bruschetta Ribollita (Vegetable Tuscan Soup); Black Olives and Pine Nuts Bread Rolls; Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Garlic and Marsala Sauce; White Beans and fresh Tomato Stew with Rosemary and Garlic; Panna Cotta with Chianti Wine Sauce and Florentine Cookies. After class take a stroll thru Balboa Park and enjoy the weekend! This class will have hand picked wine pairings.