Elite Event: Pinot’s Palette

This review has taken way too long to get to but I finally got it! First and foremost, big shout out to Brad for putting on such an awesome event. Painting is always a fun time. Add drinking, and it’s just going to be a memorable event! Pinot’s Palette is a great venue. Perfect for getting friends together or even a date night. The hosts were amazing and were very entertaining. The instructor was a character and did a fantastic job of leading the class. I definitely will find myself back here in the future. The food and drinks were just as great and only makes me want to come to the area more often to try out new places and Unilocal!It’s always fun meeting up with fellow elites, meeting new ones and making memories. Really looking forward to more fun times and can hardly wait to come back to Pinot’s on my own time for round 2!

Pinot’s Palette was an awesome Unilocal Elite event. What a unique way to get some food, drinks, and creative juices flowing. I felt like a kid (esp. when it’s been YEARS since I’ve picked up a paint brush).
The food from Solare was amazing. I was a big fan of the lasagna and their house smoked salmon!
Tip: Make sure you put Roosevelt «ROAD» into GPS, not Roosevelt «AVE».
Thanks Solare, Pinot’s Palette, and Brad for a fabulous Unilocal event!

Im going to make a very bold statement and say this may be one of my favorite Unilocal events to date. There is slight bias in the fact that I was a studio art major in college. but really, experience /​exposure aside, I think most people would agree with me. it was such a unique experience!
on a personal level, it was pretty rewarding for me because this event was the first time I picked up a paint brush and applied paint to a canvas in about 6 years. After college I moved on from it and just couldnt bring myself to do it anymore. but something about being around all that positive energy, engaging in a group painting adventure with a common theme, and a wee bit of alcohol and extremely tasty food just took all that pressure and anxiety away. pinot palette felt like returning home.
i had no idea what to expect but when i was handed a smock and pointed to my station… all ready for me with supplies and personalized with my name on it… I knew we were in for a special night. combine that with free range of all the alcohol they offered and and a delicious food spread and just WOW. «fun evening» doesnt even come close to expressing my opinions of the nite. i enjoyed a glass of chardonnay until I realized there was beer selections and I could partake in the delicious ballast point sculpin. cannot pass that up when available! the food by Solare was outstanding. the cheese spread was just lovely but the absolute shining star was that ravioli. i have never tasted ravioli with such amazing flavor. the spinach tasted like it was just plucked from a garden and used that day. FRESH.
the actual painting experience of pinot’s is really awesome. i find their approach to painting as a group quite inviting and social, making it something a person at any artistic level to enjoy. i will admit that the assigned seating at events is also a great thing as it gave me the opportunity to meet and chat with brand new people. our painting instructor was super friendly, a good teacher, and even made it fun with a little drinking game every time a plan flew over (but really, with this group… we dont need an excuse to take another sip!). all in all it was such a memorable night and i hope we do more of these engaging events! i would recommend pinot’s palette to everyone… thank you so much for having us.
AND THANK YOU BRAD, you are the best :)

This event was an awesome chance to get to know my fellow San Diego elites, paint (or attempt to paint), sip on cocktails, and enjoy delicious bites provided by Solare.
Very well organized the staff was spectacular. To teach a group of potentially unartistic and slightly drunk adults must take patience, and humor to deal with us! The Pinots Palette staff was spectacular and welcoming to us, this was truly the best part of the event — makes me want to come back!
Other than painting the food was exquisite, definitely Italian pasta! Wine and beer selection was also perfect for the event.
Thanks Brad and Unilocal community for welcoming me into the elite group, this event was exciting and a great way to meet people. The assigned seating scared me at first, but getting to know my neighbors Linda D and Lisa W showed me just how much fun community events are! Can’t wait to my next event and next stop into Pinots Palette. The perfect spot for a girls night out!

I still can’t get over what a fun time I had at Pinot’s Palette last Tuesday for my first Unilocal Elite Event! I’ve been wanting to try painting and wine for quite some time now, and I had such a wonderful experience at Pinot’s and cannot wait to come back again soon. To start, everyone was so welcoming and dedicated to making this a great event from the moment we all walked in. The owners made an effort to personally greet everyone, and it was clear from the start how passionate and excited they are to be running Pinot’s and spreading the good vibes that go along with painting and drinking!
To start, the food was provided by Solare and it was all delicious. I especially enjoyed the Smoked Salmon, Burrata cheese, and Spinach Ravioli. There was certainly no shortage of food provided by Solare, and everyone was raving about all of the different items they tried. I will definitely be coming back to Liberty Station the next time I am craving Italian food!
Now, for the painting… to be honest, I was very nervous to paint because my artistic talents are lacking to put it lightly. I was intimidated by the beach scene we were supposed to be painting, and I thought there was absolutely no way for my painting to even resemble the example. But, with the help of our amazing, lively instructor my painting actually turned out ok! Our instructor was very helpful and engaging, and his attitude was certainly one of the highlights of the night. He made sure everyone could follow what was going on, and he even made a rule that we had to drink whenever a plane flew over (we had to drink A LOT since Pinot’s is right under the path of every plane leaving San Diego)! We had assigned seating at the event, and it was a wonderful to be able to get to know the other Unilocal Elites as a result… really fun painting next to you, Jack M.
The whole evening just went incredibly smoothly. There was never a lull over the whole 3-​hour event, and I believe everyone who attended had a great time and walked away feeling successful about their painting and excited to come back again! Thanks for such a fun time Unilocal,Pinot’s, and Solare!

Social painting, decadent catering from Solare restaurant, a fun good time… and wine!
This had to be one of the top Elite events of the year as we were treated to an extraordinary night.
From the nearby Solare restaurant, we enjoyed a decadent display of charcuterie eats as well as a hot buffet of Italian food, including a bolognese lasagne that tasted so fresh and homemade — deliciousness probably as good as fare prepared by Dan’s nonna.
The set up of the room was inviting as it was personal and creative — each canvas station had our names pre-​scrawled in chalk at our assigned seats. Each seat had a bunch of Unilocal swag along with our paint brushes and pre-​squeezed acrylic color palettes. Our painting instructor was entertaining with his step-​by-​step instruction and had us take a sip from our wine or beer glasses every time a plane flew over as the venue is located in Liberty Station right under the flight path of nearby San Diego airport.
I really liked the fact that we weren’t rushed into painting right away. The event was longer than usual — three hours — and we were treated to a relaxing first hour of eating, drinking and socializing across the main room and a second side room. It was a great way to catch up with our Unilocal friends, and then when we sat down to paint, I liked that the seating assignments had us sitting next to Elites we may not have already known.
Thank you to Pinot’s Palette, Solare Ristorante Italiano and Unilocal San Diego (Brad B and Sandra)! From this event I could tell that Pinot’s Palette is a lot more fun and social than other social paint night venues I have been to, where those have been more about just sitting quietly and painting very seriously!

Let the creative juices flow. or wait was that the wine? LOL
A paint night has been in my bucket list so this event was perfect! And oh what fun! Thank you to the owners and staff at Pinot’s Pallette, Solare, Brad, Sandra and everyone who helped make this night a memorable one.
It was great to see familiar Unilocal Elite as well as some fresh Elites in the room. I always enjoy seeing my Unilocal friends.
The night was like each one of us was given a wand and were weaving some sort of magic with our paint brushes. I loved that some people took it to a really creative level. I saw surfboards, sunshine, seagulls, sailboats, fluffy clouds that looked like bunny rabbits and penis (umm not together) Ironically without even trying I snaggged a pic of some of these, so when I looked closely and saw the paintings in my pic, I cracked up laughing my ass off.
Located in Liberty Station, we toasted the planes soaring overhead. Someone told me that this happens every 75 seconds… somehow I doubt this… otherwise we would have really let loose and of course remained on our best behavior.
I could not believe that when I walked in and saw that they trusted me with a blank canvas AND it was NOT a paint by numbers deal. Oh boy, I was a wee bit nervous that I would end up a blob on the canvas. But with the step by step directions, I ended up impressed so much so that I plan on a other painting night and have been stalking the calendar to see what paintings are coming up!
Again, Thank you Thank Thank You for a Fantabulous Night Out! Cheers!

This is something that I’ve had on my thing to do for a while now! Glad I was able to be a part of this event. It was so much fun and even better to be with a group of people I knew.
We all lined up outside the door as we waited to be shown out assigned seats and given our apron. Yes, the seats were assigned but I think it was fun that way to be separated from our regular cliques and able to interact with other Elites. Also, got to meet so many new elites this event so it was nice to get to know more people!
I love that swag was presented at every seat:) it made it really nice and welcoming. Usually at events, you have to get there early to get something before everyone else gets to it. No fighting this time around!
We got to drink and mingle as we waited for the food to come out. Wide variety of wines were offered so that was nice to have choices rather than 1 merlot and 1 Pinot Grigio. The food was from Solare. The lasagne was soo good! I wanted more but couldn’t be greedy.
After a few minutes of mingling and drinking, we took our seats. I was seated in the last row so it was a little hard to see the instructor and what little techniques he was using. Luckily, the 2 assistants were making rounds to help out anyone that needed it. I definitely needed it when it came to making clouds. Those suckers are hard! I was seated next to Brad so we were helping each other out with instruction and inspiration. It was a lot of fun!
Everyone had their special beach portrait to take home. Others got a little more creative than instructed but that was the beauty of this event! Paint. Drink. Have fun! And we definitely did! Thank you everyone involved for this good night!

I fully intended to just watch my fellow Elites paint… and not participate myself. Why you ask? Because I CAN’T PAINT! Or at least I thought I couldn’t. Turns out, I can follow instructions and make it look like something resembling a beach scene, thanks to our funny and entertaining instructor, Brian. I never thought in a million years that I could turn out something as good as I did… although good is a relative term!
AND…AND…I did it with only one glass of liquor in me! The owner Dan, was kind enough to open a small bottle of Proseco for me, as I’m not much of a wine or beer drinker. Thanks Dan! And thank you and Julie for opening up Pinot’s Palette for us Unilocalers. We had such a good time, as you can tell from all the pictures!
I’ve watched this «Wine and Paint» fad grow the last couple of years. I usually see it on all the local coupon emails we all receive and buy. And each time I’ve thought, «Nope, never gonna see me at one of those events. I can’t paint and I don’t drink wine.» Well, can’t say that anymore!
And I loved the food Solare provided. I had some of their bites at an event at their restau a few years ago and have been meaning to make it back there. Now, I have no excuse because everything they so graciously served us was deloosh!!! From the small bites, to the lasagna and the charcuterie board, it was wonderful.
Funny thing is… haven’t really tried to draw my whole life, and the next night I was scheduled to take a drawing class! And I felt a bit experienced already, lol. Thanks PP!
It was also wonderful sitting next to Elites I had not met before. They were funny and encouraging with the painting. I had told Brad a few weeks ago that I do love when they have an event that almost forces us to mingle with Elites we don’t know and not stick with our cliques as Lisa W. also mentioned.
Brad and Sarah, another great job! This month has more events than ever before and I’m so blown away how you pull it all together each time and make every party so unique and fun.
COLOR ME IMPRESSED!

You have to give cred to Brad and the owners of Pinot’s. They put together an event that was well thought out and gosh — forget the free Unilocal swag you get at these Unilocal events — I now have a painting that *I* created as my own personal swag to remember from this evening.
It was heart warming to meet the owners, Julie and Dan. This was a nice size production so I appreciated their hard work, sincerity, and overall kindness to everyone at the event that night. They would serve drinks, help clear food plates, and do anything to help facilitate the interaction between the Unilocaler and the painting teacher.
Solare also deserves a pat on the back as they served some great food. My favorite was the fried calamari served in a paper cone. So so good. The Solare staff seemed to be in sync with Julie and Dan the entire time the food was being served. It was amazing to see that type of camaraderie between two neighbors that are helping each other garner new interest in their respective business. We all need that type of camaraderie don’t we in our lives.
I’ve been to several of these ‘follow instructor’ painting classes (non-​yelp event related) and have enjoyed most of them. The approach at Pinot’s was great as the seats were assigned (loved my name written with chalk at my station!), they have a cute bar that serves beer and wine, there’s a side room for private parties, they have BLOW DRYERS you can use to dry your painting (!), and the painting instructor we had was wonderfully funny. And again, I often found myself staring at the owners and watching them bust their arses to make every moment count for each person that night. Who does that. I’ll tell you who — owners who care.
My painting turned out alright but let me tell you why — it was the first painting class where I didn’t nitpick, re touch, over think what I was painting on the canvas. Sure, you can try to be the next Claude Monet but that’s a lot of stress. So the trick to these paintings is to relax and have fun. No one is judging your painting (harder than you’re judging it at least). Even Type A people, ahem, can enjoy these classes.
I absolutely will be back. I’ve been researching which painting reaches out to my soul (yeah, who we kidding, I’m just looking for a painting that’s pretty and looks easy to replicate). The Forêt Noir et Jaune painting at the end of this month is calling my name I think.
Thank you Brad and Unilocal staff. Most importantly though, thank you Julie and Dan for hosting a memorable event with a parting gift (my beach painting!) that I’m staring at right now as I’m writing this review.

Good eats, wine and buzzed painting? Yup! I haven’t painted since elementary school so I was a bit intimidated at screwing up the canvas but it turned out alright though it wasn’t the masterpiece I wished it to be.
Dan and Julie are awesome hosts and were very welcoming. They were kind enough to bring over refills when the cups got empty. What a way to make everyone feel welcomed! The entire staff did a great job of keeping us motivated, especially after we screwed up a tad bit during the painting process.
Our painting instructor was awesome and kept everyone in the room well entertained. We had a good laugh throughout the entire two hours of painting. The best part? Drinking every time a plane flew by (though this probably impaired my ability to paint much better).
The food from Solare was BOMB! The lasagna and ravioli was on point, along with the smoked salmon pairing perfectly with a nice glass of red. It was a bummer I came a tad bit late and missed out on the gnocchi and calamari. I will definitely pay Solare a visit very soon!
Even though my painting didn’t come out as well as I had wished, it was super fun nevertheless being around such a fun group of people.
Props to Brad and Sandra for organizing such an awesome event!
#PaintDrinkHaveFun

I recently moved from North County Elite to San Diego Elite, and this was the first event I was able to attend this year, so I was pretty stoked to be on the list for this one!
Parking was great for me, I found a spot right in front. Off to a great start, woo!
I was greeted with a smile by the artists/​instructors, they informed everyone where everything is, and they even had a seating chart… The mystery of who I was going to sit next to was a tiny bit exciting in itself!
I found my seat, promptly took a photo and headed to the bar. The glass of Cabernet I had was lovely… So had 2!
There was a great food spread. I enjoyed the calamari, the artichoke stuff, the greens with salmone.
Dan and Julie, the owners, seem like good people, I wished I could have chatted with them a bit more.
Everything you need to paint is all set up for you and there are lots of great paintings hung around the room for inspiration. They also had several selfie frames, Bob Ross included! This was instructor led, the colors we needed were provided, and I saw others who had different colors added so I’m sure all you had to do was ask for another color.
The instructor encouraged us to get creative and put our own twist on the image we were to paint. It was so fun and therapeutic to brush paint on the canvas… And I was pretty pleased with my masterpiece since I haven’t painted with acrylics on canvas since high school.
It was so great to meet new (to me) Unilocal Elitists. Everyone is really nice! This event exceeded my Elite event standard — well done, Brad!
I’ve seen friends go out and do these painting with wine things, and didn’t think I’d be that into it… But now I can’t wait to do it again!

Unilocal Elite Events often range from new business and old trying to relaunch. Pinot’s Palette is not a new concept but a new business in Liberty Station in Pt. Loma. We had the pleasure to try them out with a little help from Solare.
The gist of the event. Drink Wine, Eat some bites from Solare. Then Paint. We had an instructor that showed you the basics on how to do the strokes, the paint combo and how to drink everytime when a plane flies over (this wasn’t distracting, it just meant more alcohol in ma belly!).
This should be considered one of the best events of the year 2015. Thanks Brad and Julie and Dan for hosting and Solare for providing us bites. For an entertaining event or even a date, this is very much fun for several hours.
Although I didn’t produce a masterpiece, All had a masterful time and fun was had by all!
And as the sign says as you enter.
PAINT. DRINK. HAVE FUN!

This event at Pinot’s Palette was especially memorable because it was centered more on an activity – an art lesson – than on eating and mingling. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing the latter, but I found the night of art instruction and painting to be rather therapeutic. I hadn’t picked up a paintbrush since I was 10 years old, so I wasn’t expecting to create a masterpiece, but I really enjoyed the evening and the two hours of painting seemed to whiz by.
I had apparently passed by Pinot’s several times because I recognized the area – I went to the Slater’s ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ here on numerous occasions – but I just didn’t know that the venue existed. I think one of the highlights of my evening was actually getting to meet and chat with the two owners. Dan and Julie were welcoming, warm, friendly and so eager for us to be there! I actually didn’t hit up the wine bar right away, but Dan was just so personable and went around to all the tables during dinner to see if anyone needed anything else … and listed some of the wines available and personally went to get me a moscato (and a refill).
At Pinot’s Palette, you can create art while enjoying good food and drinks, so it’s safe to say we got the best of all worlds in the three hours we were at the venue. The evening kicked off with the wine bar and good eats from Solare – the neighboring Italian restaurant – followed by the art lesson to create a «Paradise» painting, led by Bryan, one of the artists from Pinot’s. The experience was humorous, fun and definitely a way for me to get my creative streak on.
Here are some of the delicious food I got to enjoy throughout the evening:
«Crispy Calamari»: I do love thickly breaded, ultra-​crispy calamari, so this concoction in a cone – served with breaded organic vegetables – definitely didn’t disappoint. I was offered a fresh batch of this tray-​passed dish – the calamari was still piping hot – so I ate it gingerly, but I enjoyed every single bite. The deep-​fried exterior was truly the best part (I suppose that’s one way to get me to eat my veggies).
«Hand-​made Gnocchi»: This potato gnocchi was served on a delicate plate with a tiny spoon, and the pieces of gnocchi were sautéed with wild Baja shrimp, asparagus and cherry tomatoes. I’ve never been a fan of asparagus and tomatoes, so I set those components aside, but I LOVE gnocchi (and just often eat it with cheese), but the pairing with shrimp and the sauce on top complemented it quite well.
«Burrata and Salame»: This kicked off the buffet, and I helped myself to several pieces of that rich cheese that I love so much. The Italian traditional burrata cheese was served with Italian salami cacciatore, preserves and honey. I only took a few thin pieces of the salami, which was savory and flavorful, but let’s be real — for me, it was all about the cheese. And that gooey, rich, fresh-​tasting burrata was one of my favorite buffet items.
«Ravioli al Pomodoro e Ricotta»: I tend to be a sucker for ravioli, just because, from previous experience, it doesn’t usually have as much tomato sauce as spaghetti or other pasta dishes. This dish featured hand-​made ravioli filled with ricotta and spinach, served with San Marzano tomato vellute, basil and aged ricotta cheese. I did get that slight hint of tomato, but I was mainly able to enjoy the prevalent mixture of the ricotta (one of my favorite cheeses) and spinach.
«Lasagna dello Chef»: Lasagna has to be one of my favorite Italian dishes, and, currently living solo, it’s hard to make lasagna for one so I indulge in it whenever I can. This version featured baked house-​made lasagna filled with béchamel, parmigiana and slow braised ragù. I think this had to be my favorite food item of the night (well, minus that burrata). I loved the flavor and texture of the lasagna. There was some of that gooey, melted cheese that spilled onto the exterior and was hardened into a crunchy cheese crust, but the noodles itself was tender and not too rubbery. The meat was savory and flavorful, and I always appreciate it when lasagna includes a generous portion of cheese, so this one was right up my alley.
Moscato: I don’t really like bitter drinks and prefer sweet wines, so the moscato that I had (two glasses) hit the spot after my savory meal.
Besides the delicious Italian cuisine, the painting lesson truly made the night memorable. Props to the instructors – and Dan and Julie – for being so patient, so accommodating and so helpful! I had a wonderful and fun experience, and I felt like I actually really relaxed at this event. I also thought it was a nice touch to have each easel personalized and each Elite’s work station set up with a bunch of free goodies at the get-​go … it just created a really welcoming atmosphere and made me actually FEEL very elite. It was great that we got to keep our paintings; I wasn’t banking on getting all that extra Unilocal Elite swag! But I definitely would return to Pinot’s after this memorable event now that I know this venue exists!

As my apron in my picture says «Paint & Drink» forget about the fun! This is what those painting classes are for, just paint and drink the night away! Ok ok maybe I had the fun too =)
This isn’t your normal elite event as it was more of an activity then just eating and mingling. You get to see which one of your fellow Unilocalers are left handed! I’m a natural artist but was strip of that talent by my Asian parents who thinks it’s a waste and that science and math is the way to go. So artsy and crafty things make me excited as I get to bring out my inner artist.
If you haven’t been to one of these Paint & Drink thing, it’s great for either date night or girls night out. Anything else is questionable… except a Unilocal event! I did one at 98 Bottles as a groupon, these things aren’t cheap but it’s the experience that matters. Basically you go to a paint class, the instructor will teach and guide you the whole way. The painting itself is usually a very easy beginner’s art class with simple strokes and mostly color fading. This class was assigned seating so you get to meet new Unilocalers (or maybe force in some people’s cases). Everybody have their own click but it was nice to meet new Unilocalers as I met 2 newbies! I really liked this event because you get to see the creative side of everyone. (Or maybe the too eccentric side?)
I like this event, it was unique and it felt like just hanging out. What about the food that was catered by Solare? It was your like your typical wine restaurant food and a mixture of Italian– meats & cheese board and some fruit & pickled veggies, lasagna, and this ravioli with some cheese inside. I think my favorite was the lasagna as I haven’t had it a long time. There were several options for wines and beers. I had their chianti and it was a good blend.
I love me some more events like this!

Only my second «Elite» event and I can’t believe how much fun I had. I really didn’t know what to expect and was a bit intimidated when I saw the easel and painting supplies but it turned into one of the greatest nights I’ve had in a long time.
Such a unique concept! If you’ve ever wondered if you have any talent painting but are afraid to take that leap and try, you need to come here. I thought we were going to be left to our own to paint something and I was going to stare at a blank canvas all night. Instead, it’s full instruction and so simple. They start of by explaining simple things like the different brushes and how we are going to use them along with the color palette. We were shown a painting that we were supposed to duplicate through instruction.
It was absolutely amazing to see the blank canvas actually taking shape with each stroke of the brush. It seemed so simple when someone was explaining where to start, how to use the brush, how to blend the colors like differentiating the deep blue sky with the lighter blue sky.
Tonight event was catered by Solare. On my plate I was able to sample the burrata cheese and sun dried tomatoes, smoked salmon with red onion, ricotta filled ravioli and green olives. All this along with a delicious Ballast Point Longfin lager.
And let’s not forget all the GREAT Unilocal Swag: Bandanna, wrist band, Unilocal mints, Unilocal ice tray, Unilocal chapstick, Unilocal shot glass, and my favorite gift was the 16oz Unilocal cup complete with lid and drinking straw! GREAT gifts!
Again, this is such a unique idea. Whether you come here with a date or with a group of friends, you’ll have the best time! Our art instructor had a great sense of humor and made you feel like you were painting a masterpiece. Really, could it be more fun to enjoy a glass of wine or beer and check out your talents as a painter. Now I’m here to say that my painting didn’t come out anywhere close to the original painting but looking around the room, I would say about 90% of the people were able to duplicate it quite closely and I can only say that was from the outstanding instruction of our art instructor.
The next time you are trying to think of something different or if you are tired of the same old thing when you go out, I highly recommend this! You’ll absolutely have a great time and you might find out that you have a hidden talent.

I feel like a 5^th grader again! (in the best way possible)
Between working full time and being a mom I can’t remember the last time I did something like this. I’ve heard about Pinot’s Palette from friends but I didn’t completely grasp the concept until tonight. When you think of the term «meditation» you often envision a white, quiet room, decorated with small buddhas with zen music playing in the background and you chanting «oooooom.» It never sounded that fun, and who has time for that? Pinot’s Palette is such a better way to unwind! Tonight was amazing, mainly because of the players involved.
1. The owners– being a Navy wife myself I already had so much respect for Dan and Julie, but after meeting them in person my respect for them only deepened. They were humble, sweet and seemed like a genuinely nice couple. I wish them the best on their new business venture and will be sure to refer friends military and none military alike.
2. The artists– with a smile on their faces the entire night, they worked hard so we can enjoy ourselves; from helping with painting clouds to busting dishes. (I saw you!) Our amazing art teacher mad us laugh, kept us entertained and helped us perfect our pictures. He was amazing!
3. Solare– (Italian accents are super cute) Amazing, amazing food was served to us tonight. From the hand made pasta to the burrata salame board, we tasted the love. My favorite? T’was everything. The calamari was crispy to a fault, the gnocchi was perfection, and the boards were also amazing. I love eating like this; this type of food was made to be shared and enjoyed with good company.
4. Brad B– Thank you so much for putting this together and hanging out with us tonight. Brad is always bright eyed bushy tailed, no matter what time of the day it is. (Yes, 2am, San Fran, 10yr anniversary, legend) You are my homeboy; never change!
The night was amazing, thank you for sharing your amazing business with all of us. I had the best time and I will be back to do it again soon! :)

Artistic genius runs in my family. However it skipped me. I downed 2 glasses of Pinot Grigio from Argentina, and bravely faced the blank canvas. Brian the artist at Pinot’s Palette patiently used a step by step approach to guide us through the painting of a beach scene. However I became intoxicated with the colors, and I seized my paint brushes in a frenzy and re-​interpreted the beach scene in my own way. The funny thing is, I kept looking up at the painting which we were supposed to duplicate, but what appeared on my canvas was nothing like that painting! Oh, what surprising fun I had!
The Elite Event at Pinot’s Palette was delightfully creative, and very well planned. We Elites had time to chat, sip wine, and enjoy lovely food from Solare before we painted. I REALLY enjoyed the Pinot Grigio from Argentina. Solare impressed me with the freshness and quality of the food. One of my favs was the Bolognese Lasagna, which was rich and cheesy, and had the right balance between being tender and yet a little crisp at the edges, which makes the cheesy parts delightful. The calamari was tender and not chewy. I also loved the artichokes and burrata cheese.
I had a brief chance to chat with the owners of Pinot’s Palette, and they said yes indeed, you can come sip wine and paint, either with a reservation, or just by spontaneously walking in if the mood to paint strikes you.
Yes I know nothing about perspective, blending colors, and other artistic techniques. But it was fun and fascinating to find out how my inner artistic demon does come rushing out, eagerly begging for more yellow and some red. I found myself rushing ahead of the artist, who was patiently giving directions. But maybe if I return a few more times, I’ll be patient enough to slow down and follow the directions. But then again… maybe I’ll just go rushing ahead every time, and release my inner artist… and paint more colorful red & yellow paintings, which utterly lack perspective, but are so much fun to create!
Vin posted a photo of my painting at an earlier stage, when it actually somewhat resembled the painting that the instructor wanted us to duplicate. It really surprised me to see that photo, because I felt so immersed in the inner drive to experiment with colors, that I had forgotten that I really did start out trying to follow the directions, and then gradually began to play with the colors.
I’m also impressed by the excellent food provided by Solare. I’m planning a return visit to Solare for lunch or dinner.
Brad B, Unilocal,and the owners & staff of Pinot’s Palette… thank you for a uniquely creative event!

I don’t get to go to many Elite events since I have a baby, but Pinot’s Palette was one event I did NOT want to miss! So I made sure I marked it in my calendar and RSVP’s right when it opened, LOL!
I LOVE art! I’ve been drawing since I was old enough to hold a crayon and never stopped after that. I majored in Studio Art in college and pursued it even further by becoming a painter. (Btw, I have an upcoming art show next Thursday at the House of Blues in downtown – private message me if you’re interested in attending). Anyhoooo, where was I? Oh yea, I love to paint and this place provides the proper instruction and inspiration! I will make sure to tell my friends to check this place out. :)
Brad, thank you for throwing such a fabulous event – you did a great job combining art and culinary treats for all of the attendees – I had a blast!
Dan and Julie, the owners, thank you as well for hosting such a wonderful event. You are both such sweethearts and I wish you both the best! And the instructor was a pretty cool guy and funny too! Cheers to the airplane! Haha
The food from Solare was equally great! I loved the smoked salmon! The lasagna and ravioli… uh-​MA-​zing!!! Another plus, was that there was plenty of free parking spaces in the area. If I can make one suggestion, it would be to provide better painting brushes – softer ones would be great. :)

Okay wait, I need to take a deep breath. If there every were an Elite Event with the letter «F» was for fun, this was it. Not only was it fun and educational, but Solare, an award winning San Diego eatery, of authentic Italian southern cuisine, provided some superb food for the event.
Immediately my hat goes off for the wonderful staff of Pinot’s Palette for their amazing staff that made us all feel like artist, if not just for one evening. They are a very talented bunch, motivating, and simply just like to have fun while they paint with a libation in one hand. Really, every time a plane flew over, it was time to stop and take a drink. It was such a clever idea and no wonder everybodys’ paintings looked like, well a work of art.
The eats, from the delicious Salmone Affumicato in Casa or smoked salmon, to the cheese and meat board that had my eyes popping out when I eyed the pile of Italian Burrata and Salame, and to the Hand-​made ravioli filled with ricotta and spinach and lasagna with the house made bolognese, Solare out did themselves. I can not for get the appetizers being passed around on trays, from the perfectly fried and seasoned Fritto di Calamari, e Verdure in Pastella and mouthwatering Gnocchi ai Gamberi e Asparagi where hits in my book.
The best part about this event was that Pinot’s Palette truly knew how to make one feel welcomed and put on a show. From our master painter, with his great sense of humor, to staff who kept our glasses filled with libations and our palettes filled with paint, and not to mention their help hints and suggestions as they browsed the room, they were top notch. So, if you are interested in learning how to paint, this place is a gem in the rough, and if you want to do it while having fun, there is no need to look any further.
Thank you Pinot Palette and Solare for putting on such a terrific event for San Diego’s finest Unilocal Elite members. This was a brilliant event to put together, so thank you Brad B. and Sandra for making this happen, and thank you Cat A. and Kristen L. for being my painting partners. I had a blast! It was great meeting all the new Elite Unilocalers.
Until next time my fellow Unilocalerians.