WE SAY "JULIAN," YOU SAY "APPLE PIE," but then you pause, and you also say "and sandwiches" and then you add "and great French fries" and then you add "and that one amazing burger I had, with extra melty cheese, and great bun." For while our first impulse, when it comes to edibles and the apple-iest town around, is to cite its celebrated dessert, a goodie that brings people to the pie places around the calendar, and very much in the fall, there are also loads of other lovely lunchy choices, and make-it-special dinners, around Julian. Add to that the good breakfasts and you have a place that's pie-plus (we, of course, would never dare to list the "pie" part of the equation second). And a solid way to take in a larger swath of Julian-style supping? You can head up, up, up for a couple of days of solely dining out, bopping around, trying your partner's dish and snacking between meals. That's an excellent idea, but, to complement that plan? There's...
TASTE OF JULIAN, the yearly festival that spotlights eateries up and down Main Street and beyond. The 2018 date is happening on Mother's Day Saturday, if your mom is a serious Julianist and does love to spend the whole weekend celebrating (as we do love to spend the whole weekend celebrating our moms, and beyond), and tickets are available now. They're $25, per person, when you buy them ahead of time, and you'll just need to get your online receipt validated at Julian Town Hall on the day of the event, which is Saturday, May 12. Parking? It's free. The participants? Think of this as a "town-wide" to-do, with some 15 to 20 places in the stop-by-and-chow-down swing of things. Past participants have included Apple Alley Bakery, Jeremy's on the Hill, Miner's Diner, Nickel Beer Company, and so many other area classics and must-try spots. Is this what you want to do for mom, or the family, or a good friend, come the second Saturday in May? Julian's where it is at, in so many ways. Start here.
