Rancho Santa Fe resident takes over leadership of food and wine organization

As the new head of a local Chaine des Rotisseurs chapter, Rancho Santa Fe resident Marie Addario said her goal is “to keep the organization vibrant.”

“We love to see new members, and want to get more young people involved,” she said. “So my goal would be to get the word out about our food and wine organization and have people call us if they have an interest.”

The local chapter recently started holding in-person events after the COVID-19 pandemic limited its members to virtual dinners, in which food would be delivered to each person’s home and they would eat simultaneously on a Zoom call.

“It should be wonderful being together again,” Addario said.

Most of the members are from La Jolla and Rancho Santa Fe, but membership is open to everyone throughout the county.

“The organization itself is not just eating and drinking, it involves hoteliers, restaurateurs, executive chefs, sommeliers, and we promote young chefs and young sommeliers around the country,” Addario said. “So we do a lot of philanthropic work as well. Those are the kinds of things I think will attract more young people. And it is by word of mouth.”

Addario took over as the chapter’s bailli, a French term that refers to an officer with wide ranging powers, from her husband Dominick. She added that the local scene has changed a lot since the two moved to San Diego.

“When we arrived in San Diego in 1971, there were very few good restaurants around,” Addario said. “So this chapter began as an in-house chapter. People started having food and wine in their homes and inviting people, and that’s how it started because it was difficult to get good food and wine out in San Diego. But that has now changed.”

For more information, visit chainedesrotisseurs.com.