Pop quiz, hot shot: How would a foodie do the following sequence justice – in three words or less?

Yellowtail pastrami with dill aioli by Masaharu Morimoto, Asian steak tacos with spicy mushroom salsa courtesy of Cat Cora and smoked sturgeon croquette with white American sturgeon caviar from Michael Mina.

If aforementioned foodie went to last year’s Lexus Grand Tasting at the Pebble Beach Food & Wine, it would actually be easy – even with possible Domaine Serene Reserve, Orin Swift Meritage and Etude Pinot pairings.

Answer: About 10 minutes. That’s how triumphant a tiny window of time there can be. Those star chefs represented less than an eighth of the constellation present each day; those wines, meanwhile, accounted for just over 1 percent of the outpouring. That can seem overwhelming, but in the context of a wider event slathering on dozens of events for four days, it makes the big-tent play a wise way to get a handle on all the heart-quickening flavors. It’s $175 a day – 64 cents per winery or champion chef – or $300 for Saturday and Sunday, April 10-11.

The overall odyssey starts in a week, April 8, with demos from the likes of Wolfgang Puck, Ming Tsai and Thomas Keller, dinners with five chefs of Hubert Keller quality, tastings like “30 Years of Veuve Clicquot Campagne.” 622-7700, www.pebblebeachfoodandwine.com.

~ ~ ~

PBF&W Culinary Liason Todd Fisher – he of Hullabaloo and Chicken Scratch Flats fame, among other projects – is apparently restless. He’s got a new collaboration with Pacific Tweed partner Sean Murphy in Blue Goose Kitchen & Bar, like the caterer-columnist-father of five didn’t have enough going on already (maybe he’s been hanging out with the over-stimulated PBF&W guys too much). The Goose hatches on South Main in Salinas this summer with a 30-foot bar, fire pits and a stage (and his reliably high-grade grub), www.bluegoosekitchenandbar.com.

~ ~ ~

Like a beautiful beet, a new inspired era has taken root at Jacks in Portola Hotel in Monterey (649-2698). I sat next to Swank Farm’s Dick and Bonnie Swank at Friday’s growers dinner – which introduced a new fresh, sustainable and local push from Chef Jason Giles (in line with a a greater LEED-certified charge from the hotel) – so I was inspired to order roasted heirloom beet carpaccio with Cow Girl Creamery Purple Haze Goat Cheese. Simple and superb – great field-to-kitchen teamwork there.

Giles also scored with sauteed wild mushrooms over a buttermilk walnut biscuit with a creme fraiche finish, an organic red orach spinach salad and a superb crispy Laura Chenel cheese-polenta thingy over grilled squash, though he missed with the fish.

Between its fire-pit patio overlooking the plaza, top salad bar, beautiful booths, exquisite maritime models and dynamic menu, Jacks has always been a great spot largely underappreciated by locals. Look the underappreciated part to change.

Chopstix (899-BOBA) recently opened its doors on Fremont between key Seaside spots Sarita’s (394-4407) and Baldemiro’s (899-2231). Unique scene stirring in there, with the purple and green color scheme, boba/bubble teas, $0.40-an-ounce froyo bar, and a one-couch lounge in the back (for the WiFi). The things I tried worked. An almondy house milk tea packed with little Taiwanese balls of chewy tapioca ($2.50) was tasty; a green papaya salad with Vietnamese mint, shrimp and roasted peanuts ($5) was refreshing despite so-so shrimp; and the vegetarian spring rolls ($5) were solid. Classic phos and rice plates are just $5.50.

Owner “Mikey” Nguyen says his aunt and uncle, who run the awesome Noodle Bar (392-0210) about a block away, aren’t mad about a rival in the family nearby. Seems the locals who have been filling the joint aren’t either. Nguyen’s a youthful 30 for a restaurant owner, and apparently behind schedule: “I wanted to open a boba place five years ago,” he says.

~ ~ ~

Another young entrepreneur on the other end of Fremont is making plays on that accelerated timeline by serving blue-collar sloppy stuff for those that come for comedy or country night – or the Beirut drinking game most misname as beer pong (if there’s no paddle, it’s not pong). Domingo Rivera’s new Doggie Stylez inside The Planet (373-1449) slaps chili, cheese, guacamole or bacon ($1 each) on a hot link, pepper polish, tofu Smart Dog or all-beef “O.G.” ($3), and bun options include original, sesame, wheat and a romaine lettuce wrap.

Perhaps most striking about the 25-year-old CSUMB junior they call “Dingo Dog”: He worked his way up from food runner to server at arguably the most remarkable restaurant in the area, Marinus (658-3400), so he knows something about what people want.

~ ~ ~

Central Coast HIV/AIDS Services 9th Annual Crystal Ball fundraiser rallies go-go dancers, The Money Band, DJ Tammy Ross, a three-course dinner and more at the Hyatt Saturday, April 17, $90, 442-3959… Nice $3 breakfast special at the readers poll winner for Best Restaurant in Sand City, Sweet Elena’s (393-2063): organic coffee or OJ with one of her pretty much perfect pastries… “Tell me what you eat,” Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said, “I’ll tell you who you are.”