Is it already March? Well, get ready for yet another month filled with food and drink events across the nation and beyond. The literary set has a big couple of months ahead with both an annual cookbook and food writing award ceremony coming up in Chicago (IACP Conference) and a major celebration of books going down in Brooklyn (Food Book Fair). Austin is gearing up for a deluge of tech-film-music people who love to eat in March (SXSW), then another deluge of celebrity chefs in April (Austin Food & Wine Festival). For those who want to look beyond the so-called "gods of food," there are also a couple of events coming up that celebrate women in food (Women Chefs and Restaurateurs National Conference and Cherry Bombe's Jubilee). Here now, the full list of events.
Cochon 555
When: February 9 - April 27, 2014
Where: Various locations.
What: Traveling pork orgy Cochon 555 already kicked off this year's tour in New York City, and now it continues its route around America to crown more Princes and Princesses of Pork. Next up is Napa on March 2, Denver on March 9, Philadelphia on March 16, and Washington, DC on March 23.
Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
When: February 28 — March 16, 2014
Where: Melbourne, Australia
What: Water is the theme of this year's Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, which is made up of more than 200 events throughout 17 days. Events include a "Water Masterclass" that involves Quay chef Peter Gilmore taking guests out to the coastline to learn about oysters and mussels from a seafood farmer, practice fly fishing, smoke some fish, and enjoy a four-course lunch.
Cook It Raw: The Unbearable Importance of Soil
When: March 3, 2014
Where: Pocantico Hills, NY
What: Dan Barber's Blue Hill at Stone Barns is hosting this fundraiser for Cook It Raw, in which chefs including Bjorn Frantzen, Amanda Cohen, Dominique Crenn, Albert Adrià, April Bloomfield, and Sean Brock will team up on a seated dinner. The evening also includes an exclusive preview of Perennial Plate's documentary from Cook It Raw Charleston.
Charleston Wine + Food
When: March 6 — March 9, 2014
Where: Charleston, SC
What: A huge lineup of chefs from around the country are headed to Charleston for its Wine + Food festival this year, including Andy Ticer, Ashley Christenson, Chris Shepherd, Colby Garrelts, Frank Stitt, Jon Shook, Vinny Dotolo, Jonathan Sawyer, Marco Canora, Michael Anthony, Mike Solomonov, Tory McPhail, and more. In addition to the tastings, expect lots of dinners, demonstrations, parties, and more.
SXSW
When: March 7 — March 16, 2014
Where: Austin, TX
What: Once again this year, the city of Austin is going to be overrun by people who are into tech, film, and music for the annual South by Southwest festival. Food has become a major component of the festival over the years as well. Not only will chefs such as Paul Qui and Ned Elliott be participating in panels, but Qui is also curating a food trailer park near the Convention Center. Restaurants and bars across town will no doubt be slammed.
Women Chefs and Restaurateurs National Conference
When: March 9 — March 11, 2014
Where: Chicago, IL
What: The Women Chefs and Restaurateurs organization is hosting its 21st annual conference in Chicago this year, with a theme that focuses on the "Art of Keeping it Green: Environmentally and Financially." There will be panels, breakout sessions, classes, tours, and more, featuring the likes of Barbara Lynch, Paul Virant, Hedy Goldsmith, Stephanie Izard, Ileana Regan, Christina Tosi, and more.
MAD Monday
When: March 10, 2014
Where: New York, NY
What: René Redzepi's MAD is coming to New York this month for its first event outside of Copenhagen: a MAD Monday discussion in New York City featuring chefs Mario Batali, Gabrielle Hamilton, Bill Buford, and Wylie Dufresne. Lucky Peach's Peter Meehan will moderate the conversation that will focus on "what it means to work as a chef today."
Food on Film
When: March 12 — July 9, 2014
Where: Toronto, Canada
What: The Toronto International Film Festival is bringing back its monthly "Food on Film" series in which chefs and food experts come in to talk about their favorite food movies. Lucky Peach's Peter Meehan will discuss Chungking Express on March 12, with future editions featuring Momofuku Milk Bar's Christina Tosi on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Booker and Dax's Dave Arnold on Soylent Green.
Good Food Festival
When: March 13 — March 15, 2014
Where: Chicago, IL
What: The Good Food Festival returns to Chicago to celebrate responsibly produced food with the help of more than 150 artisans and restaurants. Rick Bayless and Paul Virant will both be doing cooking demos, while writer Michael Ruhlman and chef Brian Polcyn are teaching a master class on charcuterie.
Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival
When: March 13 — March 16, 2014
Where: Cancun, Mexico
What: Cef Daniel Boulud and Mexican chef Guillermo Gonzalez Beristain will be honored at this year's third-annual Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival. This year's theme is "Europe Meets the Americas," and activities include a sunset catamaran dinner and a gourmet tasting village. Other participating chefs include Normand Laprise, George Mendes, Dale Talde, Ricardo Zarate, Benito Molina, and Daniel Ovadia.
IACP Conference
When: March 14 — March 17, 2014
Where: Chicago, IL
What: The International Association of Culinary Professionals hosts its 36th annual conference in Chicago this year, announcing the winners of their awards while also hosting a culinary expo, book fair, and more. Ferran Adria will headline a plenary session, and there will be plenty of Chicago food tours available for the taking.
Mesa Abierta
When: March 20 — March 23, 2014
Where: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
What: The second of three Mesamérica events this year, Mesa Abierta will move the festivities to San Miguel de Allende for a four-day celebration that includes outdoor picnics and dinners in the city's finest restaurants. The lineup of chefs includes Rick Bayless, Benito Molina, Ricardo Munoz Aurita, Mauro Colagreco, and more.
All-Star Chef Classic
When: March 21 — March 23, 2014
Where: Los Angeles, CA
What: Los Angeles is about to get a brand new food festival this Spring with the arrival of the All-Star Chef Classic. Chefs such as Roy Choi, Nancy Silverton, Nancy Oakes, Alain Passard, Wylie Dufresne, and Dominique Crenn will be cooking together at a festival which also features a "Restaurant Stadium" where fans can get close to the action.
Pigs and Pinot
When: March 21 — March 22, 2014
Where: Healdsburg, CA
What: Chef Charlie Palmer is hosting his ninth annual Pigs and Pinot celebration at Healdsburg's Dry Creek Kitchen. Chefs Bryan Voltaggio, Amanda Freitag, Frank Crispo, and more will be taking part in the gala dinner, and there will also be a thing called the "Tournament of the Pig."
Food + Wine Festival Palm Desert
When: March 21 — March 23, 2014
Where: Palm Desert, CA
What: Chefs Roy Choi, Ari Taymor, Brooke Williamson, Matthew Accarrino and more are headed out to Palm Desert for this three-day festival that includes tastings, demos, and a four-course luncheon prepared by James Beard nominees.
Food For Good Ball
When: March 27, 2014
Where: London, England
What: At the end of March, Farm Africa is hosting its first Food For Good Ball, which celebrates "the food and hospitality industry's campaign to end hunger for good" in East Africa, according to its website. Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton will be cooking for the 250 guests willing to pony up some big bucks for a good cause.
Jubilee
When: March 30, 2014
Where: New York, NY
What: Biannual food magazine Cherry Bombe announced in November that their first-ever food conference will take place in New York City on March 30, 2014. Named Jubilee, the conference will follow in the magazine's mission to "celebrate women and food." The lineup includes April Bloomfield, Anita Lo, Gabrielle Hamilton, Suzanne Goin, Ruth Reichl, and more.
Looking Ahead:
Le Bon Appetit
When: April 5, 2014
Where: Memphis, TN
What: Once again this year, chef Kelly English is teaming up with Le Bonheur Club and a ton of his most celebrated chef friends to benefit Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. This year's lineup of chefs includes John Currence, Ashley Christensen, Kevin Nashan, Gerard Craft, Eli Kirshtein, Phillip Lopez, Michelle Bernstein, Chris Shepherd, and more.
Chicago Humanities Festival
When: April 10, 2014
Where: Chicago, IL
What: The Chicago Humanities Festival is bringing in heavy-hitters Alice Waters and Ruth Reichl "for a rare and intimate conversation about culinary culture," according to the official site. After the event, there will be a reception to benefit Waters' Edible Schoolyard Project.
Pebble Beach Food & Wine
When: April 10 — April 13, 2014
Where: Pebble Beach, CA
What: This West Coast event is bringing together about 250 wineries and 100 big-name chefs for four days of drinking and eating. The lineup includes the likes of Traci Des Jardins, Dean Fearing, Jose Garces, Duff Goldman, Carla Hall, Linton Hopkins, Hubert Keller, Paul Liebrandt, Jon Shook, Nancy Silverton, Michael Symon, Michael Voltaggio, Andrew Zimmern, and more.
Food Film Festival
When: April 24 — April 26, 2014
Where: Charleston, SC
What: Charleston hosts its second-annual Food Film Festival this year. The festival kicks off on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown with a screening of The Kings of BBQ: Barbecue Kuwait, accompanied by all you can eat brisket and barbecued chicken.
Food Book Fair
When: April 25 — April 27, 2014
Where: Brooklyn, NY
What: Though the full event lineup has yet to be announced, the Food Book Fair is indeed returning to Brooklyn in late April with its usual slew of literary events. Per its website, this festival aims to bring together "food enthusiasts, chefs, artists, writers, designers and publishers to celebrate the intersection between food culture and our food system."
Austin Food & Wine Festival
When: April 25 — April 27, 2014
Where: Austin, TX
What: The lineup at this year's Austin Food & Wine Festival includes the likes of Andrew Zimmern, Paul Qui, Richard Blais, Aaron Franklin, Rick Bayless, Graham Elliot, Tim Love, John Currence, Ming Tsai, and so much more. Beyond the grand tasting, there will be demos, panels, a "taste of Texas" party, taco showdown, and more.
Great Vegas Festival of Beer
When: April 26, 2014
Where: Las Vegas, NV
What: This year's Great Vegas Festival of Beer will feature more than 250 beers from 80 breweries when it hits Fremont East in Aril. There's also going to be demos and talks from beer experts, live music, food trucks and a gastropub featuring local chefs and local beers.
Tasting Australia
When: April 27 — May 4, 2014
Where: Adelaide, Australia
What: Tasting Australia aims to celebrate "real food heroes" in this year's event that focuses on an "origins" theme. Events include a "nose-to-kale" dinner with Fergus Henderson, Ian Curley, and Andrew Davies, as well as a biodynamic wine lunch with James Henry of Paris' Bones, Pope Joan's Matt Wilkinson, and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin.
Something missing? Email it in and we'll add to the roster.
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