Here now, Eater's Fall 2014 Food and Drink Events Preview. Below you will find events, conferences, and festivals happening from September to December that are focused on restaurants, chefs, food, and/or beverages.
Marquee international events like Semana Mesa SP (Brazil) and Gastronomika (Spain) will play host to a slew of big-name chefs this Fall.The next few months is also rife with events that fuse good food with good music: Food Network in Concert at Ravinia (Illinois), Life is Beautiful (Nevada), and Music to Your Mouth (South Carolina) all feature a lengthy line-up of chefs and bands. There are plenty of panel discussions and cooking demonstrations at the events listed below, but there are also atypical activities like an afternoon quail hunt (Jubilee, South Carolina) and a Frito pie tasting (FUZE.SW, New Mexico).
And this Fall sees the return of big events including Feast Portland, Christopher Kostow's Twelve Days of Christmas at Meadowood Napa Valley, the Southern Foodways Symposium in Oxford, and the New York City Wine & Food Festival.
Below, the list of events. If you see anything missing, you know what to do.
September
Music City Eats 2013 [Photo: Official Site]
Taste Talks
When: September 12 - 14
Where: Brooklyn, NY
What: Chef Danny Bowien is curating the second Taste Talks conference in Brooklyn while chef Mario Batali will serve as the conference's official presenter. There will be panel discussions and demos with chefs Andy Ricker, Brooks Headley, Christina Tosi, and Dale Talde. Food media folk like Sam Sifton, Peter Meehan, Kate Krader, and Adam Sachs round out a lineup that also includes rapper Action Bronson and model Elettra Wiedemann. The conference will also include a chicken and waffles brunch, an oyster and sparkling wine cocktail hour, a pop-up dinner from food start up Dinner Lab, and an All-Star Chef BBQ, which will feature over 20 chefs like Lee Tiernan and Jamie Bissonnette at 12 different grilling stations.
NORTH
When: September 12-20
Where: New York City
What: The nine-day festival celebrates all thing Nordic cuisine through cooking classes covering topics like pastry, seafood, and foraging, plus dinners, a coffee and dessert tasting, and a hot dog championship. Participating chefs Sasu Laukkonen, Maria Östberg, Ulrika Bengtsson, Friday Ronge, and forager Sami Tällberg.
Feast Portland
When: September 18 - 21
Where: Portland, OR
What: The third annual Feast Portland will feature over 30 events at various locations around the city. The roster of chefs attending is extensive: Hugh Acheson, Matthew Accarrino, Jamie Bissonnette, Mike Solomonov, Matt McCallister, Marco Canora, Homaro Cantu, Dominique Crenn, Ari Taymor, Edward Lee, Aaron Franklin, Anita Lo, Jon Shook, Kuniko Yagi, Paul Qui, Andy Ricker, Paul Kahan, and Christina Tosi will all be in attendance. Plenty of Portland chefs like Gabriel Rucker and Naomi Pomeroy will be there too, as well as a host of craft breweries, and writers like Andrew Knowlton and Talia Baiocchi. Like years past, there will be a sandwich invitational and a night market (which is already sold out). Feast Portland also includes classes on subjects like candy and artisanal soda making, as well as plenty of food and drink from the Pacific Northwest.
Music City Food + Wine Festival
When: September 20 - 21
Where: Nashville, TN
What: Formerly known as Music City Eats, the festival returns this year to celebrate Nashville's food and music culture. Chefs from around the country like Tim Love, Masaharu Morimoto, Michael Symon, Andrew Zimmern, Jonathan Waxman, and Amanda Freitag will be in town to lead various demos. Musican (and cooking show host) Trisha Yearwood will also show the crowd how to make skillet apple pie. Top local chefs and wine and spirit makers will serve up food and drink on both days, too. Rock band Kings of Leon will also curate Harvest Night which will feature dishes from renowned chefs and live music.
Also in September:
· Hawaii Food and Wine Festival: The Hawaii Food and Wine Festival returns for its fourth year and the chef line-up includes Nancy Silverton, Jonathan Waxman Ming Tsai, Art Smith, Floyd Cardoz, Andy Ricker, Dean Fearing, Masaharu Morimoto, Sang Yoon, and many more. (August 29 - September 7)
· Mistura: Peru's annual gastronomic festival returns to Lima again this year. The 10-day festival features, farmers, bakers, and big name chefs from across the world. (September 5 - 14)
· Meatopia UK: Josh Ozersky's meatfest returns to London for the second year. Meatopia UK will featuring classic and contemporary barbecue dishes from chefs like David Carter, Neil Rankin, Justin Smillie, Maria Tampakis, and more. (September 6 - 7)
· The Roots of American Food: Imbibe & inspire's second annual Roots of American food conference will honor legendary chef Jeremiah Tower. Participating chefs include Matt Jennings, Dave Beran, Bryce Shuman, Dominique Crenn, Jamie Malone, and many more. Photographer Evan Sung, blogger Andrew Friedman, and writer Francis Lam will also be in attendance. (September 7 - 8)
· FUZE.SW: Santa Fe's food conference is in its second year and will feature panels and lectures centered on New Mexican foodways. Activities include the Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown, a Frito pie tasting, and a presentation from chef and James Beard Award winner Maricel Presilla. (September 12 - 14)
· Taste America: The James Beard Foundation's touring series of one-night-only dinners cooked by renowned chefs returns for its second year. It will make stops in ten cities — including Boston, New York City, and Phoenix — and Daniel Boulud, Barbara Lynch, Paul Qui, an Grant Achatz are all on the list of participating chefs. (September 12 - October 25)
· TMBBQ Fest: The annual TMBBQ Fest will feature barbecue from the magazine's top 50 list, including Pecan Lodge, Franklin Barbecue, and The Granary 'Cue and Brew. There will also be plenty of beer on hand at the event in Austin, Texas. (September 14)
· Eat Real Festival: The festival returns to Oakland, California and is free-to-attend. The focus is on street food from hot dogs to falafel to tacos from over 50 vendors. (September 19 - 21)
· Epcot International Food & Wine Festival: Epcot's nearly two month long annual festival features 25 global marketplaces with bites from around the world, demos, dinners, a concert series, and a "Sparkling Dessert Party." (September 19 - November 10)
· Food Network in Concert at Ravinia: Food Network Magazine is launching its first-ever outdoor music festival just outside of Chicago with a lineup of its celebrity chefs including the likes of Alex Guarnaschelli, Anne Burrell, and Geoffrey Zakarian. Local chefs like Paul Virant will also be in attendance and there will be live music courtesy of artists like John Mayer and Phillip Phillips. (September 20)
· Greenwich Wine & Food Festival: This year's Greenwich Wine & Food Festival will feature cooking demos and tastings from chefs like Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Geoffrey Zakarian, Anne Burrell, and Aaron Sanchez. There will also be musical performances from the Marshall Tucker Band and Alabama. (September 25-27)
· Chicago Gourmet: The annual Chicago Gourmet features a line-up Chicago's best talent including chefs Stephanie Izard, Andrew Zimmerman, and Rick Bayless, plus chefs from around the country like Jeni Britton Bauer and Masaharu Morimoto. Since Chicago will host the James Beard Awards next year, the theme for this year's festival will focus on the James Beard Foundation. (September 26 - 28)
OCTOBER
New York City Wine and Food Festival 2013 [Photo: NYCWFF/Facebook]
Taste Talks
When: October 3-5
Where: Chicago, IL
What: Chef Paul Kahan is curating the first-ever Taste Talks conference in Chicago. Like its Brooklyn counterpart, chef Mario Batali will serve as the conference's official presenter. Chefs like Amanda Cohen, Rick Bayless, and Jason Hammel will participate in demos and panels. The conference will also feature a pop-up dinner from food startup Dinner Lab with chef Pat Sheerin of Trencherman. It will conclude with an All-Star Chef BBQ with food from chefs Danny Bowien, Paul Kahan, Matty Matheson, and more.
Gastronomika
When: October 5 - 8
Where: San Sebastian, Spain
What: This year's Gastronomika will celebrate Italy and its dining scene. Italian chefs like Massimo Bottura, Moreno Cedroni, and more will be in attendance at the conference in San Sebastian. This year's congress will feature presentations from prominent Spanish chefs like Juan Mari and Elena Arzak, Joan and Jordi Roca, and Andoni Luis Aduriz. Talks will be on topics like high-tech sauces, minimalism, and Alpine haute cuisine.
New York City Wine & Food Festival
When: October 16 - 19
Where: New York City
What: The roster for this year's New York City Wine & Food Festival includes Food Network and Cooking Channel stars like Ted Allen, Bobby Flay, and Rachael Ray, and famous chefs like Mario Batali, Dan Barber, John Besh, and Michelle Bernstein. Events include a Hot Dog Happy Hour, a cooking class with Martha Stewart, a 40th anniversary dinner at Le Cirque, and the annual burger competition, Burger Bash. As in years previous, the program also includes a slew of small dinners, panels, talks, and tastings. Also: Paula Deen.
Southern Foodways Symposium
When: October 23—26
Where: Oxford, Mississippi
What: The theme of this year's 17th annual Southern Foodways Symposium is "Who is Welcome at the Welcome Table? There will be panels, talks, films, food cooked in cast iron, and probably whiskey at the sold-out event.
Life Is Beautiful Festival
When: October 24 - 26
Where: Las Vegas, NV
What: The Life Is Beautiful Festival "brings amazing music, world class food, iconic public speakers and phenomenal art together." The roster of well-known chefs include Scott Conant, Rick Moonen, Marc Forgione, Nancy Silverton, Spike Mendelsohn, and more. The event also features a stellar list of live performances from musicians like Kanye West, Outkast, The Roots, Arctic Monkeys, Skrillex, Lionel Richie, and The Flaming Lips.
Also in October:
· Latin Flavors, American Kitchen: Held at the Culinary Institute of America's San Antonio campus, the annual Latin Flavors, American Kitchen leadership symposium brings togethers chefs and experts for a three-day event on Latin cuisine and culture. (October 1-3)
· World Series of Barbecue: Now in its 35th year, the World Series of Barbecue features 550 teams competing in four meat categories. The four-day event — which also has live music and cooking demos — takes place in Kansas City. (October 2-5)
· What a Wonderful World Gathering: Australian chef Ben Shewry has put together an "anti-festival" in Melbourne that aims to be a "celebration and conversation" that inspires the food community and beyond. Chefs from around the world including Roy Choi, Daniel Patterson, Bo Songvisava, and Margot Henderson are all participating. There will also be a lunch cooked by 30 chefs to benefit underprivileged children. (October 4-5)
· Identità New York: The event returns for its fifth year, and as in the past, it will feature chefs, both Italian and American, cooking side by side at Italian grocery emporium Eataly in New York City. (October 9-12)
· La Jolla Art & Wine Festival: The sixth annual La Jolla Art & Wine Festival will feature a wine and beer garden featuring beer from local craft breweries and regional and international wines. There will also be artwork from local artists and a food court showcasing local restaurants. (October 11-12)
· Italian Food & Wine Festival: For its inaugural year in the Windy City, the three-day event will feature wine and food from Italy through a series of events like a four-course meal cooked by chefs Ugo Alciati and Davide Oldani at the recently opened Eataly Chicago. (October 14-16)
· James Beard Foundation Food Conference: This year's conference will tackle the question of Health & Food: Is Better Food the Prescription for a Healthier America? Writers Mark Bittman and Michael Pollan will serve as panelists. (October 27-28)
· International Chefs Congress: The ninth annual Starchefs.com International Chefs Congress is centered around the theme "Cooking Honest: The Power of Authenticity in the Kitchen." Big name chefs like Dan Barber, Grant Achatz, Enrique Olvera, and George Mendes will all be on hand in New York City to lead workshops, seminars, demonstrations, and panels. (October 26-28)
· Bid Against Hunger: City Harvest's massive fundraiser in New York City is celebrating its 20th year and will feature bites from over 70 restaurants in the city including Betony, Dirt Candy, French Louie, and The Gander. (October 29)
NOVEMBER
John T. Edge, Anne Quatrano at Music to Your Mouth 2013 [Photo: Music to Your Mouth/Facebook]
Semana Mesa SP
When: November 3 - 5
Where: Sao Paulo, Brazil
What: For its 11th year, Semana Mesa SP will focus on (translated) the "essential connection" between "the family, farmer, and kitchen." Influential local chefs like Alex Atala, Rodrigo Oliveira, and Claude Troisgros, plus many others will all present at what is one of the world's largest food festivals. There will also be large dinners at the city's top restaurants.
New York Taste
When: November 10
Where: New York City
What: New York magazine's annual New York Taste returns this year with over 40 restaurants and mixology bars. The one-night only event includes bites from chefs like Einat Admony, Paul Liebrandt, Dale Talde, Masaharu Morimoto, and Marcus Samuelsson.
Capital Food Fight
When: November 11
Where: Washington, DC
What: Capital Food Fight, which benefits DC Central Kitchens, features tastes from 75 local restaurants including Zentan, Eat The Rich, and Lincoln. Anthony Bourdain and The Chew's Carla Hall will host a live competition between local chefs in the style of Iron Chef that will be judged by Ted Allen, David Guas, and Christina Tosi.
Music to Your Mouth
When: November 18 - 23
Where: Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina
What: An oyster roast, a 5K (that ends with a Bloody Mary), and a wine and cheese tasting on an antique yacht are just a small portion of events at this year's Music to Your Mouth festival. There will also be dinner cooked by five James Beard award winning chefs and cooking classes with writer John T. Edge. The chef line-up includes Southern heavyweights John Currence, Ashley Christensen, Jeremiah Bacon.
Also in November:
· James Beard Foundation Gala: This year's gala will pay tribute to chef Charlier Trotter who passed away late last year. Friends and colleagues of Trotter like Emeril Lagasse and Norman Van Aken will celebrate their mentor through multi-course dinner in New York City. (November 14)
· BBC GoodFood Show: The three-day event in London from the BBC boasts a line-up of the UK's top chefs and culinary experts include chefs like Michel Roux Jr., Phil Fanning, and Tom Kerridge. The first day will feature the World Cheese awards which attracted over 2,700 entries last year. (November 14-16)
· Barbados Food & Wine and Rum Festival: The Barbados Food & Wine and Rm Festival hasn't announced this year's line-up yet but last year chefs like Marcus Samuelsson and Jose Garces were all there. As in past years, attendees can expect cooking demos, wine seminars, and rum events. (November 20-23)
· San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival: The 11th annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival will feature local chefs like Ivan Flowers, Abe Botello, and Brian Bonney alongside chefs like Nate Appleman, Brian Malarkey, and Gale Gand from across the country. Attendees can expect classes, many wine events including tastings and auctions, and a celebrity chef dinner. (November 16-23)
· Denver International Wine Festival: The three-day event will include a Grand Tasting that will showcase over 400 wines, spirits, and beers from around the world, Wine-lovers will be able to attend various seminars and a champagne tribute luncheon to Julia Child at this year's Denver International Wine Festival. (November 20-22)
· Flavor! Napa Valley: This year's roster of attendees includes chefs like Dean Fearing, Larry Forgione, Rocco DiSpirito, and Michael Chiarello. The festival benefits the CIA and features dinners, a cheese making class, and a blind wine tasting class. (November 19-23)
· Good Food Month: The Age Good Food Month will feature pop-up dinners, parties, and cooking classes as well as events with chefs like Yotam Ottolenghi. Most impressively, there will be two weeks of Night Noodle Markets, an Asian hawker-style market with over 25 food stalls on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne. A similar month will take place in Sydney in October. (November)
· The Emporiyum: The line-up for the two-day pop-up artisan food market in Washington, D.C. includes chefs like Paul Qui and Bryan Voltaggio, plus the likes of Momofuku Milk Bar, Black Seed Bagels, and Mast Brothers Chocolate. (November 15-16)
DECEMBER
Jubilee 2013 [Photo: Official Site]
Jubilee
When: December 5-7
Where: Charleston, SC
What: Garden & Gun's Jubilee returns to Charleston for its second year and with it comes an afternoon quail hunt, an oyster roast, book signings, and plenty of shopping. Chefs Mike Lata, John Fleer, and Ashley Christensen will all host the Jubilee Field Feast on the final night which promises "incredible food, drink, and music." Other big names in attendance include the teams behind Butcher & Bee, Prince's Hot Chicken, and Rappahannock Oyster Co.
Twelve Days of Christmas
When: December 5-20
Where: Napa Valley, CA
What: For its seventh annual Twelve Days of Christmas celebration, Christopher Kostow and the Restaurant at Meadowood have invited a slew of internationally recognized chefs to come cook dinners. The roster includes chefs like Matthew Orlando, Kobe Desramaults, Grant Achatz, Ignacio Mattos, Esben Holmboe Bang, and Corey Lee. Each night's dinner will also be in collaboration with a vintner.
Also in December:
· Valley Forge Beer Festival: The annual Valley Forge Beer Festival in Pennsylvania promises a line-up featuring over 100 beers from more than 50 breweries from around the globe. Last year's roster included craft breweries like Victory, Boxcar Brewing Co, and Tommyknocker Brewery. (December 6)
· Indio International Tamale Festival: The city of Indio, California has been hosting the tamale festival since 1992 and it features beer gardens, a parade, live Mariachi music, over 150 vendors, and many, many tamales. (December 6-7)
· All Fall Previews on Eater [-E-]
· All Events Coverage on Eater [-E-]