Food and wine and chef-lebrities! Oh, my!
CHARLIE has a few favorite times of year and this is one of them. Time to fill your bellies with the most delicious bites you can’t even imagine. Time to sip until you become a wine connoisseur. Time to loosen your belts. Time to party like a rock star. It’s time for Charleston’s Food + Wine Festival.
There are so many fantastic events that it’s hard to select a few, but we’ll try.
It all starts March 5 with the Opening Night Party. A true tribute to Charleston chefs, this is the best event to sum up the festival: amazing cuisine, more than 30 rock star chefs, an impeccable crowd.
Other star events include the King Street Sip and Stroll, Bubbles and Sweets (dessert showcase turns late night dance party for the young, chic crew), Sunday’s BBQ and Blues finale and other random happenings about town like the hyper-local 100 Mile Dinner at Fish, where all ingredients will travel less than 100 miles to get to your plate.
The most spectacular of the festival is Food + Wine with a View, hosted by Mickey Bakst at Terri Henning’s out-of-this-world penthouse. It will cost you a pretty penny (75,000 pretty pennies to be exact), but the experience cannot be matched.
The Restaurant Dine-Arounds are great fun as you get to experience a delicious multi-course meal by your favorite restaurant chef partnered with a veteran out-of-town culinary genius for the night. There are so many great ones to choose from – Charleston Grill, Oak Steakhouse, Trattoria Lucca, Tristan (who is featuring a daring all-vegetarian menu). We are headed to Cypress’ dine-around and can’t contain our excitement. Don’t worry about choosing which restaurant – you can’t go wrong.
More wine tastings have been added to the schedule this year which would please anyone. From Pinot Envy Uncorked! and the Top Sommelier Tasting to the Women Rock! Seminar featuring all women wine makers, you better get your thirst on.
Of course we all know that Chef Bobby Flay is coming this year, and we’re excited to welcome him to our epicurean gem of a city. He’s an incomparable chef, and he clearly knows a good culinary thing when he sees it.
The greatest part of Food + Wine Festival are those “off-menu” parties you tend to hear about by going to as many events as possible. Last year, a standout was a private chefs’ party at FIG, where “Top Chef” stars and Charleston chef-lebrities mixed and mingled with lucky patrons, clinking wine glasses by a pig roasting over a spitfire. We’re anxious to see what parties come up this year.
And we are very pleased to announce that during Food + Wine Festival, CHARLIE is going DAILY! That’s right, check back every day from now until Sunday to get extensive coverage and photos of the best parties of the festival. And remember, when you see CHARLIE’s photographer out at an event, just say “cheese.”
