The Second Annual Summit Wine and Food Festival, which will be held Friday, September 24 – Sunday, September 26, 2010, will bring together a renowned group of chefs, wine & spirits experts, and host of food television celebrities to benefit the Community Food Bank of New Jersey.
Once again, the celebration will be held at the resplendent Grand Summit Hotel (570 Springfield Avenue, Summit, NJ). But this year’s festival promises to be bigger and better than ever as events will also take place at the Reeves-Reed Arboretum (165 Hobart Avenue, Summit, NJ), where the natural beauty and historical preservation of the gardens will provide the perfect backdrop for the extraordinary food that will be created.
For the second year in a row, event organizer and renowned sommelier Ivan Ruiz has gathered an elite group of industry professionals to lend their talent and knowledge to the festival. Culinary personalities will include: Iron Chef Jose Garces, winner of the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic Region Award” in 2009; Douglas Rodriguez, 3-star award-winning pioneer of Nuevo Latin Cuisine; celebrity chef Ingrid Hoffman, Food Network star of the popular show Simply Delicioso; noted “Wine Geek” Steven Olson, who, along with Master Sommelier & Mast Mixologist Doug Frost, will highlight some of the finer points of oenology.
There will also be a number of local favorites on hand to represent New Jersey. Such notable names include master chef Craig Shelton, formerly of the award-winning Ryland Inn, James Laird of Restaurant Serenade, and David Drake of David Drake Restaurant.
Friday night kicks off with a six-course gala dinner at the Grand Ballroom, featuring dishes prepared by an A-list group of celebrity chefs. The evening ends with a more intimate after-party where guests will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the most influential chefs, sommeliers, and winemakers in the industry.
Among the cooking demonstrations and wine-tastings taking place on Saturday will be three separate seminars on cocktails, including special presentations on tropical and Latin American drinks, a focused run-through on how to make the perfect martini, and a nod to the increasingly popular classic American cocktail of yesteryear. Guests will get their fill of tasting and testing at the Wine and Food Pairing Seminar, as some of the nation’s best sommeliers go head-to-head at their craft as guests help judge their taste aptitude and general knowledge.
On Sunday, cocktails go south of the border with Mezcal, Mexico’s “Other Spirit” as top mixologists divulge the secrets and intricacies of Mezcal. The festival concludes with the 2010 Summit Wine and Food Festival’s Game Showdown, as seven chefs, each representing his/her own signature cuisine, will have to prepare a game bird of some sort to be judged by a panel of five judges.
The 2010 Summit Wine and Food Festival promises to be one of the year’s most groundbreaking and enjoyable experiences for foodies and culinary professionals alike.
For more information about the festival, or to purchase tickets, please go to www.summitwineandfood.com.
Bon Appétit!
TAD
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