January 22, 2019 – Tickets have just gone on sale for GourmetFest—the four-day food and wine festival that runs from March 14-17. This year includes two off-site events with special appeal for local residents. Brand new this year is the Bluegrass and BBQ event at the Wine House in Carmel Valley on Friday, March 15, which celebrates rare wines of Monterey County and library releases from Joyce Vineyards and Testarossa, with a strolling BBQ lunch prepared by chefs Eduardo Marin of Solar de Las Animas, Adriano Venturini of Eden Roc Cap Cana and A.J. Buchanio of Magee Homestead.
On Saturday, March 16, the Wild Mushroom Hunt and Lunch at the Santa Lucia Preserve returns, with ranger Chuck Bancroft leading the foraging hike, followed by a sumptuous wild mushroom lunch prepared by the Preserve’s Daniela Ramos and chef Lou Rossi of Castle Hill, with accompanying wines.
That same day a second Ment’or demo and lunch will be offered at La Playa hotel, this time by Los Angeles superstar chef Walter Manzke of République. Ment’or is a non-profit organization created by Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud and Jérôme Bocuse to inspire young people to want to cook.
Opening night at GourmetFest is always a treat, hosted by Aubergine exec chef Justin Cogley and pastry chef Yulanda Santos, as is the Taste of Relais & Châteaux closing event on Sunday. And for the full over-the-top GourmetFest experience don’t miss the Rarities dinner—a ten-course extravaganza prepared by a galaxy of top talent including Michelin 3-star chefs Michael Tusk of Quince and David Kinch of Manresa.
The full lineup of events and chefs is now live on the GourmetFest website here: http://gourmetfestcarmel.com
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
