Burrata, uni and caviar canape by Chef Ari Taymor
The 5th annual Food & Wine Festival Palm Desert™ will be held March 27-29, 2015. The festival is organized by Palm Springs Life magazine to showcase the restaurants of the Coachella Valley. Joining the local chefs for this three-day extravaganza will be renowned chefs from across the country, including Iron Chef Cat Cora, Brian Malarkey, Zack Bruell, and LA’s own Brooke Williamson and Ari Taymor.
The festival begins with a 4-course luncheon at 11:30am on Friday, March 27. In a “salute to women,” each course will be prepared by a female James Beard Award–winning and nominated chef. Featured chefs are Food Network Iron Chef Cat Cora, James Beard Award–winning pastry chef Gale Gand, chef and owner of Hudson House, The Tripel, and Playa Provisions Brooke Williamson, and The “Entertainologist,” best-selling author, entertainer and event designer Lulu Powers. The courses will be paired with premium and sparkling wines.
Saturday and Sunday’s schedule features two “Grand Tastings” from noon until 4pm. 50 restaurants with over 20 celebrity chefs will offer tastings. In addition, more than 80 premium spirits, wines, champagnes and craft brews will be pouring. Guests will also enjoy celebrity chef book signings,unique exhibits booths, silent auctions, and three different stages for cooking demos. Wine seminars will be presented throughout the day for a nominal fee.
Saturday’s cooking demos will be presented by chefs including Brian Malarkey, Top Chef Miami, Owner of Searsucker, Herringbone, and Green Acre, Cat Cora – Chef, TV personality, cook book author, Food Network Iron Chef, and Jennifer Town – Purple Room Palm Springs. Wine tasting seminars include “The Art of Wine Blending.”
Sunday’s schedule offers cooking demos by Ari Taymor – Alma, named “Best New Restaurant in America 2013 “ by Bon Appetit and “Best New Chef 2014” by Food & Wine, Mike Milligan – Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa, Gale Gand – SpritzBurger restaurant, Tru Chicago, and James Beard Award-winning Pastry Chef, and Andie Hubka – Cork & Fork Wine Bar & Kitchen. Gale Gand will also be available to sign her book.
Food & Wine Festival Palm Desert™ will take place in The Big White Tent on Larkspur between El Paseo and Shadow Mountain in Palm Desert, CA. 21 and over. James Beard luncheon $125/$150. Grand Tastings $90 per day. There is an additional $25 fee for each wine seminar. For $125 the VIP Grand Tasting Pass permits you early entry into the Grand Tastings, plus a special caviar and champagne tasting, and exclusive celebrity chef cooking demonstrations. Buy tickets here.
