March Food Festivals

by Jose Ralat Maldonado, Posted Feb 26th 2010 @ 11:00AM

A view from the 2009 Village Voice's Choice Eats tasting event. Photo: leesean, Flickr

You wouldn't know it thanks to Mother Nature's meteorologically unstable mood, but spring is, in fact, around the corner. As such, this month's food fetes look to the warmer weather and the promise of a new season.

Mid-Atlantic Barista Competition, March 5-7, Secaucus, N.J.: Wake up! The captains of coffee will take to the bar and compete for the best espresso, cappuccino and signature event. Entries will be evaluated on the merits of taste and tactile balance, contents and temperature. Get your jolt of joe as a judge or provide one by entering the contest.

Annual Ballpark Beer Festival, March 6, Bryan, Tex.: The Lone Star State is gaining a much-deserved reputation as a land of estimable craft beer. And this celebration of suds will have several Texas beers available for sampling, including those by Saint Arnold and Shiner. For those with varying tastes, check out offerings from international and American breweries. Five samples are available for $10. For $35, you can get VIP access, which includes six fajitas, 10 samples, front-of-line passes and more. But beer isn't the only draw -- attendees will also enjoy live music, a kiddie area and a fajita cook-off. The best part of the event? Free admission to taste more than 200 beers!

Outer Banks Taste of the Beach, March 11-14, the Outer Banks, N.C.: Beer and food pairings, a fish fry with Carolina BBQ and locavore tastings by area superstars like Sam McGann, whose restaurant, the Blue Point, was heralded as a destination eatery by Gourmet, and Renee Waddington Graeme of the Black Pelican, recipient of the People's Choice Award at last year's festival, mark this as a showcase not to be missed.

The Village Voice's Choice Eats Tasting Event, March 22, New York, N.Y.: This third annual festival will feature foods from more than 50 restaurants and 35 countries -- including Ukraine, Cambodia and India -- that give the Big Apple its reputation as a culinary capital. Among the shining stars scheduled are Xi'an Famous Food, Rajbohog and Cafe Glechik. Chefs will be on hand preparing samples and answering questions.

New Orleans Roadfood Festival, March 26-28, New Orleans, La.: At the tail end of Lent, the home of Mardi Gras will celebrate the vittles of U.S. highways and back roads. On opening night there will be a cocktail reception with a menu representing some of the country's tarmac treats from Maine to Arizona. The presentation of the world's longest oyster po-boy on Bourbon Street should be enticing enough to convince you this is a must-savor event.

Filed Under: Events
Tags: annual ball park beer festival, festivals, mid-atlantic barista competition, new orleans roadfood festival, Village Voice