We're back in business this weekend, with food festivals from coast to coast (actually just on both coasts). And since it's finally beautiful outside, there's no excuse to shy away from amazing opportunities to consume ridiculous amounts of strawberries, artichokes and (as always) alcohol.
Savor: An American Craft Beer and Food Experience (May 16-17, 2008) - Don't be turned off by the pretentious name -- instead embrace the chance to attend a reception-style sampling (it's Washington, D.C., what did you expect?) of over 35 appetizers and 96 craft beers. The pairings look amazing, with duos like Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing's Dread stout beer with pan-seared pilsener sirloin tips with shiitake blue-cheese sauce. I'm salivating. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
The Food and Wine Festival at National Harbor (May 17-18, 2008) - And while you're in the nation's capital, check out the tons and tons of exciting foodie events down on the Potomac River. Attend lectures, panels, tastings and shows, and I definitely wouldn't miss the Maine-style clam bake either. With an emphasis on foods from across the globe (food will be divided by continent in the main tasting pavilion), this definitely seems like an all-hit, no-miss opportunity. And there are more!
I look at this picture, and I swear I start to smell the charcoal burning and the chicken charring. It gets me excited for a season of outdoor festivals, street fairs and the occasional grilling session in my cousin's backyard. You can see other images from this event here. Thanks, Ohad, for adding your image to the Slashfood Flickr pool.
It's a good weekend for attending a food festival if you:
a) are a hipster of the American Northwest b) love wine c) have never attended a crawfish boil d) are hungry
If you, like me, find yourself nodding emphatically at these criteria, read on! This weekend offers food festivals sprinkled across the country, promising some of the most interesting and delicious foods I've seen in a while.
It's my final semester of college, and I'm taking Literature of the Great Depression to finish my English major. I think that my professor often feels badly, though, about assigning texts that are just so darn depressing, so she often opens class with a cheerful question like, "What's your favorite type of pie?" or "What's your favorite breakfast?" Recently, she asked us what our favorite thing about Spring is, and I knew instantly that mine is the delicious new food and produce that Spring brings. Clearly, there's no better way to celebrate these bright new ingredients than with entire festivals dedicated to them! This weekend, we have homages to asparagus, seafood, beer, more seafood, seafood and (my favorite) maple.
Read on after the jump to see where to go for the party, and meanwhile check out these lovely photos from last week's Great American Pie Festival.
It doesn't get any better than this. If I had magical powers and could transport myself to any food festival in the country this weekend, I don't think I'd be able to decide where to go! We've got BBQ in Missouri and Pies in Florida, and starting next Wednesday (4/23), Texas is the place to be with festivals in both Houston and Dallas.
Read on for details about all of these yummy events, and check out the gallery from last weekend's Scottsdale Culinary Festival!
There are always excuses to eat, but I find that there are rarely opportunities to just completely go nuts and eat everything in sight. So when these opportunities do come along (vacations to Europe, birthdays, Thanksgiving), it's best to take complete advantage. For me, food festivals definitely qualify as all-you-can-eat events. I remember my parents bringing me to Taste of Bethesda every year when I was growing up, and how exciting it was to chow through streets and streets of delicious foods.
Starting right now, I'll be giving you guys a weekly heads up about upcoming Food Festivals from around the country. Sadly, we don't have too many in the Philadelphia area, so I'll be living vicariously through the comments of those of you who are able to attend -- please relay all of the juicy details!
There are details about this weekend's festivals after the jump. For those who can't attend, perhaps this sweet gallery from Taste of Vail (April 2-5, 2008) will carry us through. Expect more to come!
A Brisbane fashion show has two high school students displaying some stunning clothes inspired by alcoholic drinks.
The Ambiwerra Festival is all about food, wine and has a jazz theme all of which have melded into these dresses. The two designers Melinda Toomey and Sarah Kalwy, are both too young to legally drink but they certianly know how to pin a couple of sheets of fabric and some baubles together. Their creations will be on display dyring the Sunday fashion awards.
The festival itself offers a great oppotunity to sample the delights of more than a dozen of Brisbane's best restaurants. Each will be offering entree-sized (starter) portions at attractive prices making them 'easy to stroll around with, and also makes it easy to save room for lots of all-day sampling'.
Some people travel to faraway destination with the intention of doing nothing but laying around on a deserted beach. Other people travel to major metropolitan areas to go shopping and sightseeing. And of course, there are people who travel for...food.
Though the original article at Frommer's is a few months old (November 2005), the list of food festivals around the country (as well as a couple outside the US) still applies from year to year. The editors have selected verious food festivals that occur during each month that showcase seasonal foods from that region, giving foodie travelers a reason to go to say, Irmo, South Carolina in September for okra!
Of course, I haven't yet been, but am hoping that this July, I can make a road trip up to Gilroy in Northern California for the annual garlic festival. What are some of the great food festivals in your area?
The local food revolution continues across the UK with several food festivals
that highlight local produce and local restaurants.
9th Lancashire Food Festival 1st/2nd April - plenty of local produce in Accrington,
Lancashire [website]
Henley Food Festival 28th/29th April - my home town with plenty to buy and taste.
Restaurants including the Fat Duck and Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons are to attend. Champagne tent and a wine bar too. [website]
Norwich Food Festival 13th-23nd October - a little way in the future but a
wide selection of activities during the week, including sausage making competition and wine tastings, mnakes it
worthwhile planning ahead. [details]
Traveling during spring can be challenging. There are often dramatic shifts in weather, alternating
balmy, sunlit skies with freezing snow flurries, not to mention that there is usually a lot of rain. But the rain brings
about things that make travel worth it for a foodie, like the first crops of the year for many varieties of seasonal
fruits and vegetables. Eating well prepared, seasonal specialties is a treat, especially when so many restaurants serve
supermarket fare.
While some restaurants will add a seasonal special or two to their menus, there are a handful of restaurants that
specialize in specials. These seasonal
restaurants are open for only a few weeks each year. They're not open during the summer tourist season, only when
their special ingredients are at their peak in the spring. They can be hard to find, usually known only to the locals
in the area, but according to the New York Times, it's worth tracking them down.
We're back in business this weekend, with food festivals from coast to coast (actually just on both coasts). And since it's finally beautiful outside, there's no excuse to shy away from amazing opportunities to consume ridiculous amounts of strawberries, artichokes and (as always) alcohol. 
It's a good weekend for attending a food festival if you: 
It's my final semester of college, and I'm taking Literature of the Great Depression to finish my English major. I think that my professor often feels badly, though, about assigning texts that are just so darn depressing, so she often opens class with a cheerful question like, "What's your favorite type of pie?" or "What's your favorite breakfast?" Recently, she asked us what our favorite thing about Spring is, and I knew instantly that mine is the delicious new food and produce that Spring brings. Clearly, there's no better way to celebrate these bright new ingredients than with entire festivals dedicated to them! This weekend, we have homages to asparagus, seafood, beer, more seafood, seafood and (my favorite) maple.
There are always excuses to eat, but I find that there are rarely opportunities to just completely go nuts and eat everything in sight. So when these opportunities do come along (vacations to Europe, birthdays, Thanksgiving), it's best to take complete advantage. For me, food festivals definitely qualify as all-you-can-eat events. I remember my parents bringing me to 
A Brisbane fashion show has two high school students displaying some stunning clothes inspired by alcoholic drinks. 
Some people travel to faraway destination with the intention of doing nothing but laying around on a deserted beach. Other people travel to major metropolitan areas to go shopping and sightseeing. And of course, there are people who travel for...food.
The local food revolution continues across the UK with several food festivals
that highlight local produce and local restaurants.
Traveling during spring can be challenging. There are often dramatic shifts in weather, alternating
balmy, sunlit skies with freezing snow flurries, not to mention that there is usually a lot of rain. But the rain brings
about things that make travel worth it for a foodie, like the first crops of the year for many varieties of seasonal
fruits and vegetables. Eating well prepared, seasonal specialties is a treat, especially when so many restaurants serve
supermarket fare.
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