Photo Courtesy of Charleston Wine + Food
Nashville chefs will take center stage at the 14th annual Charleston Wine + Food Festival, held this year in the Holy City from March 6 through March 10. Featuring the best chefs that the Lowcountry has to offer paired up with guest chefs from across the country, CHSWFF is one of the nation’s premier food and drink festivals thanks to signature dinners in some of the city’s iconic restaurants, cooking demos, wine and spirits tastings, hands-on classes and tasting opportunities in the massive Culinary Village situated in historic Marion Square.
Among the dozens of chefs participating this year are a handful of notable guests from Music City who will be appearing at events all over town throughout the long weekend. Several of them will be cooking free samples for festival attendees in the Culinary Village which is divided into “neighborhoods” for the weekend featuring different types of cuisines. Areas called The Hub and The Market will showcase food and beverage vendors from around the country offering their wares for sale. The Corkyard and The Rosé Oasis will be pouring wines to accompany dishes prepared by guest chefs and, of course, The Beer Garden will concentrate on malty, hoppy sudsy specialties. The Patio will focus on outdoor cooking with live demos and all sorts of grilled and smoked treats for attendees.
Matt Bolus of 404 Kitchen spent the early part of his culinary career working in Charleston, so he’s always a popular attraction whenever he comes to visit. Bolus will be cooking in The Beer Garden from 1:45 until 3:00, and whatever he prepares, you can be sure it’s going to be great! Chef Bryan Lee Weaver cooks at the Nashville outpost of Butcher & Bee, a popular Charleston-based restaurant, and he’ll be returning to the Mothership to cook in The Corkyard at the Culinary Village on Friday from 3:30 until 5:00.
Veteran pitmaster Carey Bringle of Peg Leg Porker will be grillin’ and chillin at The Hub on Saturday, March 9 from 3:45 until 5:00 where he’ll be serving up his signature brand of Memphis-meets-Nashville smoked specialties. Chef Brian Riggenbach of the popular North Gulch modern international diner The Mockingbird will be cooking at the same time as Bringle, just around the corner in The Hub.
Richard Jones runs the culinary program at Green Door Gourmet, a West Nashville farm and CSA with events facilities and a demo kitchen where Jones teaches guests how to cook all the great food that arrives weekly in their CSA baskets. So he’s a natural to present at The Patio on Sunday where he’ll close down the Culinary Village from 2:15 until 3:30.
If you’re planning to attend Charleston Wine + Food Festival, be sure to stop by the Springier Mountain Farms tent in the Culinary Village for delicious chef demos, Friday through Sunday. If you want to try to grab some last-minute tickets, visit the festival’s ticketing page on their website.
Contributed by Chris Chamberlain
