Photo courtesy of Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival
One of the top food and wine festivals in Southern California is taking place on Oct. 11 and Oct. 12 in Manhattan Beach at Manhattan Village. The event founder Shelby Russell and Event Host Chef Neal Fraser invited 25+ of their favorite chefs to open the inaugural Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival.
It’s a two-night culinary extravaganza of savory and sweet food tastings, with top wineries pouring their wines, craft brewers pouring their beers, and spirit representatives shaking creative cocktails.
The All-Star Opening Night and Grand Tasting include some of Southern California’s top male and female chefs. Each one is preparing award-winning plates for the public to try. It’s a friendly event where ticket holders can see their favorite chefs in action and say hello.
Chef Sherry Yard. Photo courtesy of Manhattan Beach Food & Wine
The stellar female chefs in attendance for this two-night spectacular culinary event include Great American Baking Show and Iron Chef Sherry Yard of Bakery by the Yard, along with Food Network’s Too Hot Tamales and Top Chefs Master star Susan Feniger of Border Grill, SOCALO and Alice B.
James Beard winner Suzanne Goin A.O.C., a favorite chef on Hell’s Kitchen and Top Chef, will be preparing a special dish. Next Level Chef and Top Chef star Nyesha Arrington, nicknamed ‘The Ninja’ of Native By Nyesha will be preparing her favorite dish, along with Stephanie Garofano preparing something sweet that she makes at Malibu Meringue.
Top Chef Antonia Lafaso of Black Market Liquor Bar, Dama, and Scopa Italian Roots will also be on hand to serve a specialty dish. Besides participating in Top Chef, she has appeared on Food Network’s Tournament of Champions, Supermarket Stakeout, and Guy’s Grocery Games.
Chef Sandra Cordero is a James Beard WEL Fellow and Co-Founder of Regarding Her. Codero’s Tapas Bar Xuntos is a Santa Monica favorite food and wine spot in the city.
Chef Elizabeth Falkner will make an appearance on Opening Night. She has participated on Top Chef, Next Iron Chef and Tournament of Champions.
Dominique Crenn of San Francisco’s Atelier Crenn will be at the Grand Tasting. She is the only female chef in the United States to attain Three Michelin Stars. She also received the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the West, and was the former Executive Chef at Manhattan Beach Country Club.
Manhattan Beach Food & Wine
General Admission tickets for this 21+ year old event start at $294.95 per person. Tickets are still available for Opening Night on Friday, October 11 and the Grand Tasting on Saturday, October 12, 2024.
There is a VIP Power Hour that opens one hour early at 6 to 7 p.m. Tickets for this early and less crowded time are $454.85 per person. Regular Admission opens at 7 to 10 p.m. Get a two-day Regular Admission pass for $577.43. A two-day VIP pass is $897.23.
This event helps fund a good cause. The beneficiary of the Manhattan Beach Food & Wine is Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP). This workforce development nonprofit provides underserved teens pathways to pursue careers in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
Annually, C-CAP provides culinary job and life skills in 186 schools across the United States. Teens throughout Arizona to Baltimore, Camden, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City & Long Island, Newark, Philadelphia, suburban Maryland, and Washington DC.
Tickets to the inaugural Manhattan Beach Food and Wine Tasting are still available.
