Five Fall Food Festivals to Explore
Explore Southern culture, have dinner in paradise, or take a bite out of the big apple.
Atlantis Paradise Island’s Table Takeovers
Last March, Atlantis Paradise Island hosted the Nassau Paradise Island Wine & Food Festival, a multi-day event that featured major international talents like Jose Andres, JJ Johnson, Alex Guarnaschelli, Alon Shaya, and Andrew Zimmern.
The festival plans to return in 2024, with dates and a schedule of events slated to be announced shortly.
But, if you’ve got a hankering for a culinary Bahamas getaway before then, you’ll want to check out the upcoming Table Takeovers.
During the month of September, Atlantis Paradise Island will host several dinners hosted by celebrity chefs.
From September 2nd through 9th, JJ Johnson will pop up with a Caribbean brasserie concept at Bimini Road at Atlantis Marina Village. The pop-up will offer dishes that celebrate Johnson’s African-Caribbean roots such as oxtail dumplings, snapper with amarillo broth, tuna ceviche tostadas with avocados, and a 21 oz. bone-in ribeye with lobster curry corn.
Johnson will also appear at a book signing for his new cookbook, The Simple Art of Rice: Recipes from Around the World for the Heart of Your Table.
From September 28th through October 1st, James Beard winner, restaurateur, and cookbook author Jose Garces will take over the resort’s Café Martinique, offering a menu of Spanish and Latin-American cuisine. SDishes include pulpo gallego, ensalada de jamón, and montatadito de pato.
Guests will have the opportunity to meet the chef during a book signing of his cookbook, The Latin Road Home. Visit atlantisbahamas.com for more information.
Chow Chow Food + Culture Festival
Asheville, North Carolina is the home of the Chow Chow Food + Culture Festival, which celebrates the the foodways of Southern Appalachia and Asheville’s creative economy. The festival, which runs from September 7th through 10th, was founded by Chow Chow, a nonprofit organization to showcase Asheville’s creative spirit. As such, the festival is unique with many seminars offered on a “pay-what-you-can” basis. The festival also offers traditional tasting events, along with traditional dinners. The finest chefs from Asheville and other Southern cities will participate, including Meherwan Irani, Katie Button, John Fleer, Greg Collier, and Camille Cogswell. Visit chowchowasheville.com for more information.
The Atlanta Food & Wine Festival
The Atlanta Food & Wine Festival (AFWF) offers five days of dinners and tastings dedicated to putting a spotlight on the rich culinary traditions of the South. The event benefits Children of Conservation’s school lunch program, which feeds underprivileged children attending the Twampane Community Primary and Secondary Schools in Zambia. Events start Wednesday, September 20th and the weekend culminates with the three-day tasting tents taking over Historic Fourth Ward Park from Friday, September 22nd through Sunday, September 24th. Each day, guests can eat and drink from more than 50 different tasting stations. Visit atlfoodandwinefestival.com for more information.
The New York City Wine & Food Festival
The New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF) returns with more than 80 dinners, tastings, brunches, and more from October 12th through 15th.
The festival, a significant fundraiser for God’s Love We Deliver, offers dinners, tastings, and seminars by some of the biggest culinary names in the world such as Alain Ducasse, Dominique Crenn, and Marcus Samuelsson. OF course, there are famous events like the Burger Bash, Taste of Italy, and the Grand Tasting, but there are more intimate events, as well like dinners, brunches, and cocktail receptions. Visit nycwff.orrg for more information.