Let’s Evaluate Meals Festivals – Black Women Who Brunch

Through the years I’ve attended some nice meals festivals.  At any time when I speak concerning the main ones that I’ve gone to, regionally in Houston or out of state, individuals all the time ask which is the most effective? I discover it exhausting to select the best possible of them, however will say every has parts that make it extra interesting than the others.  So for the sake of argument, Let’s Evaluate Meals Festivals!

Aspen Meals & Wine Traditional

The Enchantment: Aspen Meals & Wine Traditional is the MOTHER of all meals festivals.  Happening for 46 years, this pageant is what many are modeled after and stays one of the crucial coveted tickets within the meals house.

• Value: If you find yourself mom, you get to cost extra! The fundamental ticket for Aspen Meals & Wine is about 3k with taxes and costs.   Including to that the close by lodges have been charging excessive charges a nicely.  Aspen can be not an affordable metropolis to journey to normally, so your prices to get there can also be pricier.  Nevertheless, as soon as you might be there you your whole meals and actions are lined by your ticket.

• Location: Aspen, Colorado is a lovely BOUGIE city in Colorado.  The pageant is each June and regardless of what you might assume, summertime Aspen is a good too.  Aspen is a type of distinctive areas within the US that I believe everybody ought to go to in the event that they get an opportunity.

• Setup: For the basic, with the acquisition of our GA ticket we had entry to seminars and the pavilions tents twice a day.  The VIP choices appeared to supply early entry to the tents and maybe some personal events.  The personal occasions for Aspen appeared tougher to entry than different festivals.

• In comparison with different festivals, you’ve gotten much less alternatives to strive the meals from high cooks.  A few of the main sponsors like Residence Items and Lexus introduced in a number of the massive cooks to serve up dishes, however for probably the most half the Prime Cooks have been within the seminars and the nice native cooks have been within the tents offering samples.  There’s a partnership with Prime Chef so you will note extra of those cooks right here than some other pageant.

• To us it additionally felt like many of the attendees have been exhibitors, expertise or labored within the meals&beverage business business.  It felt extra like an business occasion at instances, which some informed us didn’t all the time was once that case.  Charleston Wine & Meals for instance was not that manner.

• The expertise have been numerous, however the attendees weren’t as numerous. This didn’t hassle me in any respect. We linked with good individuals all through.

Household Reunion

The Enchantment: Hosted each August, the Household Reunion is an occasion that highlights Black cooks, at a Black owned resort the place you fellowship with different attendees, very similar to a household reunion.  It provides you all the posh of a number of the different widespread meals festivals across the nation, however BLACK.  That’s the enchantment and it’s so darn enjoyable!

• Setup/Value – There’s an all entry go that typically begins round 2,000.  Should you add a keep on the resort, the Salamander in Middleburg,VA, it goes as much as about 5,000 or extra.  The occasions typically are from Thursday to Sunday, together with household fashion lunches, dinner actions and interactive classes through the day.  Additionally they provide a $900 night go for simply the night time time occasions and there often are shock company.  The yr I went, Dave Chappelle hosted an incredible after occasion.

• Location – I went the inaugural yr and we opted to remain at one other lodge that didn’t appear far on the time of reserving.  Babyyyy, these windy nation roads at night time or one thing I might not suggest. Should you can keep on the Salamander through the occasion, that may provide the most effective expertise.  There are additionally airbnbs close by, however they ebook up very quick so preserve that in thoughts.
  • There’s now additionally a Salamander Resort in DC correct.   The organizeres provide a keep on the DC lodge and buses to the resort each day for the festivities.

• This occasion is curated by Chef Kwame Onwuachi, a former Prime Chef contestant, James Beard winner and acclaimed restaurant proprietor.  Even when all the occasion was simply targeted on his meals, it could be value it, nonetheless he brings a number of the greatest Black cooks within the nation to this occasion.  The meals I had there may be arms down a number of the greatest meals I’ve ever had at a meals pageant.
• It additionally actually felt like a household reunion.  Simply how there isn’t a “VIP part” at your precise household reunion on your well-known cousin, the yr I went the occasion felt very very similar to that.  Everybody appeared to combine and mingle collectively communing with lengthy misplaced cousins if you’ll.  That was additionally a spotlight of the occasion.

Southern Smoke

Southern Smoke at Discovery Inexperienced 2023.

For my pal Sydney, she didn’t contemplate herself a foodie however got here alongside to Southern Smoke once we had an additional ticket. She LOVED it and stated please embody me in your future meals pageant journeys.  She has since rolled to Aspen and Charleston.  She described Southern Smoke as nice intro meals pageant, particularly for Houston locals.  

Enchantment:  Tremendous chill occasion that’s not the marathon that the opposite meals festivals are.  Right here, additionally, you will get your greatest probability to strive meals out of your favourite cooks.  Aaron Franklin will probably be slicing up brisket in a tent, your favourite high chef winner will probably be working like loopy within the again to serve up all the samples.  There’s sometimes so much variety within the delicacies and cooks as nicely.  There’ll all the time be native faves like Trill Burger too. For me, having it in Houston too, an underrated meals metropolis makes it even higher.

• Different vital observe, the proceeds from the pageant to the Southern Smoke basis which assists restaurant staff in want.  There typically is a few philanthropic trigger tied to those occasions, however none as deeply as Southern Smoke.
• I’ve encountered individuals who fly from out of state to attend, however for now it appears like an area occasion that possible will proceed to develop and flourish.

• The weekend of occasions for Southern Smoke has assorted every year.  This will likely make it troublesome to plan a visit, nonetheless it provides some selection for many who attend yearly.  This yr, the pageant solely contains one public occasion at Discovery Inexperienced in October.  Tickets are on sale now.
  • This yr the GA tickets are $225 and provides company entry to limitless bites from their high cooks.  The ticket worth has continued to rise the previous couple of years, however it does often promote out.

Charleston Wine & Meals (to not be confused with the brand new Charleston FOOD & Wine)

The Enchantment: Regionally organized, Charleston Wine & Meals is a relaxed vibe in one in every of America’s hottest cities.

• Value: Once I went in 2024, the occasions we attended ranged from $145-200 every.  We picked 1-2 occasions every day after which crammed in some dinners round city as nicely.  Because the occasions are priced by occasion, you’ll be able to resolve what suits your price range greatest and choose accordingly.  Additionally, as a result of town is bigger, there are extra lodge choices and you could find one in your price range.

• Location – Now I’m a bit biased as Charleston is one in every of my favourite cities ever, however the location of this pageant is among the largest appeals.  Charleston is bigger than Aspen and Middleburg, making it simpler to navigate.  Additionally they host occasions all around the metropolis which lets you get a style of town and ensures that it doesn’t matter what in some unspecified time in the future there will probably be an occasion near your lodge.  The town is pretty walkable plus has tons of Ubers out there.

• Setup: I wish to discuss with CHWF as a “decide your individual journey” sort of occasion.  There’s an all entry go, however mainly when the tickets drop, company log on and buy the totally different occasions they need to attend.  There are smaller extra intimate brunches/dinners.   The big pageant fashion occasions within the night after which the daytime visits to the culinary village.  For my final go to, we averted culinary village which will be crowded and caught with the smaller dinners and some of the pageant fashion occasions.

• CHFW can at instances really feel much less pageant like as a result of there smaller occasions round city.   If crowds hassle you, I believe this is among the appeals.
• Should you desire chef pushed occasions, I believe CHFW affords nice alternatives for that by means of the smaller dinners. These sometimes promote out quick.  These are usually not all the time your most well-known cooks nationwide, however they could have followings in their very own communities.  We went to occasions for some Houston cooks that we like again dwelling for instance.
• Additionally, as a result of town itself is superb, you could find different issues to do exterior of simply attending the pageant.  I shared a few of my favourite stops in Charleston right here.

The Takeaway

My largest level, all of those festivals are nice.  I’ve attended a number of greater than as soon as and would return to every of them once more as nicely.  As I attend extra main meals festivals, I might remember to replace this so as to add how they evaluate.

Have you ever attended any meals festivals? Which have been your favorites?