Food + Wine Festival and the launch of the Spirit of South Carolina
On Friday night, The BB&T Food + Wine Festival started with a bang as the corks on countless bottles of Moët & Chandon champagne were popped for Charleston magazine’s spectacular Bubbles and Sweets party. By 10 p.m., the line to enter the Marion Square tent snaked its way down King Street, and guests shivered in anticipation of the decadent treats that awaited them inside. The decor was very slick Deco-era chic. Large clusters of black and white plumes hung from the ceiling; guests lounged on white high back settees; and the silver candelabras gleamed in the glow of an expertly designed lighting scheme. The Grand Marnier tent featured scrims with painted silhouettes of Gatsby-esque characters— top hats and long strands of pearls, anyone?
The dazzling array of confections, something to suit practically every craving, sent guests skipping from one end of the tent to the other. In total, 17 acclaimed pastry chefs created thousands of desserts, and one by one—poof!— guests turned into Augustus Gloop! Well, not really, but it is fair to say a grand sugar buzz worthy of Mr. Wonka was surging through the crowd.
I heard a great deal of buzz about the hazelnut milk chocolate mousse napoleon with Chambord reduction and Frangelico milkshake shot that was prepared by Kelly Wilson, longtime pastry chef for Cypress restaurant. Last year, a number of the chefs created chocolate and chili pepper confections, but I didn’t see much of that particular pairing this year. I stayed far away from Lindsay Reynolds’ station (Oak Steakhouse) since Chef Brett McKee likes to loudly “out” my addiction to his mother’s cheesecake, and I didn’t want to get caught with the proverbial cake on my face!
The effects of Friday night’s frivolities did little to deter the surge of early birds awaiting entrance to the culinary village on Saturday. By noon, the vendor village was the place to be, no doubt thanks to the seemingly endless string of ample samples— everything from shrimp to biscuits. Vendors hawked their goods at a rapid clip, and the guests lapped up every bit of Southern goodness. So much so that the fire marshall asked organizer Rick Widman (Charming Inns and Circa 1886) to untie one of the tent flaps to ease the flow of people. Tony the Peanut Man was ubiquitous with his sing-song odes to the mighty peanut, and the Charleston magazine booth was the site of several popular cooking demonstrations.
Across the lawn, the tent that housed the Bubbles and Sweets party had been transformed into an Iron Chef cooking showdown, with matches that pitted chef against chef throughout the afternoon. This was, by far, my favorite aspect of Saturday’s activities. South Carolina native son turned chef célèbre Tyler Florence served as emcee throughout the afternoon, and he did his best to elevate the drama, peppering his commentary with observations on the “smack talk” even though his quips were often more animated that the chefs’ original comments. The chefs worked in pairs and were given one hour to prepare several dishes with a secret ingredient, which was revealed at the start of their competition. Cooking in decked out kitchens, with outrageously stocked refrigerators and a shared pantry, the teams whipped up mouth-watering entrees with items like venison, fresh flounder from Folly Beach, and wild American shrimp. At the end of each hour, audience applause helped decide the winner. Four rounds of competition took place throughout the afternoon. I watched the first round, which pitted Chef Chris Brandt (The Ocean Room) and Chef Matthew Dibble (Social) against Chef Ken Vedrinski (Sienna) and Chef Thomas Clayton (Cintra), and it ended in a draw. The second match featured Chef Corey Elliott (Cordavi) and Chef David Szlam (Cordavi) cooking against Chef Jason Ulak (The Boathouse) and Chef Kevin Johnson (Anson). The latter two were victorious. I missed the third competition, but the last duel of the night— Tyler Florence and Scott Pikey versus Tom Colicchio and Sam Talbot— also ended in a tie. I hope these wonderfully engaging competitions will be a part of next year’s line-up.
By Sunday, the atmosphere at the festival has taken on a decidedly more laid-back vibe, and the finale party— BBQ, Blues & Brew— was a great way to wind down the hectic weekend-long celebration of Charleston’s culinary scene.
It was, however, high energy over at the Maritime Center, where a sizable crowd gathered to celebrate the launch of the Spirit of South Carolina, a magnificent tall ship that has been under construction in Ansonborough Field for several years. Local dignitaries and supporters of the Maritime Heritage Foundation filed across the stage in a repeating chorus of gratitude for the hard work and financial support that helped make the ship a reality. Appropriately nautical gifts, like a telescope and a sextant, were awarded to the key players, and I counted at least two dozen pair of Sperry topsides. Kids who may one day participate in the ship’s educational outreach scampered about the party, while adults made their way through the barbecue and slaw buffet. Once the stage cleared, the band started rocking out, and I hear the party lasted for quite some time… as it usually does where a true celebration is at hand. Congratulations to everyone involved with the Spirit of South Carolina. May she always sail in fair winds and following seas.
Caritas.
Ida
