We’re still in recovery from a whirlwind incredible weekend at the seventh annual Music City Food & Wine Fest. Foodies from Nashville and beyond descended upon Bicentennial State Park and Music City Walk of Fame for the 3-day festival that brought along with it a slew of top national chefs as well as local Nashville favorites. The star-studded affair featured all the eats and drinks anyone could possibly want (and then some) along with chef demo tents, tasting sessions, book signings and much more.
We’re excited to share with you our favorites from the Friday and Saturday sampling feasts as well as the pinnacle Saturday evening event, Harvest Night.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY:
Friday evening and Saturday afternoon’s sampling feast, located at Bicentennial State Park, featured countless artisanal bites, cocktails, local & global wine, beer, and spirits. Held in an elegant yet casual setting, you were free to roam and come back to any booth you’d like for as many times as you’d liked over the course of the afternoon. The park was also the location for chef demos and tasting sessions as well as book signings with your favorite food stars. We were overwhelmed at both sessions by the sheer number of booths and samplings available to you.
It was a tough job… but someone had to do it. Here is our BEST OF THE FEST.
EATS:
True Food Kitchen: Unbeetable Burger
Featuring a crunchy vegetarian patty made from beets, this dish was a big shock for this hardcore steak eater. The addition of jicama slaw gave it a nice tang while the vegan mayonnaise and flaxseed bun were the perfect accompaniments that added depth yet allowed the beet patty to shine. We may go as far as saying this was our favorite dish of both the Friday and Saturday sessions (and we may have gone back for a second…and a third).
Thai Esane: Stir Fried Noodles
Beloved Chef Nina’s booth featured refreshing and light stir fried noodles with bean sprouts and egg. Full of flavor, this dish made us even more excited for her new location on Demonbreun.
DRINKS:
Vuis Kitchen: Edamame Dumplings
This booth had to have been the most popular one at the festival, but oh were we happy we had waited. The edamame dumplings were simply divine featuring a lighter than air dough exterior and light mashed edamame filling that was complemented with a delicious ponzu sauce to finish.
Ellington’s Mid way Bar & Grill: Grilled Shrimp & Caprese Salad
The flavor was spot on with this very simple yet well executed dish. We found it to be a welcome reprise from some of the needlessly complex dishes that were around the festival
Mangia: Pumpkin Pie Panna Cotta
Savory seemed to be the name of the game at the festival as many booths opted not to feature desserts. We were super happy that one of Nashville’s top Italian restauranteurs, Chef Nick, featured this light and creamy Pumpkin Pie Panna Cotta.
Deacon’s New South: Black Fudge Cookie
This cookie was the perfect way to end an amazing afternoon at the sampling feast. It was incredibly moist and full of flavor without being overly sweet, which tends to happen with chocolate desserts and specifically fudge. While Deacon’s doesn’t serve this on their regular menu, I would gladly venture downtown to see what other dessert concoctions they are coming up with.
Cannonborough Beverage Co.: Fresh Fruit & Herb Carbonated Sodas (non-alcoholic)
Surprisingly enough, one of our favorite beverages of the festival happened to be a non-alcoholic, all-natural carbonated beverage. We found ourselves back again and again at their playful pour-your-own station for their delicious Raspberry Mint Carbonated soda.
GIFFT Wine: Rose’
Created and fronted by Kathie Lee Gifford, the now Nashvillian who also made several appearances at the festival, this Rose’ was near perfect with a subtle sweetness and a crisp finish…absolutely perfect for a hot day!
Hendrick’s Gin:
The Hendrick’s booth is always a highlight at the MCFW and this year they did not disappoint us with their creative concoction. Cleverly named, The Cornamusa, their signature cocktail featured their namesake gin along with Ancho Reyes and grapefruit juice. It was delicious, strong and fruity.
Guinness with Cheese Pairing:
Ancho Reyes: They took the cake for one of the coolest experiential booths, even complete with several ice luges for shots! For those not familiar with this trendy booze, Ancho Reyes is an authentic spicy liqueur crafted from ancho and poblano chiles in Puebla, Mexico. Their booth felt more like an actual bar and there was always a lively crowd surrounding it…. we even caught Chef Aaron Sanchez throwing back some libations there!
EXPERIENCES:
This was one of our favorite experiences of the weekend. We sat in with a Guinness ambassador and a Cheese maker as they provided us with tips on pairing suggestions. The Franklin-based Noble Farms Dairy offered 3 cheeses, including our personal favorite, a hot chicken spice coated goat cheese. The beer pairing included Blonde Ale, Traditional Guinness and Guinness Extra Stout.
Maker’s Mark- Meet The Maker
In the ‘Meet The Maker’ Tent, we were invited to listen in on an expert at Maker’s Mark as he told us the history of the family behind the company and allowed us to sample both Maker’s Mark original along with Maker’s 46.
Fun fact: In America, they can’t reuse the barrels so they send them to Scotland to be used for the production of…you guessed it, Scotch!
Rick Bayless Guacamole Master class & book signing:
We had an all-around blast with Rick Bayless at both his demo class as well as his book signing. His humor and humility really sets him apart from the rest.
Harvest Night:
Entering Music City Walk of Fame Park as the sun was setting on a gorgeous Nashville night we experienced a pinch me moment… It was totally surreal bearing eye witness to our nation’s top chefs manning their own booths to not only cook but assemble and serve one of their signature dishes. It was like we were peeling the curtain back to catch first-hand these chefs in their element. Carla Hall, Tyler Florence, Rick Bayless, Aaron Sanchez were just a few of the megastars serving up that evening.
FOOD HIGHLIGHTS:
Sarah Grueneberg (Michelin awarded chef and head chef and owner of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago)
Squash & Burrata: While this crostini may have looked simple in appearance, this dish was a burst of fresh ingredients and an incredible flavor combination.
Emmy Squared: Chopped Cheese
Matt Hyland has been topping all the lists with his critically acclaimed Le Big Matt burger and signature Detroit style pizzas. As a self-proclaimed cheesesteak snob, I was BLOWN away by their version, simply titled: The Chopped Cheese. A master on the grilled expertly cooked & chopped beef adding just the right amount of cheese, peppers and onions and then topping it into the most soft yet sturdy pretzel bun. This was the CLEAR hit of the night that had everyone talking.
And, of course, our friend’s from Hendrick’s were on hand to make sure the drinks were free-flowing all night!
Another amazing Harvest Night came to an end as the superstar chefs freely roamed the park greeting and thanking the attendees.
