NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 16, 2019 – Music City Food + Wine Festival, is pleased to announce the line-up of chefs, restaurants, wine & spirits and musicians scheduled to participate in the seventh annual event, September 20-22, 2019. Tickets go on sale today, May 16, 2019, 10:00 a.m. CT, at http://www.musiccityfoodandwinefestival.com/tickets
Music City Food + Wine Festival brings together the stars of Nashville’s culinary scene with acclaimed chefs and beverage experts from around the South and across the country at-large. Located in the heart of downtown Nashville, Festival programming includes the return of the Friday Night Throwdown, featuring celebrity sous chefs from the Nashville Predators and the Tennessee Titans; the star-studded Harvest Night; intimate tastings with renowned wine experts and sommeliers Helen Johannesen of Los Angeles’ Helen’s and Jon & Vinny’s and author, speaker and showman Mark Oldman; Sunday’s Gospel Brunch; engaging cooking demonstrations; tastes from local chefs and restaurants; dynamic wine, beer & cocktail tastings; live music; book signings; and more.
“Participating in MCFW gives us the opportunity to get out of the restaurant and spend time with our fellow restaurant professionals, see our customers in a different environment, and to make connections with the community,” says chef Margot McCormack. “We enjoy showcasing what we do here at Margot Café & Bar, as well as celebrating the diverse and thriving food scene we have in Nashville to locals and visitors alike.”
“Music lovers tend to be wine lovers, and vice versa,” says wine expert Mark Oldman. “They both appreciate subtlety and resonance and stimuli that is short-lived for sense. It is therefore a natural fit to celebrate wine in the music capital of the world. You might say I take a Nashville-like approach to presenting wine. I focus on the best and do it with great passion. I strive to give audiences a performance that they won’t soon forget – but never take myself too seriously in the process.”
Friday Night Throwdown
Back by popular demand, the Friday Night Throwdown returns to Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park on September 20. Join chefs Carla Hall (chef, author, TV personality) and Tim Love (Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Woodshed Smokehouse, Queenie’s Steakhouse, Love Shack, White Elephant Saloon, Gemelle) for the ultimate culinary throwdown as they go head-to-head in a spirited cooking demo, captaining teams featuring celebrity sous chefs from the Nashville Predators and Tennessee Titans. Each team will be challenged to create a meal from a surprise ingredient box, with a celebrity panel of judges determining the winning pair.
Eat + Drink
The Festival, held at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park on Friday, September 20, from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m., and Saturday, September 21, from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., will offer immersive cooking demonstrations, a dynamic roster of chefs and artisans serving signature dishes and drinks at Chef Showcase, intimate Meet the Maker and Tasting Sessions, Book Signings and activations that will be announced summer 2019.
Throughout the weekend, attendees will have the opportunity to get up close and personal as chefs lead interactive and fun Cooking Demonstrations, includingJames Beard Foundation Award winner Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, Xoco, Leña Brava, Cruz Blanca, Frontera Cocina, Bar Sótano); Sarah Grueneberg (Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio); Masaharu Morimoto (Morimoto Restaurants, Morimoto Asia Restaurants; Momosan Ramen & Sake); and Aarón Sánchez (Johnny Sánchez).
“Being from Texas, I have a strong affinity for all things Southern and country,” says chef Sarah Grueneberg. “I’m super excited to be attending this year’s festival as it lets me combine my love for cooking and country music in one of my favorite cities – Nashville!”
Featuring a dynamic roster of chefs and restaurants on Friday, September 20, and Saturday, September 21, the Chef Showcase will enable festivalgoers to meet some of the region’s top chefs, while sampling dishes from a diverse line-up of restaurants. The chef restaurant showcase is scheduled to feature some of Nashville’s most beloved personalities and destinations, including: Lokelani Alabanza (Hattie Jane’s); Hrant Arakelian (Lyra); Carey Bringle (Peg Leg Porker); Derek Brooks (Capitol Grille);Casey Carstens (Americano); Gerard Craft (Pastaria); Crystal De Luna-Bogan (The Grilled Cheeserie Melt Shop + Food Trucks);Luke Fabian (Lonesome Dove Western Bistro Knoxville); Matt Farley (TomKats Hospitality); Tony Fraske (Makeready Libations & Liberation @ The Noelle); Daniel Gorman (Henley); Mike Haggerty (Sea Salt); Hal M. Holden-Bache (Lockeland Table); Vui Hunt (Vui’s Kitchen); Michael Kopfman (Stateside Kitchen @ Dream Nashville); Kevin Korman (Whitebird @ The Edwin, Chattanooga); Daniel Lindley (5th & Taylor, Alleia); Bron Lindsey (Adele’s); Michael Lishchynsky (Bourbon Steak); B.J. Lofback (Funk Seoul Brother); Mike Morales (Sunda); Deb Paquette & Jess Lambert (Etch); Nick Pellegrino (Mangia Nashville); Giovanni Pinato (Giovanni Ristorante); Jess Rice (My Poor Tired Liver); David Rule (Church & Charles, Knoxville); Shawney Severns (Pemrose); Joshua Simpson (Proper Bagel); Nina Singto (Thai Esane); John Stephenson & Joey Molteni (Hathorne); Trevor Stockton (RT Lodge, Maryville); David Tieman (Five Points Pizza); Murphy Vaughn & Chris Bowater (SILO); Eric Zizka (Saltine); and more to be announced.
Learn from a star-studded collection of sommeliers, wine, beer & spirits experts during a series of intimate Tasting Sessions and Meet the Makers experiences, including Helen Johannesen (partner, Helen’s and Jon & Vinny’s) and Mark Oldman (wine expert, author and speaker).
Harvest Night
On Saturday, September 21, Walk of Fame Park will be home to Harvest Night, with an all-star line-up of chefs and live music under the Nashville skyline. Chefs will serve signature dishes with a live musical performance by Chicago Plays The Stones, two generations of Chicago Blues stars paying homage to The Rolling Stones, whose own sound was inspired by the great bluesmen of all time.
“Nashville is a city that’s full of music and history; it’s electrifying,” says chef JJ Johnson. “I can’t wait to add some JJ flavor to the Nashville experience.”
Harvest Night chefs include: Rick Bayless; Jessica Benefield & Trey Burnette (Two Ten Jack, The Green Pheasant); Matt Bolus (The 404 Kitchen); pastry chef and James Beard Foundation Award-winning writer Lisa Donovan; James Beard Foundation Award winner Sarah Grueneberg; Carla Hall; Matt Hyland (EMILY, EMMY Squared, VIOLET); James Beard Foundation Award winner JJ Johnson (Fieldtrip, Henry at Life Hotel, NYC); Cheetie Kumar (Garland, Raleigh-Durham, NC); Tim Love; Margot McCormack (Margot Café & Bar, Marche); Rob Newton (Gray & Dudley); Deb Paquette (Etch, etc); Aarón Sánchez; James Beard Foundation Award winner Jonathan Waxman (Barbuto, Adele’s, Jams, Brezza Cucina); and James Beard Foundation Award winner Tandy Wilson (City House).
Sunday Gospel Brunch
On Sunday, September 22, join an acclaimed group of chefs and restaurants as they serve brunch favorites set to a spirited live gospel performance at Music City Food + Wine’s Gospel Brunch at Walk of Fame Park. Experience brunch staples some of Tennessee’s most beloved chefs served alongside eye-opening cocktails, wines and coffee, including: Katie Coss (Husk); Pat Martin (Hugh Baby’s); Claire Meneely (Dozen Bakery); Rob Newton; Donna Piatko (The Old School Nashville); Jonathan Searle (Proof on Main, Louisville); and more chefs and restaurants to be announced.
Tickets & More Information
Music City Food + Wine Festival ticket options include an All-In Ticket, as well as Friday Evening Ticket, Saturday Ticket, Harvest Night Ticket, and Gospel Brunch Ticket. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older. Ticket prices are inclusive of all food and drink.
The All-In Ticket ($525 per person) enables guests to experience the full weekend of Music City Food + Wine Festival programming, including Friday and Saturday festival access; the Friday Night Throwdown; interactive cooking demos & book signings; hands-on beer, wine and cocktail tasting sessions; tastes from Nashville’s best chefs & restaurants; access to Saturday’s Harvest Night and Sunday’s Gospel Brunch.
The Friday Evening Ticket ($165 per person) includes single-day access to Friday, September 20 Festival programming at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, including interactive cooking demos & book signings; Friday Night Throwdown; hands-on beer, wine and cocktail tasting sessions; tastes from over Nashville’s best chefs & restaurants; and more.
The Saturday Ticket ($165 per person) includes single-day access to Saturday, September 21 festival programming at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, including interactive cooking demos & book signings; hands-on beer, wine and cocktail tasting sessions; tastes from Nashville’s best chefs & restaurants; and more.
Harvest Night Ticket ($275 per person) is available as a stand-alone ticket option for Saturday evening, September 21. Harvest Night brings together signature dishes from world-renowned chefs from Nashville and across the country with a live musical performance.
Gospel Brunch ($85 per person) is available as a stand-alone ticket for Sunday, September 22, at Walk of Fame Park. Gospel Brunch features a dynamic roster of restaurants and chefs serving creative brunch favorites. Get a jump-start on the day with eye-opening cocktails, wine, coffee, and a spirited live gospel brunch performance.
For more information, please visit http://www.musiccityfoodandwinefestival.com or follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/musiccityfw) and Facebook (facebook.com/musiccityfw) #MCFW.
Music City Food + Wine is generously sponsored by: Nashville Convention + Visitors Bureau, Toyota and FOOD & WINE.
About Music City Food + Wine Festival:
Music City Food + Wine Festival is produced by founding partners Vector Management, GRAMMY-award winning artists Kings of Leon, world-renowned chef Jonathan Waxman and Austin-based C3 Presents – producer of Lollapalooza in Chicago’s Grant Park, and Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin’s Zilker Park.
About FOOD & WINE:
FOOD & WINE is the ultimate authority on the best of what’s new in food, drink, travel, design and entertaining. FOOD & WINE has an extensive social media following on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and Snapchat. FOOD & WINE includes a monthly magazine in print and digital; a website, foodandwine.com; a books division; plus newsletters, clubs, events, dinnerware and cookware. FOOD & WINE is a registered trademark of TI Inc. Affluent Media Group, a subsidiary of Meredith Corporation.
The T.J. Martell Foundation will once again bring together the most elegant of food and wine with the brightest country music stars as they host the 18th annual Nashville Best Cellars Dinner on Monday, April 24 at the Omni Hotel. The event is presented by Secure Air, a private air charter company in Nashville, with other sponsors including Pandora and Morgan Stanley. Co-Chairmen for the dinner this year include Rob Beckham (Co-Head, WME Nashville) John Esposito (Chairman & CEO, Warner Music Nashville) and Eliza Kraft Olander.
