EVERY FALL, we’re a little bitter than Greenville, South Carolina, has a better food festival than Charlotte. The weekend-long event brings in some of the best chefs in the region, as well as the country. With a Michelin headquarters in the city, Michelin-starred chefs are always among the cooking talent, such as Dominique Crenn and Micael Mina this year. But just because we’re a little jealous doesn’t mean Charlotte chefs don’t take part. Here’s who will be cooking there this weekend, at what events, and what they’re bringing to the table. Tickets available here.
Amy Fortes, Flipside Café & Catering
Events: Feast by Field, Saturday at 12 to 4 p.m. ($75)
Songwriter’s Recipe, Thursday 7 to 10 p.m. ($100)
For her Thursday dish, Fortes is doing a farro risotto using Anson Mills and braised beef shortribs with crispy onions and rosemary creme fraiche.
Ashley Boyd, 300 East and Heritage Food & Drink
Events: Taste of the South, Friday at 6:30 p.m. (sold out)
Feast by Field, Saturday at 12 to 4 p.m. ($75)
For the Taste in the South dinner, Boyd, Charlotte’s best pastry chef, is serving a milk chocolate cremeux using chocolate from Raleigh-based Videri, with sweet corn sherbet, salty fig butter, a corn, fig, and pecan cookie, and sorgum carmel corn. During Feast by the Field, she’ll be demoing a gluten-free apple cake with ricotta icing and pickled pears.
Blake Hartwick, Bonterra
Event: Southern Grown: A Dinner with Bacon Bros. Public House, Saturday at 7 p.m. ($150)
For this dinner, Blake is making Springer Mountain Farms braised chicken thigh and preserved Dover Farm petite potatoes confit in chicken fat, with lavender gastrique.
Bruce Moffett, Moffett Restaurant Group
Event: Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner, Saturday at 6:30 pm. ($150)
Moffett, owner of Barrington’s, Stagioni, and Good Food on Montford, will kick off the dinner with a first course based on good, old chicken wings: buffalo fried quail with blue cheese dressing and a carrot and celery salad.
Clark Barlowe, Heirloom
Events: Taste of the South, Friday at 6:30 p.m. (sold out)
Feast by Field, Saturday at 12 to 4 p.m. ($75)
Grass-fed ribeye, garlic crushed potatoes, and wild mushroom sauce is Barlowe’s dish at Taste of the South, and he’ll demo his beeswax-aged mozzarella salad on Saturday.
Matthew Krenz, The Asbury
Events: Taste of the South, Friday at 6:30 p.m. (sold out)
Feast by Field, Saturday at 12 to 4 p.m. ($75)
The dish that won Krenz the title of NCRLA Chef of the Year, with beef fat confit sweet potatoes, will make an appearance at Saturday’s event along with his “tasting of the carrot.” He’s appropriately chosen to cook liver and onions for the Taste of the South dinner.
Scott Hollingsworth, Rare Roots Hospitality
Event: Feast by Field, Saturday at 12 to 4 p.m. ($75)
The chef over Dressler’s, Dogwood, and The Porter’s House will offer Heritage Farms pork al pastor with grilled Boy & Girl Farms aji dulce peppers and cipollini onion, cooked on an open-fire KUDU grill.
Thomas Marlow, Mimosa Grill
Event: Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner, Saturday at 6:30 pm. ($150)
Marlow makes use of an underappreciated ingredient in his dish of Carolina grouper cheeks with cultured butter from Zack Gadberry of Uno Alla Volta, Calabrian chili, and lemon and sumac.