Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/760410
IF CALIFORNIA IS THE STATE of food royalty, then the Newport Wine & Food Festival might be its crown jewel. In its third year, the festival was held at the end of September in the sunny coastal town of Newport Beach and featured some of the country's top chefs, includ- ing some actual Top Chefs from the hit Bravo television show. Celebrity chef Rick Moonen hosted an opening night dinner at Ritz Prime Seafood; Mozza and La Brea Bakery owner Nancy Silverton, Frontera Restaurants' Rick Bayless, Fleur de Lys's Hubert Keller and former Top Chef contestants Shir- ley Chung, Mei Lin, CJ Jacobson and Brian Malarkey all made appearances and hosted demos. Master Sommelier Michael Jordan, who has been a part of the festival since its inauguration, was on hand with five other Master Somms to lead panels on Oregon Pinots and Santa Barbara wines. Keller, who has been working with the festival for the past two years, had nothing but praise for the event: "Everything is beautifully organized, and I love seeing how hap- py attendees are when they're leaving. When people leave my restaurants, I love hearing them say thank you and what a wonderful time they had; it's the same thing here. I love seeing the results." It wasn't just chefs that were in at- tendance; over 40 local restaurants and bakeries offered tastings to attendees, with dishes ranging from beef tartar served on a bone marrow cracker from A+O Kitchen and Bar, to kelp noodle pasta from Café Gratitude, to choco- late salted cookies served with a dark chocolate Screwdriver courtesy of Montage Laguna Beach. Tasty bites re- quire refreshing libations, which were plentiful, with over 250 wines available to taste, as well as cocktails from Duke Bourbon, Courvoisier and Hornitos Te- quila and beer on tap from Stella Artois and Goose Island. Although cocktails, cuisine and wine were in abundance, the festival still maintained a warm, intimate feel. "Even though the festival is in its third year, it still maintains that exclusive aura." Keller praises. "You get to come in as a guest and meet chefs, sommeliers and winemakers without getting overloaded. It's a chance to get up close and personal with some amaz- ing people." Newport Beach made an excellent location for the festival, with its prox- imity to the beach and the abundance of fresh local seafood that chefs were sure to take advantage of. Lobster rolls from Waterline Newport Beach were executed with an Asian flair of yuzu soy vinaigrette; fresh salmon poke from Tackle Box OC was the perfect dish for the warm sunny weather; the gorgeous beet-stained scallop crudo from Wa- tertable was Instagram-worthy. Keller says that the high caliber of participat- ing chefs and restaurants means that everything served is top-notch. "When you're at an event like this, right next to other excellent restaurants, all of them put forth their best effort, so you end up getting top-notch food! It's friendly competition." FOOD FESTS Chef Hubert Keller during his VIP Lobster and Champagne cooking demo at the Newport Wine & Food Festival. BY THE BEACH Bites Kelp noodle salad with pesto, olives and heirloom cherry tomatos from Café Gratitude in Newport Beach. A chef prepares beet-stained scallop crudo with prickly pear gel, tobiko caviar, fresh grapefruit and dehy- drated citrus zest from Watertable in Huntington Beach. Beef tartar served on a bone marrow cracker topped with raw quail egg from A&O Kitchen and Bar in Newport Beach. NEWPORT WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL BRINGS BIG FUN AND FLAVORS by Jesse Hom-Dawson / photos by PencilBoxStudios.com ■cr w i n t e r 2 0 1 7 | 6 9