Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival Media Preview 2015 (Newport Beach, CA)

Newport Beach Wine and Food Festival Media Preview (Newport Beach, CA) on The Episodic Eater

After last year’s inaugural Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival, I spread the word like crazy via word of mouth and social media. I was so impressed with the ambiance, the chefs and sommeliers involved, and the schedule of events that I could not wait until the dates for 2015 were announced!

As soon as I heard that the 2015 Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival would be held on October 3rd and 4th, I immediately blocked off the weekend. The roster of participants this year is even bigger, so I cannot wait to attend both days. Let’s take a look at the media preview event I attended and see what’s in store for this year’s festivities!

Master Sommelier Sur Lucero was on hand to pour some lovely wines and represented his talented colleagues who will be hosting educational wine panels and tastings.

Here are the restaurants and chefs that were represented during the preview day, but for all the details, check out the official schedule for both days!

Aqua Lounge – Mixologists Michael “Kaz” Kaczorowski & Justin Young

Absolut Elyx Cocktails

Fig & Olive – Chef Frederic Guerin

Fig and Goat Cheese Tartlet with sunburst tomatoes and walnuts

The Winery – Executive Chef Yvon Goetz

Seared Rare Yellow tuna with a mango and cucumber salad

Mastro’s Steakhouse & Mastro’s Ocean Club – Executive Chef Nick Foegal & Executive Chef Josef Morphs

Signature butter cake with strawberries and raspberry sauce

Slapfish – Executive Chef Andrew Gruel

Lobster BLTA with corn sauce

Del Frisco’s Grille – Executive Chef Sarah Daniels

Shaved steak sandwich and horseradish on a French roll.

Tamarind of London – Executive Chef Imran Ali

Tandoori meatballs, kofta, curry with saffron rice

Cashew paneer cheese

Tommy Bahama Island Grille – Executive Chef Jimmy Chang

Chili brown sugar crusted cod with apple risotto and yucca chips

Driftwood Kitchen – Executive Chef Rainer Schwarz

Honey dashi marinated hamachi collar, yellow corn and piquillo pepper blini, Santa Barbara uni

Strawberry Tres Leches, strawberry fluid gel, curd and meringue

Kentucky Sunrise cocktail by Dave Anderson

Five Crowns & Side Door – Executive Chef Steve Kling

Absinthe cured steel head salmon crostini, local goat cheese, heirloom tomatoes

Oak Grill – Executive Chef Mark Johnson

Foie Gras Terrine with Pickled Kumquats, Strawberries, Toasted Brioche & Bourbon Maple Syrup

Pelican Grill – Chef Luke Turpin

Cold Smoked Hamachi Crudo with Ginger Chili Coulis, Hazelnuts, Radish, Alegria Farms Heirloom Tomato, Cilantro and Olive Oil

True Food Kitchen – Executive Chef Talia Zimmer

Kale and avocado dip on flaxseed chip | Super Berry Tart

Net proceeds from the festival will benefit Project Hope Alliance, this year’s charity partner. From the Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival, here is a short description of this worthy cause:

Project Hope Alliance is demonstrating how a community can be brought together to make a transformative difference in the daily lives and futures of homeless children and their families. Together, we are ending the cycle of homelessness, one child at a time by providing them with the tools and opportunities that they need to learn their way to a better tomorrow. Currently, Project Hope supports over 300 children attending 39 different schools in 21 cities, throughout Orange County.

I am really looking forward to the delicious food, incredible wine, informative cooking demos, and friendly people, which I enjoyed last year, plus even more to come this time around! Just look at all the smiling faces of the organizers, chefs, mixologists, and sommeliers. 🙂