Caviar Star attended the 2013 Charleston Wine and Food Festival this past weekend and, let me just say, a good time was had by all! The festival is a non-profit organization held to celebrate Charleston’s “culinary excellence and renowned culture, which benefits scholarship programs for the culinary and hospitality workplace.” For the true southern foodie, this festival is an absolute must! Who wouldn’t want to spend the weekend sampling extraordinary dishes prepared by local chefs, tasting fine wines, and engulfing yourself in the company and cuisine that is Charleston?

Our journey began in Culinary Village where we were greeted with the smiling faces of the volunteers (even though it was a chilly windy day) and the large tents that held the sweet nectar we had come to taste. A stop at the book signing tent introduced us to some amazing culinary talent. Two extraordinary local Chefs, Graham Dailey of the Peninsula Grill and Frank McMahon of Hank’s Seafood were the first local celebrities we had the honor of meeting. Chef Dailey is an Executive Chef with a passion for using local seafood and “Lowcountry” produce in his dishes, showing a preference for lighter cuisine with a focus on freshness and purity. His new book, Peninsula Grill: Served with Style was released on December of 2012 to rave reviews. Chef Frank McMahon has been the Executive Chef at Hank’s Seafood since 1999 . Chef McMahon’s menu is designed to re-create the “classic Charleston fish house” with a focus on local and sustainable food sources. These two outstanding Chef’s are definitely among the “who’s who” in Lowcountry cuisine and a force to be reckoned with when it comes to amazing culinary delights.

Chef Hugh Acheson is the owner of three restaurants in Georgia. The 5 & 10 and The National which are in Athens, and Empire State South in Atlanta. Chef Acheson recently wrote his first cookbook,  A new turn in the South, which was awarded the 2012 James Beard Foundation award for “Best Cookbook in American Cooking.  You can also find him on Bravo’s Top Chef as a guest judge.

In addition to the endless talent, Culinary Village featured two tasting tents sponsored by Piggly Wiggly and Jet Blue with more than 80 food and beverage vendors in attendance from all over the country. In addition, you could make the rounds to  Celebrity Kitchen outdoors, Culinary Hub with interactive demonstrations and panels, and Avalon Wine Outdoor Living + Grilling Area with tastings and demos. Just to be sure that you have lasting memories of your experience, you could visit the Festival retail and Whole Foods Wine Retail tents where you could find cookbooks, kitchen gadgets, event posters, trivets and more. After all of this goodness you’d think we’d be full but we were just getting started! Check back for our blogs on our dinner at FIG and our brunch the next day at HUSK.