Blow-out food and wine event coming up in Michigan (Det News)
August 23, 2006
Traverse City will be transformed into a food and wine mecca with the third Traverse Epicurean Classic running Sept. 14-16 at the downtown, bayside Great Lakes Culinary Institute.
Counting more than 60 events, ranging from cooking classes to wine tastings and special dinners with stars from the restaurant and cookbook world, it’s a foodie’s wildest dream come true.
Twenty icons of wine and food, including eight winners of the prestigious James Beard Cookbook Award, will be on hand to teach, cook and answer questions. The luminaries include Takashi Yagihashi, formerly of Tribute in Farmington Hills, Mich.; Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit in Manhattan; Michel Briand, executive pastry chef at Chicago’s prestigious Ambria and Mon Ami Gabi restaurants; Michigan’s own Brian Polcyn of Five Lakes Grill in Milford; and Master of Wine Bob Paulinksi, national wine buyer for Sam’s Clubs who formerly lived in Traverse City.
A dozen Michigan wineries and 25 Michigan chefs will participate in events as well.
"Our goal is to take the pretentiousness out of food and wine," said co-organizer Matt Sutherland, a native of Traverse City. He and fellow planner Mark Dressler are rooted in the publishing industry, which gives them access to the nation's top epicureans.
For eventgoers, the Classic is like a shopping event: There’s no registration fee. You simply pick and choose the events you want to attend, each of which is priced individually. The afternoon tastings Sept. 16-17 in the pavilion on the grounds cost $25 each; cooking and wine classes are $39 each; the Opening Reception is $50; and the Grand Reception is $75.
According to Sutherland, the "must" event is the Opening Reception titled Seafood, Rawbar & Riesling Revelry, where all the chefs will have tasting tables and Rieslings from Michigan and around the world will be poured.
The extravaganza includes four special dinners at Traverse City restaurants with star chefs on Friday, Sept. 15: Jason Denton, chef of four Manhattan restaurants with Mario Batali, at Trattoria Stella; Marcus Samuelsson, chef and co-owner of Aquavit in New York, at Amical; Donald Barickman, chef and co-owner of Magnolias in Charleston, S.C., at Hanna; and Takashi Yagihashi, at Lobdells at the Great Lakes Culinary Institute. All dinners, except Yagihashi’s, are priced a la carte. His touted dinner, with Michel Briand of Ambria and Mon Ami Gabi in Chicago, will cost $150 per person, all-inclusive.
To check out the entire schedule and sign up for events, go to the Web site.
