Some North-Central West Virginia restaurants and breweries will be featured at the 31st Annual Festival of Food and Wine Jan. 16-18 at Lakeview Golf Resort Spa in Morgantown, WV.
The Festival of Food and Wine is a weekend of culinary demonstrations and seminars, buffet meals, fine food, wine and whiskey tastings, along with shopping in an artisan marketplace.
This year’s theme is “The East Coast / West Coast Culinary Tour” and the focus of the demonstrations will be on cooking east and west coast dishes. The meals will be paired with the wines and whiskeys that complement the food.
The event will feature wines from Heston Winery in Fairmont, and ingredients from locally owned businesses. The Winery will be selling wines throughout the weekend.
Morgantown Brewing Co. is sending assistant brewer Jesse Sedlock.
“He will be discussing the brewing process in detail, going over different styles of beer (lagers vs. ales, etc.), as well as showing what ingredients we use in the brewing process for different brews, such as grains, malts and hops,” said Lauren Sandberg, Morgantown Brewing’s marketing director. “There will also be an opportunity for guests to taste and try our product during the Festival of Food and Wine. We will be bringing at least four of our in-house brews to show.”
Lakeview Executive Chef Jessie Teasdale said the weekend starts with an ice sculpting display and dessert session that will show guests how to up their entertaining game.
At Friday’s dinner and cocktail reception guests can meet Teasdale and the chefs from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region who will be presenting throughout the event. In addition to locals Teasdale and Erikka Hooper, executive chef of Morgan’s High Street Diner in Morgantown, featured chefs are Brandon DeVoe, executive chef, Hilton University Place Hotel, Charlotte, N.C.; Jon Buchner, executive chef, Barrington Golf Club, Aurora, Ohio; Joseph Novak, executive chef, Mentor Harbor Yachting Club on Lake Erie in Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio; and Ahmed Azizy, executive chef, Caffe Siena, Charlotte.
“The chefs that are attending are highly regarded in their positions and enjoy teaching the audience how to make each meal,” Teasdale said, adding the chefs have a wide range of experience cooking different specialty items.
On opening night, Hooper, executive chef of Morgan’s High Street Diner in Morgantown, will teach how to prepare a variety of hors d’oeuvres.
“I will be doing an East Coast seared ahi tuna with black and white sesame seeds and a pepper crust and a honey Ponzu sauce,” Hooper said. “I will also be doing a play on an adult soup and sandwich. It will be a tenderloin that is on a crostini that is smeared with bleu cheese and cream cheese and served with Manhattan clam chowder shooters. I’m also doing lamb meatballs with cilantro raita.”
This isn’t Hooper’s first Food and Wine Festival. She was a restaurant chef at Legends, Lakeview’s sports bar, and worked banquets at the resort.
“It’s a really, really worthwhile time to come out spend some time,” Hooper said. “It’s rare to actually get to meet the chefs. It’s really fun for us. We get to see the people and hear about our foods and learn changes to make. It’s a good time.”
Hooper says Saturday is the best day to attend if guests need to choose only one day.
In addition to the cooking seminars and tastings, throughout Saturday the Artisan Marketplace will be open with local vendors selling specialty items such as jewelry, wines, jams, sauces and more.
One of the main events will be the 5th Annual Lakeview Iron Chef Competition at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Lakeview offers a day rate to attend just Saturday in addition to packages for overnight accommodations for the whole weekend. For information, call (304) 594-1111.
The event wraps up Sunday morning with a brunch prepared by Teasdale and the Lakeview Culinary Team.
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