The 4th annual Wilmington Wine & Food Festival was held this past weekend, bringing together Wilmington area chefs, local beer and spirits, and wine from around the world.
Friday night’s Bourbon and BBQ Derby Cocktail Party featured local mixologists serving up cocktails inspired by Trey Herring Carolina Bourbon. Derrick Cook of KGB took home the top prize for “Another to Show,” his cocktail of Trey Herring Carolina Bourbon, sour mix, pecan syrup and Bitterman Burlesque Bitters. Wilmington Brewing Company was crowned best brewery and Beer Barrio was awarded best BBQ sauce, serving its signature pepper vinegar sauce which chef Stephen Durley created for the restaurant’s Carolina pulled pork taco.
Saturday’s Grand Tasting event provided guests with food from more than 15 area eateries while more than 150 different wines were available for tasting.
The top savory dish was awarded to chef Sam Cahoon and his team from Ceviche’s Inspired Panamanian Restaurant & Bar for their tuna tostadas. Ceviche’s also served a chilled strawberry gazpacho and guava cream cheese empanadas with hibiscus caramel. Second place went to San Juan Café for tuna tartar served on a crispy plantain chip.
“As a young and relatively unknown chef, events like this are exciting because they let me showcase what the kitchen staff does here at Ceviche's,” Cahoon said. “My favorite part of the event was not representing myself or the restaurant, but representing Wilmington. Wilmington is finally starting to come out of the shadows of Charleston, Raleigh, and Asheville, and events like this one are a great stepping stone in that direction.”
Lydia Clopton, pastry chef at PinPoint Restaurant, took top honors for her coconut cake with yuzo cream and Black Farms organic strawberries. Second place was awarded to Beach Shop and Grill of Topsail for a pineapple rum cake.
The top prizes for wine were the following: Best New World White - L'Ecole Semillon, Washington; Best New World Red - L'Ecole Merlot, Washington; Best Old World White - Mont Gravet Cote de Gascogne, France; Best Old World Red - Domaine Jouard Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Vielles Vignes, France.
“We are beyond pleased with the success of this year's event,” said organizer Chrissy Absi Bonney. “The amount of support from the community, and the level of quality from our restaurant, wine, and brewery participants is absolutely amazing and continues to impress us every year. We're already looking ahead to next year and hope to continue growing with Wilmington's culinary scene.”
Have a tip for Restaurant Roundup? Email us at: [email protected]
