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BY MARGARET MORGAN
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Three action-packed days of epicurean events, after a private kick-off party Thursday night, started at noon with a seafood lunch hosted by Chef Anne Burrell and ended after midnight with a night of wine tasting to the music of The Soft Parade, the ultimate Doors tribute band, mixed in midday with Guy Fieri's Cheesesteak Battle.
Saturday presentations included Chefs Onstage, demos by Anne Burrell, Sandra Lee, Guy Fieri and Melissa D'Arabian, luncheons in The Pier Shops hosted by Guy Fieri (he was all over the boardwalk) and a Hong Kong dim sum brunch in Buddakan restaurant, chefs demos in Harrah's new Viking Cooking School and the Grand Market at Bally's where more than 100 booths were hosted by chefs, winemakers and purveyors of food and food-related products. Guests could mill around two gigantic ballrooms, tasting and sipping.
One of the many outstanding features at the Grand Market was the impressive number of booths hosted by New Jerseyans who have created their own gourmet products. Among those that were quite amazing and extremely tasty were: JD Gourmet in Hightstown, a family-operated specialty foods business, selling 18-year aged balsamic vinegars & olive oils; Crazy Steve's Pickles & Salsas, in Robbinsville (donating 25 cents per jar sold to World Hunger), and Silver Decoy Winery, New Jersey's 2007 Winery of the Year — all out of Central Jersey
For young, aspiring chefs there was a fun-filled Play with your Food event where kids could create play-doh fantasies decorated with M&M's, nuts, popcorn and more or make Mr. and Mrs. Spud out of baking potatoes. On stage, Formica Brothers Bakery gave a demonstration of how to make bread with three volunteer youngsters. A festive time was had by all ages.
Five-time Grammy Award winner, Robert Cray, sang the blues in Showboat's House of Blues while guests sampled many different brews and munched on burgers and barbeque. For those not interested in beer, there was Mixology Magic, a seminar highlighting the art of the mixed drink hosted by Van Gogh Vodka. For wine lovers, a quick course in the art of wine tasting was offered and an early evening Wine Down was hosted by FNN's Chopped host, Ted Allen, where guests could sample wonderful wines while watching artists paint their interpretations of the event.
Saturday night's events were a coin's flip of what to attend because I want to go to every one. There was Condé Nast Traveler's Taste the World: Grapes and Global Tapas held poolside at Harrah's; a fabulous wine dinner co-hosted by renowned celebrities, Chef Marcus Samuelsson and wine connoisseur, Michael Green, and Sweet & Stylish hosted by Sandra Lee blending designer fashions with sensual desserts and cocktails.
Sunday's brunches were also a difficult toss-up: Clair Robinson's Jersey Tomato Brunch or Chef Alex Guarnaschelli's Farm to Table Brunch or colorful, rambunctious Paula Deen's Boardwalk Party. So many great choices — so little time. I attended the Farm to Table Brunch, which was quite delicious with the exception of the kitchen's ability to serve such a large audience with perfectly cooked steaks. Among my four brunch buddies, two had to send their steaks back because they were verging on raw. Other than the steak issue, the brunch was truly delicious, especially the blueberry cobbler. And, the wines from Wild Horse Vineyards, a California central coast winery, were all excellent and paired beautifully with each course. It was an exceptional experience to end an epicurean excursion.
And, accolades go to Chef Ed Batten and his culinary team for perfectly executing this culinary extravaganza and coordinating with the chefs from Bally's, Caesar's and Showboat. As he said prior to The Festival, "This culinary event will help make Atlantic City a destination to bring families. It will change the perception of it being a casino-run city to one that is a culinary destination noted for its excellent restaurants, top chefs and Harrah's Viking Cooking School." The Festival was a benefit for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Central and South Jersey.
