A Food Lover’s Guide to Phoenix
A former local, who discovered her deep love for food and hospitality in this sunny city, returns to explore its best and newest dining and drinking experiences.
I’VE ATTENDED COUNTLESS food festivals over the years as a journalist, judge, and satiated spectator, and my favorite part of these events is their air of experimentation. Chefs, liberated from menus and restaurant walls, aren’t worrying about profit margins or what’s going to sell. Knowing that these dishes are available for one night further ratchets up the excitement. But great food festivals go beyond just feeding you; they give you a deeper appreciation of local delicacies and the people who make them. Events like these give food artisans, winemakers, and sommeliers a chance to build camaraderie with you and each other and, perhaps most importantly, to play.
I’ve selected the particular festivals on this list based on their quality of the food and the luxuriousness and ease of the festival experience: No long queues, fighting for shade and seating, or running out of Champagne before the party has even started.
U.S. Food Festivals
Kauai Poke Fest (June 3)
Indulge in 20+ variations of poke
Poke is among Hawaii's signature dishes. It originated as a popular snack among fishermen in the 1970s and in recent years has made its way to the mainland by way of fast-casual restaurant chains. This one-day festival is headlined by legendary Hawaiian chef and restaurateur Sam Choy. Tickets...
Poke is among Hawaii's signature dishes. It originated as a popular snack among fishermen in the 1970s and in recent years has made its way to the mainland by way of fast-casual restaurant chains. This one-day festival is headlined by legendary Hawaiian chef and restaurateur Sam Choy. Tickets grant all-you-can-eat servings of 20+ different variations on the dish by local chefs and home cooks, and the audience votes for their favorite. Poke is traditionally served with tuna, marlin, or ono (albacore tuna is also common), depending on what’s in season. There are even vegan variations, as Choy demonstrated last year with a delicious diced taro and 'ulu combination tossed in shoyu sriracha sauce.
Ōkta Chef Weekend (June 24-25)
Experience the finest of the Oregon food scene
Two-Michelin-starred chef Matthew Lightner (formerly at atera in New York City) is hosting a culinary weekend with acclaimed chefs at his new restaurant, ōkta, in Oregon wine country. Lightner opened ōkta last summer in the eight-suite Tributary Hotel, and it was quickly heralded as a best new...
Two-Michelin-starred chef Matthew Lightner (formerly at atera in New York City) is hosting a culinary weekend with acclaimed chefs at his new restaurant, ōkta, in Oregon wine country. Lightner opened ōkta last summer in the eight-suite Tributary Hotel, and it was quickly heralded as a best new restaurant by many in the food media. The weekend begins with a sumptuous tasting menu with produce from the nearby ōkta farm, then continues the next day with live-fire cooking by local Oregon chefs at the farm and tastings from nearby wineries and Oregon food artisans. The VIP package includes an overnight stay at Tributary Hotel along with tickets to Saturday night's dinner and the Sunday farm event.
The Northwest Chocolate Festival (October 7-8)
A spirited education from international chocolate makers
This is, hands down, the best festival in the country for chocoholics. Seminars on regenerative cacao farming and bean-to-bar chocolate-making are accompanied by demonstrations of chocolate ganache preparation during this weekend-long chocolate fête. You might even have a chance to taste fresh...
This is, hands down, the best festival in the country for chocoholics. Seminars on regenerative cacao farming and bean-to-bar chocolate-making are accompanied by demonstrations of chocolate ganache preparation during this weekend-long chocolate fête. You might even have a chance to taste fresh cacao pulp directly from the pod. The one I tried last year reminded me of creamy, sweet lychee. In the exhibitor hall, hundreds of chocolate makers and chocolatiers offer samples of chocolate bars, bonbons, hot chocolate, and pastries. Makers hail from locales as far-flung as Taiwan, Mexico, Fiji, and Dubai, with items that you'd be hard-pressed to find in the United States.
Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival (December 7-10)
Intimate exchanges with your favorite chefs
The beachy, laidback luxury of the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival is a welcome reprieve from winter. The festival is always the weekend after Miami Art Basel and comprises a couple dozen intimate individual events, with a nice mix of casual tastings and seated meals. Chat with renowned chefs...
The beachy, laidback luxury of the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival is a welcome reprieve from winter. The festival is always the weekend after Miami Art Basel and comprises a couple dozen intimate individual events, with a nice mix of casual tastings and seated meals. Chat with renowned chefs like Daniel Boulud while he serves you soft scrambled eggs and brioche with a heaping spoonful of caviar at brunch, for example, or ask James Beard Award-winner Sarah Grueneberg for grilling tips while sampling her charred Spanish octopus skewers with Japanese sweet potatoes. The festival's grand finale tasting at the Palm Beach County Convention Center should not be missed, but I recommend arriving at the start for the best selection — and expect a lot of ceviche.
International Food Festivals
Wein am Berg (April 20-23)
An athletic display of Tyrolean cuisine
Coinciding with the final weekend of the ski season, this three-night Alpine food and wine festival is a sporty display of Tyrolean cuisine hosted by Das Central hotel, home to Europe's highest-altitude gourmet restaurant, ice Q. Expect hearty mountain fare such as Alpine meats and cheeses, local...
Coinciding with the final weekend of the ski season, this three-night Alpine food and wine festival is a sporty display of Tyrolean cuisine hosted by Das Central hotel, home to Europe's highest-altitude gourmet restaurant, ice Q. Expect hearty mountain fare such as Alpine meats and cheeses, local vegetables, goulash, dumplings, barley soup, and my personal favorite: fluffy Kaiserschmarrn pancakes. You might sip local wines on the mountain top at an ice bar, then ski down alongside former Olympians with a glass of Blaufränkisch in hand. The festival finale is a big-bottle party with magnums and jeroboams from winemakers' personal collections, paired with dishes from European Michelin-starred chefs.
Wild Plants Festival (May 6-7)
A journey for plant enthusiasts
In Istria, plants have been cherished for centuries as both food and medicine. This spring, when nature's garden is in early bloom, the village of Kršan hosts the Wild Plants Festival to honor the use of wild plants in cooking as well as phytotherapy. Learn about the benefits of lavender,...
In Istria, plants have been cherished for centuries as both food and medicine. This spring, when nature's garden is in early bloom, the village of Kršan hosts the Wild Plants Festival to honor the use of wild plants in cooking as well as phytotherapy. Learn about the benefits of lavender, cardamom, immortelle, and clover through herbalist workshops or join a guided foraging trek to Plominska Gora. Menus feature local delicacies like fennel soup, mushroom toast, breaded dandelion, and homemade pasta with asparagus, all paired with rosemary-infused gin and homemade wine. Personally, I'm curious to learn some rustic cooking techniques from “forest chef” Anton Rudan.
Singapore Food Festival (August)
Two weeks of pleasure for infatuated foodies
Singapore is one of the most food-obsessed destinations in the world, so it's no surprise that the Singapore Food Festival runs for a full two weeks. This year marks the event's 30th anniversary, and there will be dozens of exclusive dishes, food tours, workshops, and special dinners at...
Singapore is one of the most food-obsessed destinations in the world, so it's no surprise that the Singapore Food Festival runs for a full two weeks. This year marks the event's 30th anniversary, and there will be dozens of exclusive dishes, food tours, workshops, and special dinners at restaurant partners island-wide. Visit the festival village to try heritage hawker-stall favorites such as golden chili crab burgers and dry laksa with fish cakes. If you're feeling ambitious, you can learn to make traditional cuisine with a modern twist from local celebrity chefs. Sample sustainable artisan treats in the food arena and stock up on snacks and condiments including secret rempah spice blends. For vegan and vegetarian eaters, take note that Singapore Vegan Festival happens simultaneously.
Whistler Cornucopia (November 9-19)
A silent disco and exclusive Champagne-method wines
Whistler really knows how to throw an avant-ski party. What started as a weekend festival to bolster business during shoulder season has expanded to an 11-day affair with more than 70 events. But for me, the beverages are the real heroes. I'm obsessed with the incredible Champagne-method...
Whistler really knows how to throw an avant-ski party. What started as a weekend festival to bolster business during shoulder season has expanded to an 11-day affair with more than 70 events. But for me, the beverages are the real heroes. I'm obsessed with the incredible Champagne-method sparkling wine being made in British Columbia — from wineries such as Okanagan Crush Pad, Time Family of Wines, Blue Grouse Estate and Singletree Winery. None of these bottles are exported to the U.S., so this is a rare chance to taste them. For nearby accommodations, try the recently renovated Fairmont Chateau Whistler. After sampling the local beer, cider, wine, and spirits, the walk will do you good. Or better yet, dance it off at the festival’s silent disco.
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Amber Gibson Writer
Amber Gibson is a freelance journalist specializing in luxury travel, food, wine, and wellness. Her writing has appeared in Conde Nast Traveler, Robb Report, Hemispheres, Travel + Leisure, Saveur, The Telegraph, and Chicago Tribune.
