There’ll be a tribute to Paul Bocuse, the godfather of French cuisine, and a tribute to the cupcake. The Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival’s 2018 incarnation will celebrate both extremes and most levels in between.
The eighth-annual festival begins Oct. 6, but the official launch party was Friday at the Kahala Resort & Hotel, when the schedule of events and the “talent,” a long list of participating chefs and winemakers, was announced.
HAWAI‘I FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL 2018
Tickets are on sale for a slate of dinners, cocktail parties and a brunch. Events take place on Hawaii island on Oct. 6, followed by Maui from Oct. 19-21 and Oahu from Oct. 24-28. Prices vary, but most dinners are $225 or $250, with VIP packages and tables available.
Call 738-6245 or visit
hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com for a full schedule, list of chefs and prices.
More highlights:
>> Feng Shui & Cocktails: A party at the pool of the Modern Honolulu, featuring top mixologists and 13 chefs, Oct. 25
>> Winederland: 20 chefs pair selections to 20 premium wines poured by the winemakers, Oct. 26 on the rooftop of the Hawai‘i Convention Center
>> Decadence: Dinner on the beach, with fireworks, Oct. 27, Ko Olina Resort
>> Culinary Master Chef’s Gala: Six chefs pay tribute to the late chef Bocuse in the festival’s top ticket, $1,000 a seat, Oct. 28 at the Halekulani
As befits an extravaganza of food events, the launch party was itself a showcase affair, called Heart & Soul and featuring 10 top local chefs, plus wine, craft cocktails and fireworks.
It even had a pre-event two night’s before, a $500 dinner honoring renowned California-cuisine chef Jeremiah Tower. Tower walked the grounds Friday as well, posing for photos, shaking hands and sharing food tales with guests.
The point of the night, though, was the festival-to-come. It will comprise 12 events on the Big Island, Maui and Oahu, with an international slate of more than 100 chefs.
Among them: Hubert Keller, Floyd Cardoz, Josiah Citrin, Niki Nakayama, Nancy Silverton, Ming Tsai, Francois Payard, Charles Phan, Nobu Matsuhisa, Mike Bagale … and that’s just a sampling.
Tickets prices are mostly $225 to $250 per dinner, but there’s one bargain: The $5 Keiki in the Kitchen family event centered on a cupcake-decorating workshop with “Ace of Cakes” star Duff Goldman, Oct. 28 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.
Next in price is the $95 Crops & Hops dinner highlighting Hawaii’s emerging crops, with a focus on breadfruit. Three chefs will compete in an ulu cook-off to become Emerging Crop King Chef, Oct. 24 at the former Ward Warehouse site.
