A Seduction of Senses

Written By: Marlene Osteen | Issue: September 2024

The Highlands Food and Wine Festival is coming to town. For four days, from November 7 through 10, acclaimed chefs from around the region and nation will click knives and share stoves with the gifted chefs of Highlands and Cashiers.

Now in its 8th year, the festival has quickly become one of the premiere events on the Western North Carolina calendar, both for locals and the out-of-town attendees.

At the festival’s four premiere events, celebrity and local chefs unite to seduce the taste buds of hundreds of attendees while esteemed wineries charm the palates of wine aficionados.

But space is limited at the venues and again this year tickets to The Main Event and The Grand Tasting were quickly sold out.

Luckily, there is a ticket exchange, and tickets remain to two popular events – Truckin’ and A Shot at Redemption Brunch. Their scrumptious offerings are worthy of your attention. Below is a roundup of who to look for and a taste of what to expect at both:

Truckin, Friday, November 8, from 1:00 to 4:30 P.M., Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park

One of the most popular happenings of the festival, it’s an outdoor celebration with an extravaganza of libations and a feast of exciting fare from innovative food trucks and restaurants. There’s a host of beer, wine and cocktails, including access to the “Highway to Ale” featuring tastings from numerous craft breweries. Nashville’s Kathleen Sharpe of All or Nothing Bagels and local chefs Massimiliano Proietti of Paoletti’s and Jacky Cabler of the Old Edwards Club are among the anticipated assemblage of more than a dozen culinarians offering tantalizing tastes.

Further enhancing the festivities, is the music of the Wilder Woods band with Needtobreathe frontman, Bear Rinehart, who crafts soulful pop with an introspective folk tone and some R& B flair. Also performing is Texas born soul singer/songwriter/ guitarist/country singer Alex Lambert.

A Shot at Redemption Sunday, November 10, Noon to 3:00 P.M., Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park

Billed as “church for food and wine lovers,” it’s the penultimate Sunday brunch. Included is the festival’s famous Tito’s Bloody Mary Bar, and flavorful bites from acclaimed regional chefs.

Attendees can expect sumptuous treats from local chefs Massimiliano Proietti, Paoletti’s, Highlands; and Jason Tardo of Half Mile Farm, long celebrated for his reverence for local and seasonal cooking. Chef Derick Wade of The Darling Oyster Bar will travel from Charleston serving up what has been deemed his “over the top treats.” Offering a taste of Greenville is Curean, known for their Mediterranean cuisine and iconic charcuterie boards along with “thoughtfully crafted contemporary, greasy spoon classics” presented by chef Luke Owens of Native Fine Diner, and the ultimate farm-to-table tastes prepared by chef Shawn Kelly of Fork and Plough. Athens, Georgia, powerhouse chef Peter Dale will showcase his healthy comfort food, while celebrated Nashville chef Matt Bolus of 404 Kitchen shows off his European twinged Southern cooking and Kathleen Sharpe is set to redefine your expectations of a perfect bagel.

Certain to stir your soul will be the music and voice of Lee Fields. Hailed by Rolling Stone for his classic American soul sound, Lee Fields is arguably the greatest pure soul singer alive.

In an age when the shelf life of an artist largely depends on posturing and trends, he has proven to be an unassailable force of nature with five decades plus career that spans more than 20 albums over 40 singles. Opening for Field is retro-soul artist Abraham Alexander, known for his mellow mix of rustic folk and soul and beguiling voice which offers both honey and grit.