Festival Ambassador Chefs to Return to Friday and Saturday Celebrations
The 2018 Greenwich Wine + Food Festival presented by PepsiCo will welcome Daniel Boulud to this year’s festival, as well as returning chefs Adam Richman and Mary Giuliani, who will join previously announced chefs Scott Conant and Alex Guarnaschelli. The 2018 event takes place September 21-22 at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich.
Boulud is a worldwide culinary icon, known best for his Michelin-starred restaurant, DANIEL in New York, as well as 19 renowned eateries across the globe, from Miami to Singapore. The French chef and restaurateur, a six-time recipient of the “Best Chefs in America” accolade from the James Beard Foundation, will be honored and dine with guests on Saturday night at the Platinum VIP On-Stage & Lawn Dinner, a separate ticketed event. He will also meet and greet festival-goers during a book signing on Saturday.
“It is an honor to welcome Chef Boulud to our event for the first time this year,” said Suni Unger, founder and CEO of Unger Media, the parent company behind Greenwich Wine + Food and Serendipity. “With his restaurant DANIEL marking 25 fantastic years, we are happy to be able to join in the celebration. In addition, Chef Boulud reflects the charitable focus of the Festival through his work with various causes, including Ment’or, which is inspiring the next generation of culinary talent.”
The lineup of celebrity chefs continues to grow. Festival favorite Adam Richman, beloved for his Travel Channel series “Man v. Food,” will return to lead a culinary demonstration, mingle with guests at a book signing and host the ever-popular Burger Battle. He’ll be joined by celebrity caterer and author Mary Giuliani, executive chef and author Kevin Des Chenes, and celebrated chef and educator Lindsay Perkins.
“We are thrilled to announce this strong lineup of award-winning chefs. Their passion for their craft shows in everything they do at the festival, from culinary demonstrations to interacting with foodie guests,” added Unger.
The 2018 Most Innovative Chefs, who will be announced in the coming weeks, and the Festival Ambassador Chefs, who have lent not only their culinary talent but also their enthusiasm for food to the Festival over the years, will provide their gourmet cuisine at the Opening Night Master Chef Wine Dinner, which will honor Alex Guarnaschelli for her innovation and substantial contributions to the culinary world, and welcome Scott Conant and Richman as special guests. Ambassador Chefs will also prepare an exceptional dinner for VIP ticket holders on Saturday.
The 2018 Greenwich Wine + Food Festival Ambassador Chefs include:
- Mogan Anthony (Village Social) (Friday)
- Jes Bengtson (Terrain Cafe) (Saturday)
- Carlos Baez (The Spread / El Segundo) (Saturday)
- Arturo Franco Camacho (Shell & Bones Oyster Bar / Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill) (Saturday)
- Rui Correia (Douro) (Friday)
- Stavros Karipides (Famous Greek Kitchen) (Saturday)
- Geoff Lazlo (Geoff Lazlo Catering) (Saturday)
- Stephen Lewandowski (Harlan Social / Harlan Publick) (Saturday)
- Lisa & Steve Maronian (Sweet Lisa’s Exquisite Cakes) (Friday)
- Nick Martschenko (South End / South End Uncorked) (Friday)
- Mike Pietrafeso (Ada’s Kitchen & Coffee / Roost) (Saturday)
- Debra Ponzek (Aux Delices) (Friday)
- Brian Reilly (Mecha Noodle Bar) (Saturday)
- Robin Selden (Marcia Selden Catering) (Friday)
- Brad Spence (Amis Trattoria) (Saturday)
- Matt Storch (Match / Match Burger Lobster / nom-eez) (Friday)
- Bill Taibe (The Whelk / Kawa Ni / Jesup Hall) (Saturday)
- Luke Venner (Elm) (Friday)
- Ian Vest (Back 40 Kitchen / Mill Street Bar and Table) (Friday)
The 2018 Greenwich Wine + Food Festival presented by PepsiCo will also welcome music superstar Tim McGraw to this year’s festival. The iconic performer will headline the festivities on Saturday, September 22 at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich and his performance will cap the eighth annual event – which is held on September 21 and 22 – and will also feature appearances by culinary celebrities Daniel Boulud, Scott Conant, Mary Giuliani, Alex Guarnaschelli and Adam Richman.
“Our event celebrates the best in food and beverage in our area and beyond and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome the best in country music – Tim McGraw! – to perform at this year’s festival,” said Suni Unger, founder and CEO of Unger Media, the parent company behind Greenwich Wine + Food and Serendipity magazine. “We are so proud of our friends in the culinary and entertainment world who will be joining us this year. We are also honored to raise money for a number of well-deserving charitable organizations, including the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the Town of Greenwich Parks & Recreation Foundation and Ment’or, which is the very heart of our festival.”
McGraw’s performance, held on the Pepsi Stage, will close out an entire day of festivities on Saturday, September 22 in the Culinary Village.
“We are so thrilled and honored to be the main beneficiary of the Greenwich Wine + Food Festival this fall. The MMRF has deep roots in this community and we are so grateful for all of the support we have received and continue to receive from our friends.” said Anne Quinn Young, MPH, MMRF Sr. VP of Marketing and Communications.
Tickets for the Festival All Weekend Pass ($625/ticket) are available today via www.greenwichwineandfood.com or by calling 203.588.1363 (additional tickets including Opening Night Master Chef Wine Dinner, Saturday All Day Pass-General & VIP will be available in the coming weeks). The festival weekend will be held rain or shine, and anyone under 21, including infants or strollers, will not be admitted. Animals are also not permitted.
ABOUT GREENWICH WINE + FOOD: Greenwich Wine + Food celebrates community, charity, food, beverage and more in the Connecticut and New York area with multiple events throughout the year, including the 2018 Greenwich Wine + Food Festival presented by PepsiCo, the Serendipity Golf Classic presented by Pure Leaf Iced Tea, and the Serendipity Fun Run presented by Aquafina. The 2018 beneficiaries include the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and the Town of Greenwich Parks & Recreation Foundation and Ment’or. Greenwich Wine + Food is a part of Unger Media.
ABOUT THE 2018 GREENWICH WINE + FOOD FESTIVAL: The 2018 Greenwich Wine + Food Festival presented by PepsiCo is a multi-day event celebrating the area’s rich culinary landscape and showcasing innovation in the food and beverage industries. It will benefit multiple charitable organizations including the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the Town of Greenwich Parks & Recreation Foundation and Ment’or. Sponsors to date include 90+ Cellars, Alfa Romeo, Budweiser, Coldwell Banker, Don Julio, Empire City Casino, Filippo Berio, Hospital For Special Surgery, Hotel Zero Degrees, Ketel One, Kim Crawford, Lifewtr, Meiomi, NuKitchens, Pepsi Zero, PepsiCo, Pure Leaf Iced Tea, Rudy’s Limousine Service, Ruffino, Serendipity, Stamford Marriott, Stella Artois, Unger Media, Westy Self Storage and Whole Foods.* For more information, visit www.greenwichwineandfood.com.
