Chefs Dish Up the Best

On October 5-9th, the beloved culinary and spirits celebration known as the St. Simons Island Food & Spirits Festival returns for its fifth year to give locals and visitors a taste of the best food and drink our shores have to offer. This year there is even more to see, taste and do. From craft spirits created around the world to the coastal bounty of seafood, barbecue and artisan flavors, this is the place to treat yourself to a five day epicurean adventure.

The festival is expanding into a pleasure-packed culinary experience, with the marquee event, Tastings Under the Oaks, taking place on Saturday, October 8th in historic Gascoigne Bluff Park. There will be hundreds of beverage and culinary tastings. Additional festival events, from intimate dinners to oneof-a-kind tastings, live and silent auctions, happen all over St. Simons Island and throughout the Golden Isles. James Beard Foundation award-winning, celebrity chef Robert Stehling of Hominy Grill in Charleston, and more than 20 of the region’s most popular, award-winning chefs and culinary personalities are scheduled to appear along with local restaurant favorites. On Thursday, October 6th, the BBQ Pro-Am, presented by Sea Island Resort, Bulleit Bourbon and Georgia Crown, will once again feature local resident, PGA Tour veteran, and US Ryder Cup Team Captain Davis Love III and a host of the South’s best Pitmasters and PGA Tour professional golfers.

New this year, will be the “Sip & Stir Pier Tastings Tent” as part of Friday night’s Pier Crawl & Village Stroll, presented by Rich’s, which will feature music and hundreds of wines, spirits and beers. Gourmet tasting bites and signature cocktails will be featured at participating restaurants and shops throughout the Pier Village.

Contributing to Hospice of the Golden Isles has become an even more rewarding experience this year. Enjoy the Festival while directly benefiting Hospice by becoming a “Friends of Hospice VIP Member.” This special VIP package provides members with tickets to the best events and provides exclusive member privileges, not available to the general public. Enjoy early access to many events along with meet and greet opportunities hosted by participating celebrities and talent. This will surely be the hottest ticket of the Festival as quantities are very limited.

Inextricably linked to glorious St. Simons Island, the festival will welcome some of the world’s most accomplished winemakers, celebrity chefs, and culinary experts in one breathtaking setting this fall. Mark your calendars, invite your friends and family, and watch for the September issue of EIL to find out all the details on all the events happening. For a complete list of events, tickets and details visit ssifoodandspirits.com.