Louisville's sold-out Wine & Food Experience is 'exciting and different'
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – Whenever people ask "Chopped" chef Alex Guarnaschelli about her favorite thing she's ever eaten, she tells the souffle story.
Guarnaschelli was 8, and her mother was making a cheese souffle she'd seen on a cooking show. The oven didn't close properly, so a chair was put in front of it as a brace to hold it closed.
"I sat in this chair and watched this weird egg mixture puff up," Guarnaschelli said. "When it finished, my mother ran to the table and we ate it instantly. It's the most delicious thing I've ever eaten, and it definitely made me want to be a chef."
During her cooking demonstration at the Louisville Courier Journal Wine & Food Experience, Guarnaschelli made sticky fingers baked chicken wings, spicy carrot and cabbage slaw, and a crustless lemon meringue pie while she answered audience questions on a variety of topics. She shared her favorite flavor combination revelations (concord grapes and blue cheese; marshmallows and paprika) memories of chefs she's worked with, and what it was like to be the only woman cooking in a Paris restaurant with 27 men on staff.
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The chef world is heavily male-dominated, after all. That's another topic she's gotten lots of questions on.
"I decided I would distinguish myself, instead of feeling marginalized," she said. "I really wanted to learn and I wasn't going to let anything stop me."
Those who purchased Chef's Table tickets got a personal meet-and-greet with Guarnaschelli and first bite at the more than 30 restaurants serving tastes at the event, such as Martin's Bar-B-Que, Biscuit Belly, Fond Originals, Havana Rumba & Tapas Bar, Tandoori Fusion, Volare, The 502 Bar & Bistro, The Joy Luck, Cuvee Wine Table, New Living Foods, The Red Yeti, Scarlet's Bakery and more.
The USA TODAY Network event is part of a 10-city tour that also includes stops in Chicago, Cincinnati and Indianapolis. The third annual experience was held in Norton Commons on Oct. 19 and drew a crowd of nearly 1,500 people. SommSelect's Ian Cauble and David Lynch led panels at the event, too, as did WWE champions Brie and Nikki Bella, winemakers and reality TV stars of E!’s “Total Bellas” and “Total Divas."
After their presentation, the Bella twins walked around the event, sampling the best of Louisville's foods – and they found their favorite.
"The Bella twins are apparently going around saying we're the best food here, people are coming up and telling us that," said Regina Cook-Pfeiffer, senior director of operations for Scarlet's Bakery. "It feels amazing."
Scarlet's Bakery brought mini-pumpkin muffins with cream cheese icing. Sweet and savory options were available at the event, from red velvet bundt cakes and ice cream to brisket and tacos. Several tables, including Steak & Bourbon and The Joy Luck, were so popular they ran out of food early.
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For other tables, it was all about exposure and explanation. New Living founder Jessica Taylor prepared a vegan pasta dish and told guests about her company and plant-based cooking. Many signed up for her email list afterward.
"You have to be open to the lifestyle. It's all about mindset," she said. "And this food is easy and quick, this dish takes 15 or 20 minutes. So far people have been satisfied with it, I think. I'm glad they're trying something new."
Samples from Murray's Cheese Shop and The 502 Bar & Bistro were a big hit with guests, who mingled around Oval Park enjoying food in the sunshine.
"I've seen the stories in the newspaper but this was our first time coming," said Louisville resident Donna Whichard, who purchased a VIP ticket. "Now I want to come every year. It's exciting and different. I feel like I'm on vacation."
For more information about future events, visit wineandfood.usatoday.com/events/louisville/
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Wine & Food Experience: 'I feel like I'm on vacation'
