Local talent from the city’s hottest bars + restaurants brought one-of-a-kind dishes + drinks to College Park Field for the Official 2017 Ticket Launch Party, Grand Slam Jam. In case you missed the ballgame, here are some highlights from all nine innings:
- The Spazmatics rocked the house with 80’s jams that kept the crowd on their feet. Dressed in their signature “geeky” attire, the band played a lively performance with choreographed dance moves and non-stop energy.
- Greg Garrison, Prohibition chef, and girlfriend, who came to the steamy Charleston restaurant scene from New York, were looking forward to sharing their vegetable dishes. “It’s easy to make a delicious meat dish; it’s more of a challenge to make great veggies,” he told us. But, make sure you get ‘em while they’re hot! Garrison is always experimenting with new recipes and changing his menu.
- Beer lovers rejoice! Bartenders spoke about 2017’s completely upgraded Beer Garden, which will be in the culinary village. Here is where you can get tickets to the event. Kelcie Keith of Unknown Brewing Company will be one of the many beer experts filling mugs with refreshing new tastes. Last night guests enjoyed Blueberry Lo-Fi Lagers and Sweet Tea Pale Ales.
- Caroline Woodruff, of Crooked Crown, delivered handmade poptails, fresh cocktails with a boozy yet fruity popsicle twist. It was the perfect drink for the baseball-themed event.
- Returning guests reminisced on some of last year’s favorite events. “You can’t miss the Culinary Village on the last day,” a couple from Greenville told us. They were accompanied by new guests who were looking forward to their first taste of the festival.
- Paul Yellin, from the five-week old restaurant, Cane Rhum Bar was serving a little taste of Barbados. If you haven’t yet, experience Charleston’s first rum bar – stocked with a selection of over 75 rum brands! Paul is most excited about bringing more rum knowledge to the festival scene.
- There’s always room for dessert! Brandon Belk from Wich Cream? was serving their farm to freezer fresh ice cream sandwiches. When asked what his favorite part of CW+FF was, he said “Everything! It’s like Christmas to us!” Now that’s pretty awesome.
If you missed out on the fun from the Grad Slam Jam, don’t fret – you still have the opportunity to see these talented chefs and artists will come together and celebrate wine and food. Mark your calendars for the first weekend in March. You don’t want to miss it! There’s still time to secure your spot by purchasing tickets on our website. Stay tuned for more exciting news!
*This blog post was written by our 2016-2017 Charleston Wine + Food CofC Fellows. Charleston Wine + Food has partnered with the College of Charleston to offer a communications senior capstone class the opportunity to work with the festival.