Culinary Mecca in the Triangle

What began three years ago as an event to showcase the sustainability and superior quality of the very best in  North Carolina food and wine has now morphed into a three-day celebration of the bounty of our agriculture, farmers, cheesemongers, brewers and winemakers, and chefs and has earned its reputation of one of the best food and beverage events in the Southeast

Kicking off the TerraVITA Food & Wine Event is the Chefs' Harvest Potluck Dinner on Thursday, November 1 from 7-9pm at the Town Commons in Carrboro, NC. Featuring dishes from 20 top chefs in the Triangle, all of the money raised through ticket sales will go to the Carrboro Farmers' Market (which is used by all of the featured chefs as a consistent source for ingredients) for physical improvements at its current location.

On Friday, November 2, TerraVITA will host the Sustainable Classroom--a series of culinary workshops, tastings, and food and beverage demonstrations. There will be eight sessions to choose from throughout the day with each guest choosing four to attend. Samples of the sessions include: chef and cookbook author Bill Smith from James-Beard winning restaurant Crooks Corner paired with cookbook author Sheri Castle to discuss what it takes to put a cookbook together (along with tasting some of their personal favorite recipes). Another session combines cheesemonger Alexander Kast with sommelier Inez Ribustello for the ultimate wine and cheese pairing. A full list of speakers and session descriptions can be found here.

On Friday evening, TerraVITA will host The Carolina Table: East Meets West at Chatham Mills in Pittsboro, NC. The event will showcase three chefs--one from the east, one from the west, and one from the Triangle--who will combine their talents to create a six-course meal focused on local ingredients.

The finale event, the Grand Tasting on the Green, takes place Saturday, November 3 from 1-4:30pm and will bring together some of the state's best sustainably-produced wines, microbrews, spirits and coffees and present them along with culinary tastings by James Beard-nominated chefs, charcuteries, artisan chocolatiers and cheese makers from across the state.

Okay....we're sure we've succeeded in whetting your appetite (literally!). More information including detailed event descriptions, ticket prices, sponsors, a silent auction and TerraVITA can be found on their website.