Six Sac Chefs Heading to Pebble Beach Food & Wine

For the last seven years some of America's best chefs have been traveling to famed Pebble Beach to serve up tasty bites at the Pebble Beach Food & Wine weekend.  This year Sacramento makes a great showing by sending five of our best as well. Our representation includes Oliver Ridgeway from Grange, Kelly McCown, at The Kitchen by Selland Family, Bill Ngo from Kru, and Michael Thiemann and Matt Masera from Mother and Empress. 

The Pebble Beach Food & Wine (PBFW) weekend is considered to be one of the top, if not THE top, food and wine gatherings in the country. Here you can see your favorite chefs from across the country and your TV screen all in one place. Some are there to do demos. Others are presenting seminars or speaking on panels. Some are just there to enjoy themselves with other top class chefs. Whatever the reason, PBFW spans four days and will have the best of the best. 

Tickets are individually sold for each event, ranging from $100 for a seminar up to $500 for a wine reserve tasting. Money goes toward charities throughout Monterey County, specifically those that deal with families and children, such as Boys & Girls Club, Voices for Children, and Make-a-Wish.

Many of the daytime events focus on wine and alcohol.  You can go to wine pairings or learn about the current revitalization of cocktails as bartenders return to classic shrubs and bitters. There are cooking demonstrations with chefs you might have seen on TV, such as Curtis Stone or maybe learn about ramen from Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto.

Our Sacramento chefs will be spread throughout the weekend. 

Bill Ngo, owner of Kru, will be busy at two events, the Pig & Anchor BBQ on Saturday and the Grand Tasting Tent on Sunday. Bill is looking forward to moving Kru later this spring to share the quarters with Selland's OBO off Alhambra Blvd. He's also got his second Fish Face opening in Carmichael.

Oliver Ridgeway, from Grange at the Citizen Hotel, will be making bites for Sunday's Grand Tasting event. 

This year Michael Thiemann and Matt Masera (Empress and Mother) are doing separate events. Thiemann is scheduled for the Pig & Anchor BBQ on Saturday and the Grand Tasting Tent on Sunday. Masera is at a Stella Artois luncheon on Friday and then meets up with Thiemann for the BBQ on Saturday.

Kelly McCown has worked at numerous restaurants throughout the West Coast, but Sacramento residents remember him from his years at Ella before he went to Napa's Goose & Gander. Now he's back at the helm at The Kitchen. I'll miss him again as he's at Thursday's Opening Night Reception and then the after hours party on Saturday.

Sommelier Joe Vaccaro, Wine Director of Selland Family Restaurants is also attending PBFW. 

Ramon Perez, from Puurchocolat.com, will also be at the Opening Night Reception and then at the Grand Tasting on Saturday. 

Michael Passmore of Passmore Ranch will surely be there as well. Like last year, he's a major contributor to the chefs, supplying fish for them to use in their dishes.