COLUMBIA FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL SHOWCASES SEVERAL JAMES BEARD AWARD FINALISTS

This year’s Columbia Food & Wine Festival will showcase the culinary talents of the capital city of South Carolina, including several James Beard Award finalists and semifinalists.

The festival kicks off on Wednesday, April 24, with the Iconic Dishes of Columbia: Main Street Edition event and concludes on Sunday, April 28, with the Grand Tasting event.

Wine bar Lula Drake (1635 Main Street) is up for a James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program and will participate in the Petals and Picnics event on Saturday, April 27. Pitmaster Robbie Robinson of City Limits Barbeque (1119 Methodist Park Road, West Columbia) is a Best Chef: Southeast finalist and will appear at Bovinoche on Saturday, April 27. Kitwanda “Kiki” Cyrus and Tyrone Cyrus of Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles (7001 Parklane Road) were semifinalists for Best Chef: Southeast — they will be at the tasting event on Sunday, April 28.

The Columbia Food & Wine Festival started in 2018 to showcase the bars and restaurants of the Midlands. It began as a one-day tasting event, but now it has grown into a five-day festival full of various celebrations, including an Asian night market, food truck rodeo, and multiple collaborative dinners.

Tickets are still available for many of the events this year.

2024-04-22T17:34:36Z dg43tfdfdgfd