How does chef Billy Grant make cavatelli for 3,000 guests? He starts weeks ahead.
“I’ve already started making and freezing them, because they take so long,” Grant said in mid-March of the handmade pasta shapes he’ll serve at Hartford’s newest food and wine festival, with a ragu of wild boar. The owner of Grants, Restaurant Bricco and Bricco Trattoria in Glastonbury and West Hartford joins an exciting lineup of local and national chefs as Foxwoods presents Savor: A Celebration of Food, Wine and Spirits at the Connecticut Convention Center Friday and Saturday, April 10 and 11.
“I think it’s going to be packed,” Grant said. “I think Hartford’s really ready for this event. There’s a lot of buzz about it. There hasn’t been an event this big in Hartford in a while.”
The two-day event, featuring tastings of high-end cuisine, wine, craft beer and cocktails, begins on Friday with a grand tasting from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday’s grand tasting runs from noon to 4 p.m. and the evening gala begins at 7:30 p.m. with a reception sponsored by Chandon. Chandon also sponsors a “bubble lounge” with sparkling wine samplings and light bites during each grand tasting.
The event welcomes several household names in the celebrity food world, while simultaneously spotlighting its own homegrown culinary talent.
Robert Irvine, celebrity chef and TV personality known for his Food Network programs “Dinner: Impossible” and “Restaurant: Impossible,” serves as host chef of the event and headlines Saturday evening’s Savor in Style Charity Gala.
Other stars include Mary Ann Esposito of PBS’ “Ciao Italia” and chef-restaurateur Ming Tsai, whose “East-West” fusion style is highlighted at his Boston-area eateries Blue Ginger and Blue Dragon and on his public-television program “Simply Ming.” Esposito and Tsai will join Irvine on Savor’s kitchen demonstration stage and at the Saturday gala.
Other participating Connecticut chefs include Tyler Anderson of Millwright’s in Simsbury (nominated again for a James Beard award in the best chef: Northeast category); Edward Allen, executive chef at Foxwoods; Steve Cavagnaro, executive chef and owner of Cavey’s in Manchester; Prasad Chirnomula, owner of the Thali and Oaxaca Kitchen restaurants in New Haven and Fairfield County; Franck Iglesias, executive pastry chef at Foxwoods; Ryan Jones, chef-owner of The Mill at 2T in Tariffville; Jeffrey Lizotte, executive chef of ON20 in Hartford; Dale Miller, master chef at the Doubletree Bristol hotel; Scott Miller, managing partner of Max Catering & Events; Steve Rosen, executive chef at the Connecticut Convention Center; Chris Sheehan, executive chef at Max Downtown in Hartford; and Chris Torla, executive chef and partner at Trumbull Kitchen in Hartford.
At a March preview at the convention center, Rosen demonstrated a dish of Medjool dates stuffed with Vermont Creamery mascarpone, wrapped in maple-smoked duck breast and quickly pan-seared. He added Tullamore Dew whiskey to the pan and stepped back quickly as flames shot several feet into the air. Foxwoods’ Iglesias followed with a whimsical take on a push-pop dessert, layering chocolate cake, salted caramel, banana cream and whiskey-infused bananas into small plastic cylinders.
Sheehan says he’ll use Vermont Creamery’s Cremont cheese in a beignet with white asparagus for the grand tastings, and he’ll serve a take on a French dip for the Saturday night gala.
“We’re happy to participate. I think … we’re going to build upon it,” said Max Downtown managing partner Steven Abrams of Savor’s inaugural event. “This is bigger than anything we’ve done; it’s the biggest thing going.”
Chirnomula, representing his restaurants in New Haven and Fairfield counties, plans to serve fish tikki (croquettes) scented with cardamom and guacamole with key lime and pork belly. “We get called for so many events,” he said, but when he saw the list of participating chefs, “I said, ‘I’m all in.’ It should be a lot of fun.” He said he was pleased to learn of Savor’s focus on Connecticut talent. “Statewide, we need more recognition.”
Connecticut restaurant and beverage exhibitors include Hardcore Sweet cupcakes, Shearwater Coffee Roasters, Jonathan Edwards Winery, Overshores Brewing, Barcelona, Bartaco, Bear’s Smokehouse, Bella Bella Gourmet, Bricco Trattoria, Cavey’s, David Alan Hospitality Group, First & Last Tavern, Feng, Foxwoods, Grants, Grass Roots Ice Cream, Infinity Music Hall & Bistro, Majorca, Max Catering & Events, Max Downtown, Mill at 2T, Millwright’s, Nixs Hartford, Oaxaca Kitchen, Restaurant Bricco, Thali, Toshi Izakaya, Trumbull Kitchen, Vivo Seasonal Trattoria, The Willows and Wood-n-Tap.
Tickets are $110 for each grand tasting; $125 at the door. The Savor in Style Charity Gala is $150; $165 at the door. A separate ticket to the Chandon Bubble Lounge is $25 and must be paired with the same session grand tasting, A grand tasting two-day package, with access to Friday and Saturday’s events, is $190 and based on availability. Another package offers one ticket each to the Saturday grand tasting and the charity gala, for $225. Ticket prices include all food and beverage.
A portion of proceeds from Savor will benefit the Robert Irvine Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports military personnel (active, retired and veterans). Irvine’s foundation supports Helmets to Hardhats, a group that promotes careers in the construction industry to veterans.
Information and tickets: savorct.com.
