Great American Food And Music Festival

Despite the long lines and hungry event goers, there was one thing the organizers of the Great American Food and Music Festival did right: they invited Josh Wesson to give a special wine seminar. Wesson is a highly regarded wine professional. He's won countless awards and cofounded New York's acclaimed Best Cellars. I was lucky enough to attend Wesson's seminar, Fast Food/Faster Wine! In it he discussed the foundations for pairing food and wine. To learn what he had to say, read more

For weeks I was looking forward to attending Serious Eats Great American Food and Music Fest at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA. With big-name celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay and Guy Fieri, and the best of America's regional cuisine — Katz's pastrami sandwiches, Pink's hot dogs, Tony Luke's Philly cheesesteaks, etc. — it was sure to be a fabulous festival.

Unfortunately, the first-time event was plagued with problems, so much so that the organizer, Ed Levine, published a formal apology. The computerized credit card pay system crashed, the staff was unhelpful and clueless, and, most importantly, the wait to get any food was two hours long! Instead of smiling, contented faces and full bellies, the crowd was hungry, aggressive, and angry.

Luckily, as the day wore on and the crowds thinned out, things got a little better. Fieri and Flay both gave enthusiastic demos in front of cheering fans. The wine-tasting room was uncrowded, the line for bacon was empty, and the chocolate-almond-covered caramel sticks were finger-licking good. Did anyone else attend? What food did you eat?

To take a closer look at the festival, check out all of my images and read more

From Dr Pepper to pork to Philly cheesesteaks, this week's noteworthy nibbles seem to pay homage to time-honored American food traditions. We can't wait for the first ever Great American Food & Music Fest in Silicon Valley, which will feature guests like Bobby Flay and Guy Fieri, as well as famous regional specialties from all across the United States. Know of anything we've left off the list? Please feel free to chime in below!

• Ithaca, NY: Taste of the Nation Ithaca — June 9
• New York, NY: Wine Enthusiast Toast of the Town — June 15
• Emporia, VA: Virginia Pork Festival — June 10
• Lockhart, TX: Chisholm Trail Roundup — June 11-13
• Kapalua, HI: Kapalua Wine & Food Festival — June 11-14
• Winston-Salem, NC: Hot Ribs, Cool Music — June 11-14
• Minneapolis, MN: Taste of the Nation Minneapolis — June 12
• Salem, OR: Wine, Chocolate, and More! — June 12-13
• Las Vegas, NV: Coffee Fest Las Vegas — June 12-14
• Mountain View, CA: Great American Food & Music Festival — June 13

To see the rest, read more