Having contributed his culinary skills to Palm Beach Food & Wine since its inception, the owner and executive chef of Avocado Grill is honored to be a part of this event which is such a highlight of our local food scene. A native of Saint-Tropez, France, Chef Julien Gremaud is one of the many chefs participating in the festival.
It takes a village to organize something of this scale.
The annual Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival is now in its 15th year, running December 8 – 11 at different venues in the Palm Beaches. It is set to blow our culinary senses out of the water with its latest concoctions and established trends. Chef Julien and his team are committed to not just broadening our knowledge but also our taste buds. With every foodie, chef, supplier, and enthusiast collaborating on ideas and concepts to craft the ever-evolving event, there will be brand-new experiences for guests, he said as he prepared for “Day two” of the four-day festival on Friday, December 9th, under the theme “A Mexican Lunch.”
“Mexico has a special place in my heart and Mexican cooking is something I love,” he said. “Spending time in the Yucatan, learning the ways to cook authentic dishes, was a huge inspiration for my restaurant Avocado Cantina and the inspiration for this lunch. It is our second year hosting this event and I know it is going to be a fun afternoon!”
So, what should guests expect from this year’s festival? Well, without revealing any surprises, every year they try to kick it up a notch and create new experiences for everyone. Fans and foodies can expect a slew of intimate lunches, dinners, wine tastings, and cooking demonstrations totaling over twenty events featuring notable chefs within the Bravo, Food Network, and Netflix TV circuit including Daniel Boulud, Ashley Christensen, Joe Flamm, Jeremy Ford, Jose Garces, and Mark Forgione. This year, they’re adding a few names to their roster, among them, stand-out chefs like Rodney Scott of “BBQ Brawl” and “Chef’s Table BBQ,” as well as Ben Robinson of “Below Deck.”
As for Chef Julien, he is eager to share his kitchen with Chef Clay Conley of Buccan Restaurant in Palm Beach and Grato Restaurant in West Palm Beach. Known for cooking delicious, delicate, and exquisite food, the two chefs excel at what they do. They have cooked together many times, and have great synergies. And according to Chef Julien, they feed off each other quite well, creating dishes that guests love!
“I’m excited to cook with Chef Ben Ford, too,” he added. “It will be my first time meeting him, but I’ve seen some of his work and know it will be a great afternoon.”
The Palm Beaches provide the ideal setting for these chefs and their guests. It is well known that they enjoy dining in a fun way, are not afraid to try novel things, and understand that dining is an all-around experience. It is this very thing that has made establishments like Avocado Grill so successful.
It is safe to say that the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival is an experience guests will not soon forget.
“We each worked to source ingredients that are not something you’d eat every day,” concluded Chef Julien. “We worked to create lighter and heavier options so guests could get a true taste of Mexican cooking with our Florida ingredients.”
The event is packed with wine tastings and cocktail parties, cooking demonstrations, and private dinners—plus an all-star lineup of prestigious celebrity chefs and events. Although a bulk of tickets are sold out for this year, there are still limited tickets available for the following events, as well as a waiting list for sold-out events:
Thursday, December 8
Beef-n-Bourbon Experience
Friday, December 9
A Mexican Lunch
Southern Revival
Saturday, December 10
Smoke & Sunshine
Chillin’ n’ Grillin’
Bubbles & Bites
Sunday, December 11
Grand Tasting
To view the entire PBFWF schedule of events and participating chefs, or to purchase tickets please visit pbfoodwinefest.com or call (800) 210-0689. For daily updates, follow the festival on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @pbfoodwinefest or at #PBFWF.
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