Chefs Andrew Zimmern, Maneet Chauhan, Antonia Lofaso, Kardea Brown, Rocco DiSpirito, and many more to appear Sept. 15-18

RIDGEFIELD – The ilani Wine & Food Fest is back from Sept. 15 -18, featuring a guest list of celebrity and regional chefs. From Food Network regulars to the Pacific Northwest’s most beloved chefs, these kitchen masters will be present at many of the weekend’s festivities. 

Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy live cooking demonstrations from these culinary greats at the Saturday and Sunday Grand Tastings and experience their skills up close and personal at the Celebrity Chef Dine-Around in ilani’s Meeting & Entertainment Center.

The chefs

Chef Andrew Zimmern, creator, executive producer, and host of Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods franchise, is one of five headline chefs for the weekend. Zimmern will show off his Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning skills alongside award-winning chef and Food Network regular Maneet Chauhan. Chauhan is a recipient of the 2012 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Award for her role as a permanent judge on Food Network’s “Chopped.”

Joining Chauhan and Zimmern as the third and fourth headliners of the weekend are Antonia Lofaso and Kardea Brown. Chef Antonia Lofaso is the executive chef and owner of three acclaimed Los Angeles restaurants and is widely recognized for her role as host of Food Network’s “The Julia Child Challenge” as well as recurring roles on “Guys Grocery Games,” “Tournament of Champions” and “Supermarket Stakeout.” Kardea Brown is a contemporary Southern cook born in Charleston, South Carolina and hosts “Delicious Miss Brown” on Food Network. Brown has appeared on several shows such as “Beat Bobby Flay,” “BBQ Blitz,” “Chopped Junior,” “Best Thing I’ve Ever Ate,” among several others.

Rocco DiSpirito rounds out the five headline chefs of the weekend. DiSpirito is a James Beard award-winning, pioneering Food Network chef and a “New York Times” bestselling author.  He is known for his unique approach to flavor as well as his dedication to proving that healthy and delicious are not mutually exclusive.

The list of chefs taking part in ilani Wine & Food Fest continues with the winner of Food Network’s “Vegas Chef Prizefight,” Chef Lamar Moore, winner of “Food Network Star,” Christian Petroni, and “Guy’s Grocery Games” judge, Chef Aaron May. Bravo’s “Top Chef” and “Don’t Be Tardy” Chef Tracey Bloom returns along with Tregaye Fraser, who was the first African American female winner of “Food Network Star.” Guests can also expect to see Netflix Chef Monti Carlo, “MasterChef” contender Deanna Colon, season 15 finalist on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” Chris Scott, and Food Network’s “Chopped” winner, Tyler Anderson.

Ticket information

Tickets for all ilani Wine & Food Fest events are on sale now through Ticketmaster.com and ilaniresort.com. For a full list of ilani Wine & Food Fest chefs, events, and more information, please visit ilaniwineandfoodfest.com.

Companies interested in  sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities can contact info@360mande.com and mention “ilani Wine & Food Fest.”