Look Who’s Cooking!
The Ballantyne’s Executive Chef Mike Bobb will offer cooking demo at Wine & Food Festival
A web-exclusive interview
By Kayleigh Ruller | Courtesy photos
Drink Eat Relax Events is hosting the Wine & Food Festival in Ballantyne’s Backyard on Saturday, April 20, and tickets are on sale now. Along with live music, a bounty of 100+ wines and a communal backyard ambiance, renowned Charlotte area chefs and food trucks will be popping up and leading cooking demonstrations.
One such chef is Mike Bobb, executive chef of The Ballantyne, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Charlotte.
“I’ve been in Charlotte for 12 years now, and I’ve actually worked at the hotel for about 11 of those 12 years. I started here right after leaving Johnson & Wales and was working as a line cook,” says Bobb, who has witnessed the Ballantyne campus’s growth through Gallery’s kitchen.
He’s hopeful about South Charlotte’s expanding culinary scene, believing that festivals like this offer a chance to inspire creativity and bring excitement to the area and his staff.
At Gallery Restaurant, Chef Bobb’s team serves an upscale breakfast, lunch and dinner for locals and hotel guests. The menu features dishes like salmon, mushroom pappardelle and the beloved shrimp and grits with andouille sausage and creole cream.
This signature grits dish will be the star of Chef Bobb’s demonstration on April 20, and for good reason. It’s a meal taught to him when he moved from the Midwest to North Carolina and one he fell in love with unexpectedly. Now, the tables have turned. With over a decade of leadership under his belt, Chef Bobb is ready to be the teacher, sharing accessible recipes and techniques with foodies, chefs and neighbors alike, with a bit of an “entertainment factor.”
“I’ll be going through the cooking techniques that maybe people don’t understand when it comes to cooking grits…and some of the different things you can do with them,” says Bobb. “Like ways you can alter that dish to suit somebody that’s cooking at home, someone that’s having a small party, or [how to] turn it into an entree, a canape or an appetizer.” Lucky for guests, this 15-minute demonstration concludes with a final tasting of the dish.
So whether attendees are looking to mingle, sample food and wine from each vendor or meet the faces behind the meals they’ve enjoyed for years, they will undoubtedly get an inside look — and taste — into the culinary world. Chef Bobb and other local chefs, like Midwood Smokehouse’s Matt Barry and food writer Jennifer Brulé, step outside their day-to-day kitchens and share their culinary creations in person with festival goers.
In a statement from Drink Eat Relax’s Wine & Food Festival organizer Greg Nivens, the festival’s goal is “to create an unforgettable epicurean journey for our guests…Whether you’re a seasoned wine enthusiast or simply someone who enjoys great food and music, there’s something for everyone at our festival.”
General admission tickets guarantee unlimited beverage and food samples and a souvenir wine glass from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. VIP status promises all of that plus a complimentary wine bottle, wine bag, a Champagne lounge and exclusive festival access, beginning at noon. General admission tickets are $49, and VIP admission is $89.
Although Chef Bobb is not originally from the South, he quickly fell in love with Southern cuisine. So, for many recent transplants to South Charlotte, this Wine & Food Festival is a chance to try grits, international wines, local craft beers, and a handful of Charlotte food trucks and maybe fall in love with them, too.
For more information about the Wine & Food Festival’s vendors, food trucks and exclusive perks, visit ballantyne.uncorkthefun.com.