The 2024 Martha’s Vineyard Food and Wine Festival is stepping it up this year, with the largest schedule of offerings in the event’s history, including three grand tastings, six private dining experiences, and new master classes.
The festival runs for four days, and features the finest seafood and farm-fresh ingredients around. Some of the best chefs on the Island will pair up with a talented group of culinary experts, including Jonathan Waxman, Amanda Freitag, Jenner Tomaska, Caroline Schiff, David Standridge, and Joe Sasto — all renowned for their James Beard Award nods, and “Top Chef” and “Iron Chef” chops. The master classes this year will feature hands-on experiences taught by experts in pasta, cheese, oysters, and more.
“One of the best parts about the festival is our ability to create connections between international and Island chefs,” Adam Epstein, director of the Food and Wine Festival, said. “We have Michelin-star chefs coming, and we have six-course dinners planned — curated dining experiences that are truly exceptional. You won’t get this kind of experience again on the Island.”
Last year the Food and Wine Festival was successful, but organizers felt that the time of year wasn’t optimal. “It was in October, which wasn’t the best. The weather is predictably awful,” Epstein shared. “We also had trouble with recruiting. Many restaurants were shut down for the season, or had lost a lot of their support staff. Also, a lot of folks in the food industry were simply burned out from working the whole summer. So we said, ‘Let’s move it before the season fully kicks in, and people have the energy to really enjoy it.’ It’s going to be great.”
Christian Thornton, chef and co-owner of Atria, is one of the founders of the Food and Wine Festival, and is excited to be present again this year. Thornton and his wife, Greer, founded Atria in 2000. “I’m really looking forward to the festival. It provides opportunities to meet other people in the industry,” Thornton said. “I’m part of the opening reception on Thursday evening, and I’m doing a wine and dinner gathering on Saturday with Jonathan Waxman. Jonathan is a pioneer chef in new American cuisine, and I’m thrilled to open my kitchen and restaurant to him, and to be cooking alongside him.”
Organic farmer and owner of Grey Barn Eric Glasgow and team will be a part of the festival as well. “We’re participating in the grand tasting to kick off the festival, and we’re also doing a master class cheese tasting that is being led by Rachel Kleine, our creamery director,” Glasgow said. This is Grey Barn’s second year participating in the festival: “We were involved last year as well. It’s fun to go to the event and see what other people are doing, and engage with the public.”
Some other amazing chefs and culinary experts in attendance this year include Cecilia Lizotte, who specializes in authentic West African cuisine; Basil Yu, whose handcrafted noodles take his ramen-focused menu to the next level; M.V.’s Jimmy Alvarado of Tigerhawk, crafting Peruvian fusion cuisine; chefs Raymond Mohan and Leti (“LoLo”) Young-Mohan of LoLo’s on the Water, whose menu is inspired by their Caribbean roots; M.V.’s Julianne Vanderhoop of Orange Peel Bakery, which is a Wampanoag-owned micro-bakery in Aquinnah, baking most of its food in an outdoor wood-fired oven; and many more.
Martha’s Vineyard Food and Wine Festival is a partnership between the Vineyard Arts and Culture Foundation, the producer of the Beach Road Weekend Music Festival, and Innovation Arts & Entertainment. The festival runs June 6 to 9. For tickets, visit mvfoodandwine.com/events.
