Saturday, March 27
Fine Dining and Premium Wine Tasting: From 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., attendees strolled through Fashion Week El Paseo tents and experienced fine dining at its best from more than 35 of the top award-winning restaurants and their accompanying chefs from throughout the Southern California region. They enjoyed more than 40 premium wine and champagne purveyors courtesy of Young’s Market – The Estates Group.

Young's Market Co. pulled out all the stops to feature its top brands, such as Piper-Heidsieck, Silverado Vineyards, Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, Masi, Hess Collection, and a selection of vintages and varietals from the impressive portfolio of Wilson Daniels, which included Schramsberg, Gainey Vineyard, Girard Winery, and Sonoma Coast Vineyards.

Another unique aspect of the festival is that each restaurant provided its menu in advance so that the festival's team of experts could specifically pair the cuisine with a particular varietal or brand that most complements the food. Each attendee's palate was taken on a euphoric journey through the festival space, as each winery was placed adjacent to the paired restaurant for maximum culinary impact.

Mark Peel – Author and Executive Chef and Owner of Campanile Restaurant and The Tar Pit in Los Angeles. Mark was a finalist on Bravo TV's Top Chef Masters Season 2.

Awarded 2005 Chef of the Year by the California Restaurant Association. Chef Peel and Campanile Restaurant have also been nominated for numerous James Beard awards, ranging from Outstanding Service to Best Chef.

Deborah Scott - Restaurateur, Executive Chef and Partner in the Cohn Restaurant Group (Indigo Grill, Kemo Sabe, Island Prime and C Level).

Chef of the Year by the Gold Medallion Award in 2000, Chef of the Year in 2000 and 2003 by San Diego Magazine, Best Chef in 2006 by 944 Magazine and Best Chef in 2001, 2002, 2003 by San Diego Reader. In 2006, Condé Nast Traveler named Island Prime/C Level one of America’s Hot Tables.

Neal Fraser - Earning national critical acclaim for his masterful approach to any ingredient from wild boar to tofu, critical accolades include “Hot Tables”– Condé Nast Traveler, “LA’s 25 Best Restaurants” – Los Angeles Magazine, “Two Stars” – Los Angeles Times, “Three Stars” – Angeleno.

In January 2006 Fraser battled Iron Chef Cat Cora on Food Network’s widely popular series Iron Chef America and became the first Los Angeles chef to win the culinary competition.

Pastry Chef Rachel Klemek - The owner of Blackmarket Bakery and is known for her signature desert, the Cabernet Brownie.

Chef Rachel baked for the eccentric Dutchmen of Utopia Bakery and the renowned Dean & Deluca. Trained at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America graduating at the top of her class and is a member of Slow Food USA and Les Dames d ‘Escoffier International.

Chris Mitchum – Executive Chef at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort and Spa in Indian Wells, Chef Mitchum indulges spa guests in savory healthful fare. Chef Mitchum left his imprint over a career with Hyatt hotels and resorts from the urban chic cuisine of Cambridge to Monterey's coastal California classics and is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.

Bradley Manchester – Chef Bradley Manchester oversees a staff of 50 and the resort’s multiple kitchens – including signature restaurant, Circa 59, a sleek, modern interpretation of the traditional American steakhouse. A graduate of the Art Institute of Houston, he honed his skills working under celebrated chef Alex Stratta at Renoir in Las Vegas, and at the highly acclaimed Masa’s and Restaurant Gary Danko in San Francisco. He returned to Las Vegas as a member of the opening team for Bradley Ogden and Cypress Street restaurants at Caesar’s Palace Hotel and Casino.

Tony Di Lembo - Owner and Executive Chef of The Tropicale Restaurant & Lounge in Palm Springs.

The Tropicale received Open Table’s Diner’s Choice award for 2009. Tony attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York and received an AOS degree with high honors.

Andre Carthen - Chef Andre is Kathy Ireland's Worldwide Design Ambassador appearing with her on Soap Talk and EXTRA with additional appearances on Sunday Dinner and Access Hollywood.

Chef Andre has worked with the family in planning Dame Elizabeth Taylor’s 74th Birthday Celebration at the Beverly Hills Hotel and her 75th Diamond Jubilee at the Ritz Carlton / Lake Las Vegas.

Emmanuel Kemiji – Master Sommelier, Appearing Both Days

In 1989 Kemiji became the thirteenth American to pass the Master Sommelier exam in London, England and one of only nine to date to pass on his first attempt. In the same year, he received the “Sommelier of the Year” award by the California Restaurant Writers Association. Kemiji was also chosen “Wine Director of the Year” in the Critics Choice Awards, and was honored in the August 1999 issue of San Francisco Magazine. The San Francisco Chronicle named Kemiji as one of the “10 Winemakers to Watch for 2000.”

He studied Viticulture and Oenology expanding his interest in wine and eventually leading to the formation of Miura Vineyards in 1995.

Sunday, March 28:
We featured 10 celebrity chef demonstrations; 30 of the top grill, brick oven, and live fire restaurants throughout Southern California; and more than 25 wines and beers and lagers. Noon to 5 p.m.

Tommy Tang – In Fall of 2009, Tommy hit his 200th episode of his long established PBS Cooking and Travel Series produced world-wide, with this new seasons 26 episodes being shot throughout his native Thailand. Tommy Tang has a culinary career that spans over 25 years. Today, Tommy spends much of his time traveling the globe promoting his culinary wizardry with book signings, personal appearances and overseeing his Tsunami Children Foundation in Khao Lak in the south of Thailand and the Village Pond Project which raises corporate dollars for poverty E-SAAN in Northeast part of Thailand.

Jill Davie – Star of Food Network’s Ultimate Restaurants and Recipe T.V. and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.

Named a Top Ten Student of the Year at the CIA she was presented with the Food and Wine Baby Chef award by Julia Child. After working at LuLu in San Francisco, Chef Davie secured a position as Chef de Cuisine at Rockenwagner in Santa Monica, California. During her three years working for Hans Rockenwagner, Chef Davie traveled to Munich, Germany where she was afforded the opportunity to cook for the renowned chef Paul Bocuse.

Emmanuel Kemiji – Master Sommelier, Appearing Both Days

In 1989 Kemiji became the thirteenth American to pass the Master Sommelier exam in London, England and one of only nine to date to pass on his first attempt. In the same year, he received the “Sommelier of the Year” award by the California Restaurant Writers Association. Kemiji was also chosen “Wine Director of the Year” in the Critics Choice Awards, and was honored in the August 1999 issue of San Francisco Magazine. The San Francisco Chronicle named Kemiji as one of the “10 Winemakers to Watch for 2000.”

He studied Viticulture and Oenology expanding his interest in wine and eventually leading to the formation of Miura Vineyards in 1995.

Marc Cummings – Chef Marc was trained and certified as a Master Chef at the prestigious Cordon Bleu in Paris. He starred in a national cable television show The Very Best of Everything with Marc Cummings and is now in development with the Tennis Channel and The Food Network.

Andrew Copley - Executive Chef and Owner of Copley’s On Palm Canyon.

After first completing his culinary degree at Westminster Culinary College in London, Andrew Manion Copley now has over 20 years of culinary experience in five star establishments.

In 1999, Andrew was appointed the Executive Chef at the Lodge at Koele on the island of Lanai, Hawaii. Andrew quickly received awards for the #1 restaurant in Hawaii for 3 consecutive years and #3 resort restaurant in the world. Copley's on Palm Canyon has been named the Hottest Restaurant in Town by the New York Times and Los Angeles Times.

James Bailey - As Executive Chef for Citron restaurant at Viceroy Palm Springs, James Bailey applies a culinary philosophy centered on simple, seasonal ingredients, then elevates these to construct amazing epicurean explorations. Bailey received a Pro Chef degree at the esteemed Culinary Institute of America and is a certified member of the American Culinary Federation.

Julio Hawkins - Executive Chef Julio Hawkins of Wally's Desert Turtle has worked in some of the most reputable restaurants, hotels and private executive corporate clubs in the country, including The Derby (previously know as the Brown Derby) in North Hollywood, The Columbia Tower Club Seattle Washington, Executive Chef of Encounter Restaurant at L.A.X. and Chef Instructor at Le Cordon Bleu, just to name a few. Julio has appeared on the KTLA 5 Morning Show, E Entertainment, MTV, and worked on Cooking at the Academy’s 13 Show Cooking Series, were it received the number one educational cooking show from Time Magazine. Julio also received the Silver Merit Award from the Southern California Restaurant Writers Association and was the second place award recipient at the Napa Valley Food and wine Pairing competition.

Chef Goochman – Chef Goochman is Your Personal Chef with Vincenzo Guccione on KPSP Local 2. Goochman produced Cooking with a Wiseguy a 6 min. cooking video that was Food Video of the Week on Twitter which was then broadcast on network TV. He was director and executive chef at the Culinary Arts Cooking School, personal chef of the late great author Sidney Sheldon, the owner of Elegant Private Dining and is currently in production on 3 New Shows for A&E Network.

Jan Boydstun - Kitchen Kitchen – Jan Boydstun and Chef John Gorgone will share tips and tricks around every household's favorite gathering spot. As the owner of Kitchen Kitchen in Indian Wells, Jan's seen and tried just about everything you could ever imagine for making your food preparation experience fun, and even professional. She brings her expertise and her rolodex full of interesting people to Jan's Kitchen every Saturday morning on KNEWS Radio.

Hector Salvatierra – Argentinean Flare

From Argentina, Hector has worked and honed his abilities in Europe and Australia. Hector is the Executive Chef and Catering Manager for the Camelot Cafe. Hector will demonstrate his mastery of Italian and Argentinean cuisines.

Jeff Hocker - A Culinary Institute of America graduate of the Sophisticated Palate Live Fire program and a trained butcher, Jeff will give a demonstration on the different types of cutlery used in cutting, chopping, de-boning and preparing food. His demonstration will give tips on spices and rubs to use while grilling.