Photo by Dale Irvin
“I think John Folse was sort of the impetus that put all this together,” explains Chef Peter Sclafani. Folse was honored at last year’s Grace "Mama " Marino Lifetime Achievement Award Dinner put on by the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society, of which Sclafani is president. Each year the society mounts this Thursday night dinner followed the next day by the Fête Rouge food and wine tasting event. Last year’s dinner started a conversation between Folse and the society wherein he wondered if it might not be a good idea to move one of his major culinary events, the Dining by Design annual fundraiser for the Sister Dulce Foundation, to the same weekend. Which is exactly what has happened this year. And to round out the weekend, Folse and the society have collaborated to create yet another event on Saturday, resulting in four full days of culinary delights collectively dubbed the Baton Rouge Food and Wine Fête.
The new event is Red, White, and Roux, a day filled with wine and food seminars—and one spectacular brunch.
“John is providing his celebrity chefs to help with the food for the brunch,” adds Sclafani of the chefs from across the country which Folse each year persuades to come in for the Sunday Dining by Design fundraiser.
The Epicurean Society has arranged for experts from the Napa Valley and South American vinticultural areas to host seminars along with wine and cheese pairings.
The day will be capped off by the Ultimate Chef Competition featuring Fr. Dominic Garramone, “The Bread Monk” chef from St. Bede Abbey (who for years had a popular show on PBS) and Fr. Leo Patalinghug, the “Grace Before Meals” chef from Mount St. Mary’s University, who in addition to having his own show on EWTN makes frequent appearances in the kitchens of other televised chefs, from Bobby Flay to Martha Stewart.
All the events are intended to not only provide a weekend of amazing drinking and dining, but raise money for the society’s mission of assisting local childhood health and nutrition programs along with providing epicurean scholarships—as well as for the Sister Dulce Foundation which provides support to those suffering from a debilitating or terminal illness and their families.
“We’re competitors every other day of the year, but on this weekend we put all that aside,” remarks Sclafani about one of the things that particularly delights him about these events. “It’s neat when you walk in the kitchen and see all these chefs standing side by side helping each other out.”
Helping each other, and helping to not only raise funds for worthy causes, but to bring Baton Rouge onto the culinary map.
“Baton Rouge is really coming into its own,” observes Sclafani about a city that is beginning to emerge from the culinary shadow of nearby New Orleans, and make its own statement on the epicurean landscape.
Details. Details. Details.
Baton Rouge Food & Wine Fête
Thursday, August 23 through Sunday, August 26, 2012
Tickets and more information about the Grace "Mama" Marino Lifetime Achievement Award Dinner; Fête Rouge; and Red, White & Roux at (225) 773-4889 or feterougebr.com.
For more about the Dining by Design dinner on Sunday (and the more casual Chillin’ & Grillin’ event that precedes it on Saturday night) call (225) 752-8480.
All events except “Chillin’ and Grillin’ (which is at White Oak Plantation) are at the Baton Rouge Crowne Plaza, which is also offering weekend packages that include all events, plus hotel rooms for four nights.
Crowne Plaza Hotel
4728 Constitution Avenue
Baton Rouge, La.
(225) 925-2244
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