Blog » TerraVITA: One of the best foodie bangs for the buck!
TerraVITA: One of the best foodie bangs for the buck!
TerraVITA: The “Grand Tasting on the Green” is one of the best foodie bangs for the buck this fall (Ticket prices creep up on October 27, though, so hurry!)
By Colleen Minton, TerraVITA Founder
TerraVITA is now in its third year, and people still ask me, “What should I do if I’ve never been before? Where should I start?” My first thought would be to tell you to buy a full pass and enjoy every moment of the event, November 1–3. But if your work schedule or budget won’t allow it, you should definitely grab your tickets to the Grand Tasting before they sell out. (That’s the Green at Southern Village, 400 Market Street in Chapel Hill.)
Known as the “headliner” event, the Grand Tasting on The Green takes place on Saturday, November 3 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. This event brings together some of the country’s best sustainably produced wines, microbrews, coffees and spirits and offers them side-by-side with culinary tastings by James Beard-nominated chefs, artisan chocolatiers, charcuteries and cheesemakers from across the state of North Carolina. We carefully select each participant — they’re all known and celebrated for their outstanding reputations.
This is absolutely one of the best shindigs in the whole Southeast — a phenomenal buffet of the best culinary treats these Southern chefs have to offer! You can buy tickets with alcohol included (you get to decide what to drink), or you can skip the alcohol. Either way, there is so much variety, quantity and quality that most can not indulge in every dish, but no one leaves feeling like they didn’t get enough and it’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy some of our state’s best culinary newsmakers. I encourage newcomers to ask questions, explore what makes something taste so good, and learn more about the people behind the food and drink. And whatever you do, try something new. This is the time to stretch your palate with no consequences!
Advance tickets are $65 for the all-inclusive event, with a special designated driver/no alcohol ticket offered for $55. Buy them here.
Wonder who is participating in this great smorgasbord of talent? Take a look!
Participating restaurants and food artisans for the Grand Tasting on The Green include: Herons Restaurant (Cary), French Broad Chocolate Lounge (Asheville), Acme Food & Beverage Company (Carrboro), Chef & The Farmer (Kinston), Knife & Fork (Spruce Pine), Elemental Chocolate (Raleigh), Little Hen Restaurant (Holly Springs), Mandolin (Raleigh), Chefs 105 (Morehead City), On The Square (Tarboro), Harvest Moon Grille (Charlotte), 518 West (Raleigh), Oakleaf (Pittsboro), Hillsborough Cheese Company (Hillsborough), Farmhand Foods (Durham), 18 Seaboard (Raleigh), Weathervane (Chapel Hill), Rose’s Meat Market & Sweet Shop (Durham), Market Restaurant (Raleigh), Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen (Greensboro/Cary), The Chef’s Academy (Morrisville), Escazu Artisan Chocolates (Raleigh), Sandwhich (Chapel Hill), NamaKiss Chocolates (Raleigh), Weather Street Market, Chapel Hill Country Club, Carolina Crossroads, Il Palio (Chapel Hill), Crippen’s Restaurant (Blowing Rock), Crumb (Raleigh), Chapel Hill Creamery (Chapel Hill), and Green Valley Grill (Greensboro).
Beverage participants featured at the Grand Tasting include De Maison Selections (Chapel Hill), Sour Grapes (Asheville), SIP…A Wine Store (Cary), Authentique Vin (Carrboro), Tryon Distributing (Charlotte), Highland Brewing Company (Asheville), Peak Organic Beer (Portland, ME), Mystery Brewing Company (Hillsborough), Fullsteam Brewery (Durham, NC), and Full Sail Brewing (Hood River, OR), as well as Carrboro Coffee Company, Joe Van Gogh (Hillsborough), Slingshot Coffee Company (Raleigh) and TOPO Spirits (Chapel Hill). More than 100 beverage samples will be available for tasting.
In addition to the marquee Grand Tasting, three other events occur during the festival: Chefs’ Harvest Potluck, The Sustainable Classroom, and The Carolina Table: East Meets West Dinner. A full list of speakers and session descriptions can be found at http://www.terravitaevent.com/TerraVITA/ClassSessions.html.
Festival sponsors include the North Carolina Department of Agriculture's Got To Be NC, Chapel Hill Orange County Visitors Bureau, The Siena Hotel, Edward Jones Investments, Performance Subaru, Communication Matters, Weaver Street Market, Southern Season, and Chatham Mills. In addition to funds raised at the Chefs’ Potluck, TerraVITA will raise money through a silent auction for the Carrboro Farmers’ Market and TABLE, a community non-profit dedicated to feeding hungry children. For more information and ticket sales, visit www.TerraVITAevent.com.
I hope I’ll see you there. And make sure you grab tickets to the Grand Tasting on The Green before the prices increase to $75 on October 27!