12th annual Ashland Culinary Festival
#AshlandCulinaryFest

November 8th – 11th, 2018
Festival Headquarters: Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites
2525 Ashland Street

Lead Emcee, Host and Head Judge - Cory Schreiber

Festival Information -  (541) 482-3486 or email kelsey@ashlandchamber.com





Festival Partner: Ashland Emergency Food Bank
Purchase online in advance of the Festival to save $5 per adult ticket OR bring TWO non-perishable food items with you to the door to save $5 off per adult ticket.  Items brought to the door during the Festival will be donated to the Ashland Emergency Food Bank.

The Festival is a four-day destination event as 12 local chefs compete for Top Chef honor in the Chef Showdown using local produce and a secret key ingredient and challenge. Guests have fun learning and tasting at culinary workshops throughout the weekend. Sample and purchase with over 30 food artisans, farms, restaurants, award winning wineries and breweries. The event begins with the Ultimate Top Chef Dinner on Thursday evening, November 8th. On Friday, attend our evening kick-off event including our 3rd annual Mixology Competition and samplings. On Saturday, witness our 3rd annual Junior Chef Competition at the Festival where local junior chefs compete for the Junior Chef title and a chance to shadow our Festival Judges. On Saturday and Sunday, you can view the Top Chef Competition while enjoying vendor samplings around the room.

2018 Competing Restaurants and Chefs:
(in order by last name)

Shawn Alamo - The Black Sheep Pub & Restaurant
Raider Babcock - Standing Stone Brewing Co.
Mario Chavez - Onyx Restaurant
Franco Console - Larks Restaurant
Javier Cruz - Simple Café 
Tony Efstratiadis - Plancha
Skye Elder - Brickroom (2017 Top Chef) 
Mike Hite - Alchemy Restaurant & Bar
Louis Merino - Hearsay Restaurant
Brandon Ruyle - Belle Fiore Winery
William Snyder - Curbside King 
Luke VanCampen - MÄS
 

2018 Top Chef Competition Judges:

Lead Emcee, Host and Head Judge
Cory Schreiber

Founder of Cooking from the Source, Wildwood Restaurant
and winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef:
Pacific Northwest. Read his bio here!

Chef John Ash

Chef John Ash is a two-time James Beard award-winning
author, teacher, and restaurateur from the Bay Area. Read his bio here! 

Chef Tselani Richmond

Chef Tse, an instructor at the Oregon Culinary Institute, has a love affair with food - one that goes beyond lifting a fork to her lips. Read her bio here! 

Culinary Hands-on Workshops:
Saturday and Sunday, 10:00am to 11:30am

Saturday Workshops:
2018 Junior Chef Competition
Sip + Paint (sold out)
Learn the tips and trades of a Top Mixologist! (Beginner Class – Part 1)
Sushi Workshop (sold out)
Vineyard Walk
Brewery Tour

Sunday Workshops:
Learn the tips and trades of a Top Mixologist! (Advanced Class – Part 2)
The Marriage of Food and Wine (sold out)
Wine Education: Tantalizing Tempranillo (sold out)
Vegan & GF Entertaining: A Family Style Tasting Menu (sold out)

Click here for complete list of Workshops descriptions  

When purchasing tickets, you will receive an email from the Festival Coordinator, Kelsey Frantz, within 1 to 3 business days to sign up for the Workshops you wish to take! 

Ultimate Ashland Culinary Festival
Top Chef Dinner:

SOLD OUT - To be added to a wait-list for this Dinner, email Kelsey Frantz at kelsey@ashlandchamber.com, in case of Top Chef Dinner cancellations. 

Thursday, November 8th
5:30pm - Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites (Stardust Lounge)

3rd annual: Honoring the history of our event, join us for the Ultimate Top Chef Dinner on Thursday, November 8th - 5:30pm at Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites, our Festival Headquarters. Enjoy a five-course dinner and pre-dinner appetizers prepared by some of our amazingly talented past Top Chef Winners. Each course will be paired with a local wine or brew. This is a dinner you won’t want to miss! Tickets are $90 per person or can be purchased as part of a 4-day VIP Package. Seating is limited.

Participating Chefs, Wineries and Artisans: 

Pre-Dinner Appetizers & Samplings -
Specialty Cocktail Sampling by Freddie Herrera of 
Hearsay Restaurant, Lounge and Garden (Top Mixologist 2017)
Sampling by Platt Anderson Cellars 
Rogue Creamery Artisan Cheese Samplings

Dinner Courses - 
Franco Console, Larks Restaurant
(Top Chef 2009 / 2nd Place - Iron Chef of Oregon 2009) paired with DANCIN Vineyards
 
Billy Buscher, True Kitchen & Bar
(Top Chef 2012 / Iron Chef of Oregon 2016), paired with Awen Winecraft
 
James Williams, Truffle Pig Craft Kitchen
(Top Chef 2014 / Iron Chef of Oregon 2015), paired with Weisinger Family Winery
 
Skye Elder, Brickroom
(Top Chef 2017), paired with Irvine & Roberts Vineyards
 
David Georgeson, Luna Café & Neuman Hotel Group
(Top Chef 2011 / 3rd Place - Iron Chef of Oregon 2012), paired with Grizzly Peak Winery
 

Friday's Culinary Kickoff event:

includes the 3rd annual Top Mixologist Competition

 Friday, November 9th
5:30pm to 7:00pm​
Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites

Attend our Culinary Kickoff, from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at the Ashland Hills which includes the 3rd annual Mixology competition (where 12 local bartenders will compete for Top Mixologist), samplings by the Bear Creek Wine Trail, small bites and more!

2018 Mixology Competition - Sponsors:

 

2018 Top Mixologist Competitors: 

Round One:
Taylor Branham - The Black Sheep Pub & Restaurant
Blake Henry - Brickroom & Uncle B's Liquor Cabinet (2016 Top Mixologist)
Freddie Herrera - Hearsay Restaurant (2017 Top Mixologist)
Vanessa Walker - Luna Café

Round Two:
Arturo Almazan - Smithfields Pub & Pies 
Caitlin Hilligoss - Peerless Restaurant
Kimberlee Hudson - Omar's Restaurant & Bar
Ian MacKelvie - Caldera Brewing Company

Round Three:
Rylan Doty - Ostras! Tapas & Bottle Shop
Kalea Mckenna - Jefferson Spirits
Jordan Rollins - Larks Medford
Sydney Vervynck - Aqua

Final Round to follow
Advancement: One Bartender with the highest score from each round will advance to the FINAL Round. The fourth position in the FINAL round will be a “Wild Card” Bartender – selected by the Judges, from the nine non-qualifying competitors, based on a similar set of judging guidelines as the previous rounds.

​2018 Junior Chef Competition: 

Saturday, November 10th
10:00am to 11:30am
Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites

Four teams will be competing from local High School Culinary Programs. Junior Chefs will be given a secret ingredient or challenge to complete much like the Top Chef Competition. The winning team of the Junior Chef competition will have a chance to shadow our Festival Judges during the Top Chef Competition and will win a college scholarship.

2018 Junior Chef Teams:

Ashland High School: Quinn Vogel & Rafael Rodriguez
Grants Pass High School: Shealynn Church & Olivia Murphy
North Medford High School: Thomas Bates II & Zander Prescott 
South Medford High School: Kara Fisher & Bailey Goble


We are also excited to announce that Chef Melissa McMillan of Sammich Restaurants, will be a celebrity Judge and mentor for this competition only. (Photo courtesy of Sammich)


 For ticket holders who have a VIP Package, Premier Pass or tickets which include workshops, this will be included for workshop registration.

Vendors:
Sample and purchase with over 30 food artisans, farms, restaurants, award winning wineries and breweries.

For Vendor Information, click here.

3 Badge Mixology (Saturday only)
Angel Farms
AuntieMama Cookies (Saturday only)
AWEN Winecraft
Belle Fiore Winery
Branson's Chocolates
Caldera Brewing Co.
Crater Lake Spirits (Saturday only)
DEsoaps-n-more
E.B. Woodcraft
Falafel Republic (Saturday only)
Figgy's Food Truck
Gluten Free Paradise
Grizzly Peak Winery
Heritage Distilling Company
Huizache Creamery
Irvine & Roberts Vineyards
Kriselle Cellars (Saturday only)
Paschal Winery & Vineyard
PEO International - Gourmet Walnuts
Platt Anderson Cellars
Rogue Creamery
SaladMaster & Chef Deborah
Seven Feathers Casino Resort
Spiritopia (Saturday only)
Standing Stone Brewing Co.
Tahoe Kitchen Company
Trium Wines
Troon Vineyard (Sunday only)
Truffle Pig Craft Kitchen
Vital Salts
Weisinger Family Winery
Work Sharp Culinary