13th annual Ashland Culinary Festival
#AshlandCulinaryFest

November 7th – 10th, 2019
Produced by Travel Ashland
Festival Headquarters: Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites
2525 Ashland Street, Ashland OR 97520

Lead Emcee, Host and Head Judge - Chef Tselani Richmond

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. Online ticket sales close at 9:00 AM on Friday, November 8th.

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 7th. On Friday, attend our evening kick-off event including our 4th annual Mixology Competition and samplings. On Saturday, witness our 4th annual Junior Chef Competition at the Festival where local High School 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.

2019 Competing Restaurants and Chefs:
(in order by last name)

Raider Babcock - Standing Stone Brewing Co.
Billy Buscher - Larks Kitchen & Cocktails / Inn at the Commons (2012 Top Chef)
Javier Cruz - Simple Café
Tony Efstratiadis - Plancha
Skye Elder - Brickroom (2017 Top Chef)
John Hill - Southern Oregon University (The Hawk Dining)
Mike Hite - Alchemy Restaurant & Bar
Julian Jones - Macaroni's/Martino's
David Kay - Caldera Brewery & Restaurant
Keenan McGrew - Carriage House Jacksonville
Alfredo Nava - Omar's Fresh Seafood and Steaks
William Snyder - Curbside King

2019 Top Chef Competition Judges:

Lead Emcee, Host and Head Judge
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!

Chef Shaun O'Neale

Chef Shaun, Winner of MasterChef Season 7 on FOX and Author of "My Modern American Table." Read his bio here!

Chef Rebecca Peizer

Chef Rebecca, is a professor of culinary arts at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone and a graduate of the CIA’s Hyde Park campus. Read her bio here!

2019 Top Mixologist Competition Judge Announcement:

Mixologist Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Jeffrey is an award-winning bartender (Tales of the Cocktail’s American Bartender of the Year, 2016), working since 1996 in everything from neighborhood taverns and college nightclubs to fine restaurants and upscale lounges.
He currently manages the six-time James Beard Award-nominated bar program at Clyde Common, and the celebrated Pepe Le Moko; both are located in Portland, Oregon.

Jeffrey has been writing about bartending and mixology for several years at his website, jeffreymorgenthaler.com. He is the best-selling author of the world’s first book devoted entirely to cocktail technique, “The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique.” Read his bio here!

Culinary Hands-on Workshops:
Saturday and Sunday, 10:00am to 11:30am
Workshops are from 10:00-11:30 unless otherwise noted See LOCATIONS & ADDRESSES in descriptions – many are held off-site, not at the Ashland Hills

Saturday Workshops:

2019 Junior Chef Competition, begins at 9:00 AM
can be selected as a Workshop
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Biodynamic – Organic Wine Education Class
hosted by Joseph Shaugnessy, Certified Level II Sommelier
at the Lithia Springs Wine Garden
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Mixers, Mocktails & Shrubs
hosted by For Bitter for Worse & Bestow
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SOLD OUT: Tasting Oregon Cheese with the Rogue Creamery
and Local Cheese Artisans (21 + over)
with the Rogue Creamery and Local Cheese Artisans
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Learn how to make a Texas Beef Brisket
with Chef Melissa McMillan of Sammich Restaurants,
Ashland Native & FOOD NETWORK Star!
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Sunday Workshops:

SOLD OUT: Cooking Class
taught by Owner & Head Chef, Melissa Jones-Hanscom,
of Figgy’s Food Truck
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SOLD OUT: Craft Cocktails & CBD Infused Bitters (21 + over)
with Ricky Price of High Siskiyou Tours – hosted at Hearsay Restaurant
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SOLD OUT: Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar Pairing
hosted by Press for Oil
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Winter and Dried Fruit Desserts for the Holidays - Cooking Class
with James Beard Award Winner, Cory Schreiber
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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:

Thursday, November 7th
5:30pm - Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites (Stardust Lounge)

4th annual: Honoring the history of our event, join us for the Ultimate Top Chef Dinner on Thursday, November 7th - 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 Caitlin Hilligoss
of Peerless Restaurant & Bar (Top Mixologist 2018)

Rogue Creamery Artisan Cheese Samplings

Appetizer by Javier Cruz, Simple Café

Wine Tasting by AWEN Winecraft

Participating Top Chefs confirmed, in order by year of Festival win -

Neil Clooney, Smithfields Restaurant & Bar
(Top Chef 2007 & 2008 / Iron Chef of Oregon 2008 & 2009)

Franco Console, Larks Home Kitchen Cuisine / Ashland Springs Hotel
(Top Chef 2009 / 2nd Place - Iron Chef of Oregon 2009)

Chandra Corwin, Cucina Biazzi
(Top Chef 2010)

David Georgeson, Luna Café & Neuman Hotel Group
(Top Chef 2011 / 3rd Place - Iron Chef of Oregon 2012)

Skye Elder, Brickroom
(Top Chef 2017)

Friday's Culinary Kickoff event:

includes the 4th annual Top Mixologist Competition

Friday, November 8th
5:30pm
Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites

Attend our Culinary Kickoff at the Ashland Hills which includes the 4th annual Mixology competition (where 12 local bartenders will compete for Top Mixologist), drink samplings, small bites and more!

Round One, 5:45 PM:
Taylor Branham - The Black Sheep Pub & Restaurant
Blake Henry - Brickroom (2016 Top Mixologist)
Hannah Loop - Alchemy Restaurant & Bar
Kalea Mckenna - Jefferson Spirits

Round Two, 6:15 PM:
Sean Kemper - Smithfields Restaurant & Bar
DuShawn McDaniel - Hearsay Restaurant
Ron Morairty - Standing Stone Brewing Company
Jordan Shepard-McGuire - Larks Kitchen & Cocktails / Inn at the Commons

Round Three, 6:45 PM:
Freddie Herrera - Mezcal (2017 Top Mixologist)
Caitlin Hilligoss - Peerless Restaurant & Bar (2018 Top Mixologist)
Kimberlee Hudson - Omar's Restaurant & Bar
Aaron Lorenz - Porters Dining at the Depot

Final Round to follow at roughly 7:15 PM
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.

2019 Junior Chef Competition:

Saturday, November 9th
9:00am to 11:30am
Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites

4th annual: Watch the excitement grow again this year at the 2019 Junior Chef Competition where SIX local High School Culinary Programs – Ashland High School, Grants Pass High School, Hidden Valley High School, North Medford High School, Phoenix High School and South Medford High School – compete for the 2019 Junior Chef title.

NEW for 2019: There will be THREE Rounds of Competition – Two Quick-Fire Rounds and the Final Round of four schools. Competitors 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.

Chef Cory Schreiber of Cooking from the Source, will be a celebrity guest Judge and mentor for this competition only. Cory has been a Festival Judge since this Festival’s succession.

10-minute Quick-Fire Competitions, Round 1 & 2 – 9:00 AM

Round 1 – 9:00 AM, First three schools
Ashland High School
Hidden Valley High School
South Medford High School

Round 2 – 9:30 AM, Second three schools
Grants Pass High School
North Medford High School
Phoenix High School

Final Round of Four Schools – 10:00 to 11:30 AM

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