25 Amazing Years - BBQ and Cook-off
We are thrilled to announce our 25th annual BBQ and Cook-off. Stay tuned for important details. See you in Chicago!
Happening Hamptons Summer
Summer may be over, but it’s never too soon to start dreaming about the next one. Check out this story by Beverly Stephen in the August 11, 2023 edition of Everett Potter’s Travel Report by clicking here.
The Perelman Performing Arts Center
Beverly Stephen writes about the new performing arts center in lower Manhattan for Everett Potter’s Travel Report. You can read it by clicking here.
The City that never sleeps never stops eating.
Check out out this story by Beverly Stephen on some of New York’s marquee chefs in this 2023 Columbus Day edition of Hampton’s Real Estate by clicking here.
Vacationing Italian-Style
By Beverly Stephen
If life gives you lemons, make Limoncello. Or lemon granita, or lemon pasta, or ceramic lemons, or lemon Christmas decorations. Italy’s Amalfi coast, stretching some 30 miles between Sorrento and Salerno, is one of the most stunningly beautiful places on earth which, of course, is the main reason you go there. But you can’t help but admire the remarkable Amalfi lemons, some almost as large as grapefruit, and the ingenuity of the local population for finding so many uses for their abundant crop. Its moderate Mediterranean climate encourages the growth not only of lemons but also limes and oranges. A wealth of other produce and the freshest seafood make it a gastronomic paradise as well as a scenic wonder protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site. To read the full story, click the photo above or here.
A Gourmet Roman Holiday
Click on the photo above to read more!
BBQ is BACK!
The Flavor Forays Championship BBQ & Cook-Off is back and will be bigger and better than ever. Save the date: Sunday, May 21 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Galleria Marchetti, 825 West Erie, Chicago.
INSIDE SCOOP: The Championship BBQ & Cook-Off is regarded by food industry insiders as a “must attend,” high-powered networking event that takes place each year during the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago.
MORE MAKES IT MERRIER: It showcases the best chefs in Chicago as they face off over flames to feed up to 1,000 of the industry’s leading chefs and operators. Sponsors may invite as many customers or prospective customers as they wish.
SEE & BE SEEN: The BBQ also attracts many high-quality sponsors integral to the event’s success. It brings together these manufacturers and suppliers with restaurant personnel. Unilever was a valued sponsor of this event for many years...in fact Unilever was a sponsor of the very first one, over 25 years ago.
GOOD FOOD, GOOD DEEDS: The BBQ benefits World Central Kitchen, an international hunger relief organization led by chef José Andrés and the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
Charleston's Charms
Click below to learn more about our recent foray in beautiful Charleston.
Grits, Gullah, and the Three O’Clock Dinner
Memories are made of food and wine and, above all, fantastic people and places. Our group made friends with each other and with the passionate culinarians, farmers, and fishermen we visited in Charleston.
We spent time with the chefs who are moving Charleston’s culinary scene forward. We tasted some leading local spirits and enjoyed some Charleston spins on dining high and low. We were privileged to have a taste of Gullah culture and cuisine.
Thanks to our sponsors for making is all happen: Alaska Seafood, Cardinal International, Bigelow Tea, Idaho Potato Commission and Smithfield.
Enjoy this slide show and take a walk down memory lane.
Deep in the Heart of Austin
Memories are made of food and wine and, above all, fantastic people.
Our group made friends with each other and with the passionate culinarians we visited in Austin. We even set foot on Willie Nelson’s Luck Ranch. I could tell you he melodically congratulated us for being back on the road again. But that’s too tall a tale even for Texas. He might have been at home behind the big gates or more likely in Hawaii. But we were inspired by the Terra Puerzza farmers running a regenerative agriculture project on the ranch.
We spent time with the chefs who pioneered Austin’s prominence and the newcomers who are moving it forward. We looked back at some ancient desert food and drink making a comeback. We tasted some leading local wines and spirits and enjoyed some Texas spins on dining high and low.
Thanks to our sponsors for making is all happen: Alaska Seafood, Cardinal International, Bigelow Tea, Smithfield.
Enjoy this slide show and take a walk down memory lane.
Cheers to 2021!
We can’t wait to get back on the road again. We feel like horses at the gate!
And we’re happy to say good-bye to one of the worst years ever. Like you, we've mourned the devastation caused by the pandemic to the hospitality industry. It raises our spirits to applaud the frontline workers in foodservice and all their brave and creative efforts to feed us. And we’re hopeful that hospitality and travel can once again flourish in the future.
Happily the food conversations never stop. We were honored to be interviewed by Liz Williams, founder of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum for her podcast. Click the link to hear us share with you our predictions about the future of hospitality and a selection of our armchair travel musings. https://southernfood.org/tip-of-the-tongue/2020/12/07/tip-of-the-tongue-54
The timetable for when we kick off our Flavor Forays may still be a bit uncertain but we’re optimistic. We’re determined to (and planning to) soon lead more Forays to all the great cities we have visited (and write about in our book On The Road With Flavor Forays: An Insider’s Guide to Austin, Charleston, Portland and New Orleans.) Also on the horizon: an exploration of Portuguese food, wine, and culture.
This year has also highlighted some basic truths that shine bright. What keeps us inspired is likely the same for you: gathering at the table whether virtually or in close groups. From the simplest bite to the most elaborate meal, food has the power to be the lovely thread that connects all holidays, and those traditions continue to bring us together in spirit even when we're apart.
We wish you Happy Holidays even though our celebrations may be different this year. Let’s all raise a glass to the New Year and new opportunities.
Barbara Mathias and Beverly Stephen
Culinary Travel Producers at Flavor Forays
Co-Authors of On the Road with Flavor Forays
Tip of the Tongue 54: An Unscratched Itch for Travel
Beverly and Barbara recently spoke with Liz Williams, founder of the National Food & Beverage Foundation and the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, on her program Tip of the Tongue - a podcast about food & drink, culture, and museums. You can listen by clicking here.
Deep in the Heart of Austin
Take a look at this recent story on Flavor Forays.
Get your copy now!
Authors Barbara Mathias and Beverly Stephen spent over two decades covering chefs and food trends at Food Arts magazine. After the magazine shuttered, they acted on their dream and started a travel company, Flavor Forays, to bring chefs and food and beverage kingpins on culinary journeys to food meccas.
When they tell people what they do for a living, the typical response is ‘Can I come on one of your trips?’ And now you can. In On the Road with Flavor Forays you can be an armchair traveler on their insider culinary journeys.
Flavor Forays is temporarily grounded due to Covid-19. During this down time, the authors have been working on their deep dish travelogue based on five years of trips to America’s hottest food destinations. It brought back so many great memories of the new friendships formed and of all the passionate chefs and producers they met along the way.
