Music City Food + Wine Festival brings the unexpected

A tidal wave of celebrity chefs will soon be cooking up a storm in Nashville.

Andrew Zimmern, Trisha Yearwood, Michael Symon and other familiar TV food personalities will leave the camera crews behind to do what they love most: discuss, create and serve exquisite food.

And they are more than excited to come to the country's current darling dining city for the Music City Food + Wine Festival, the giant epicurean party set for Sept. 20-21 at Public Square Park.

"It's a real positive energy we're being provided with and we're providing," said longtime local chef Deb Paquette of Etch, who returns as a participant at this year's festival.

But it's not just the event that is drawing these acclaimed chefs to Music City.

"You can have a fried bologna sandwich at 1 in the morning and watch great country bands — it's magical," said Jonathan Waxman, a "Top Chef: Masters" contestant who co-founded the festival with the Kings of Leon, C3 Presents and Vector Management.

"There are a lot of things really great about the logistics, but the people are amazing."

Nashville itself and Kings of Leon's Caleb Followill inspired Waxman to open the restaurant Adele's here earlier this summer. And he's not the only renowned chef planting roots in Nashville.

"Top Chef" contestant Dale Levitski is executive chef at Sinema, which opened in June. "Chopped" judge Maneet Chauhan is expected to open Chauhan Ale & Masala House this fall. "Top Chef" contestant Richard Blais also is opening FLIP Burger this fall, and James Beard Award winner Donald Link is bringing Cochon Butcher next year.

Paquette welcomes the incoming chefs and restaurants.

"The competition is going to be intense, but there's going to be plenty of room," she said.

Stretching boundaries

The festival provides a chance for local and celebrity chefs to invent something new and intriguing.

"I try to do things where people go, 'Ooh, what's that?' and they want to try it," Paquette said.

While she doesn't know exactly what she will serve, Paquette is thinking "something cheesy and fruity."

Throughout both festival days, attendees can taste creations by local chefs during the Grand Taste, watch cooking demonstrations and hear from chefs in the panel discussions.

New this year are the Tasting Sessions, with a Hendrick's Gin Cocktail Academy and Hope Family Wines Flavor Profile and Tasting on Saturday, and a Jackson Family Wines and Blue Moon Brewmaster Session on Sunday.

Another new feature is Martin's Bar-B-Que and Friends, in which pitmaster Pat Martin, Tyler Brown of Capitol Grille, Levon Wallace of Proof on Main, former NFL guard and sous chef Steve Hutchinson and more will slow-cook barbecued meats for the taking.

Foodies can spend Saturday evening at Harvest Night tasting delectable bites by Waxman, Zimmern, Tyler Florence, Aarón Sánchez and others. Members of Kings of Leon, Grammy Award-winner Michael McDonald and others will play a live show while guests dig in.

While Waxman and Paquette agree the influx of Nashville chefs won't slow down anytime soon, Waxman also assures that the festival will remain a big part of Nashville's annual itinerary. And it will only get bigger, with hopes to involve local farmers as well.

"It's just gonna get better and better," Waxman said.

Check out the complete Harvest Night chef lineup, Grand Taste chef lineup, panel discussions and cooking demonstrations.

Reach Jen Todd at 615-313-2760 or on Twitter @jentoddwrites.

If you go

What: Music City Food + Wine Festival

When: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 20-21; Harvest Night is at 7 p.m. Sept. 20

Where: Public Square Park at Third Avenue North and Union Street

Tickets: $150 per day, $225 for Harvest Night, $500 for an All-In Pass

Details:www.musiccityfoodandwinefestival.com

Harvest Night chefs

• Sean Brock of Husk

• Ashley Christensen of Beasley's Chicken + Honey, Poole's Downtown Diner and more

• Tyler Florence of "Food Court Wars"

• Amanda Freitag of Empire Diner

• Michael Hudman and Andy Ticer of Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen and Hog and Hominy

• Mike Lata of FIG and The Ordinary

• Tim Love of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Woodshed Smokehouse and more

• "Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto

• Aarón Sánchez of "Chopped"

• Alon Shaya of Domenica

• Frank Stitt of Highlands Bar and Grill

• Michael Symon of "The Next Iron Chef"

• Levon Wallace of Proof on Main

• Jonathan Waxman of Adele's

• "Bizarre Foods America" host Andrew Zimmern

Grand Taste Saturday chefs

• Kahlil Arnold of Arnold's Country Kitchen

• Carey Bringle of Peg Leg Porker

• Larry Carlile of Silo

• Lisa Donovan of Buttermilk Road and Husk Nashville

• Matt Farley of The Southern Steak & Oyster

• Sarah Gavigan of Otaku South

• Robert Grace of Kayne Prime

• Hal M. Holden-Bache of Lockeland Table

• Todd Alan Martin of The Treehouse

• Trevor Moran of The Catbird Seat

• James Peisker and Chris Carter of Porter Road Butcher

• Charles Phillips of 1808 Grille

• Giovanni Francescotti of Giovanni Ristorante

• Barclay Stratton of Merchant's Restaurant

• James Beard finalist Tandy Wilson of City House

• Karl Worley of Biscuit Love Truck

Grand Taste Sunday chefs

• Roderick Bailey of The Silly Goose

• Matt Bolus of The 404 Kitchen

• Tyler Brown of Capitol Grille

• Trey Cioccia of The Farm House

• Daniel Dillingham and George Harvell of The Loveless Cafe

• Jay Flatley of Tavern

• Josh Habiger of Pinewood Social

• John Lasater of Hattie B's Hot Chicken

• Betsy Johnston of Adele's

• Andrew Little of Josephine

• Pat Martin of Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint

• Margot McCormack of Marché Artisan Foods & Margot Café & Bar

• Arnold Myint of PM, Suzy Wong's House of Yum and more

• Deb Paquette of Etch

• Nick Pellegrino of Mangia Nashville

• Jake Strang of 1808 Grille

Panels

All panels will be in a special panel tent.

• Kitchen Disasters: Andrew Zimmern, Ashley Christensen, Michael Symon and Levon Wallace tell stories of culinary catastrophes at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 20.

• Prep Playlist: Kings of Leon's Caleb Followill and chefs Amanda Freitag and Tandy Wilson get grooving with go-to soundtracks for cooking at 2:15 p.m. Sept. 20.

• Southern Roots: Mike Lata, Alon Shaya and Frank Stitt share a love of Southern culture, cuisine and ingredients at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 21.

• Tales from the Road: Tim Love, Pat Martin and Aarón Sánchez converse about their worldwide travels at 2:15 p.m. Sept. 21.

Cooking demonstrations

• Jonathan Waxman shares culinary lessons from his mother, Adele, in "Mother Knows Best" at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 20 in the Dogwood Tent.

• Trisha Yearwood creates her Skillet Apple Pie in "Your Piece of the Pie" at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 20 in the Redbud Tent.

• Tim Love keeps it hot in "The Art of Burning Food" at 1:15 p.m. Sept. 20 in the Redbud Tent.

• Mike Lata teaches how to shuck and serve oysters, mussels and clams in "Aw, Shucks" at 1:15 p.m. Sept. 20 in the Dogwood Tent.

• Masaharu Morimoto fillets whole fish and teaches knife techniques in "Sushi A to Z" at 3 p.m. Sept. 20 in the Dogwood Tent.

• Aarón Sánchez makes huitlacoche tamales and corn cakes with lobster in "Husky Business" at 3 p.m. Sept. 20 in the Redbud Tent.

• Ashley Christensen shows off her tomato love in "Off the Vine" at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 21 in the Redbud Tent.

• Tyler Florence does corn the Southern way in "Test Kitchen: Corn Perfected" at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 21 in the Dogwood Tent.

• Michael Symon puts his spin on a Spanish dish in "Paella Perfection" at 1:15 p.m. Sept. 21 in the Redbud Tent.

• Amanda Freitag does breakfast her way in "Egg-Spertise" at 1:15 p.m. Sept. 21 in the Dogwood Tent.

• Andrew Zimmern showcases hot chicken dishes from all over in "Globally Hot Chicken" at 3 p.m. Sept. 21 in the Dogwood Tent.

• Waxman takes the stage again in "5 A Day My Way," adding creativity to the daily recommendation of five fruits and vegetables at 3 p.m. Sept. 21 in the Redbud Tent.