Start fasting now, y’all. The 13th annual CHWFF kicks off this Wednesday, and with all the foodies in town, area restaurants are cashing in on the influx with their own Wine + Food affiliated — or just super rad — events. For the next few days, all bad ass food or drink related happenings that are not official CHWFF ticketed events will be designated: the fringe. Check out the running list of the off-the-beaten path pop-ups below:
Wednesday
Garrett Oliver Book Signing
4:15-5 p.m.
$30 (include a copy of The Brewmaster’s Table)
Edmund’s Oast Exchange
Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver visits EOX for a special book signing and tasting. Trust us, you’ll want to hear from Oliver, he’s a veritable beer genius: he became an apprentice brewer at Manhattan Brewing Co. in 1989 and was appointed brewmaster in 1993; in 1994 he became brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery, a position he has held ever since; and he wrote The Brewmaster’s Table in 2003 and was editor of the 2011 Oxford Companion to Beer.
Thursday
Beehive Blondes at South Seas Tiki Lounge in Charleston
9 p.m.-12 a.m.
Free to attend
South Seas Oasis
Retro DJ duo the Beehive Blondes, made up of Jess James and Hannah Stewart O’Hanlon, visit Charleston to DJ the South Seas Oasis Wine + Food after party. The “party starters” play music from the ’60s through the ’80s, but their sweet spot is sixties soul. Expect to see James and O’Hanlon dancing, and hula hooping, while encouraging others to do so. They’ll be decked out in head-to-toe vintage and beehives, and will bring a rack of curated vintage duds from Jess James + Co. — you can shop spring and floral tiki dresses plus vintage Hawaiian shirts.
Undiscovered Italy: Wine Tasting at Vincent Chicco’s
2-5 p.m.
$38
Vincent Chicco’s
Undiscovered Italy will be a drop-in, educational wine tasting focused on six little-known Italian wine varietals. Accompanied by cheese and charcuterie appetizers, the wine tastings will include one sparkling, three white, and two red varietals. Alessandro Guarino, CEO and President of Impero Wines, and Andres Contreras, Charleston City Paper’s Best Sommelier, will be onsite to lead the open discussion, answer questions, and educate guests.
Root Down at Closed for Business
6 p.m.-12 a.m.
Free to attend
Closed for Business
Continue to celebrate the Brooklyn Brewery at CFB with this party featuring Brooklyn beer and the music of NYC’s own Beastie Boys. Starting at 6 p.m. they’ll be serving up their best beers, plus flight specials, and they’ll be pumping up the Beastie Boys tunes.
They’ll be pouring Brooklyn’s Cloaking Device, Kiwi’s Playhouse, Black Ops, Bel Air Sour, and the Black Chocolate Stout. In the words of the Boys, “I kick it root down/I put my root down/So how we gonna kick it?”
Friday
Switcharoo II
5-11:45 p.m.
Edmund’s Oast
A la carte
Edmund’s Oast will close its regular ole doors at 5 p.m. Friday night and re-open for the second time as Switcharoo, a fundraiser where chefs become bartenders and bartenders become chefs. The event raises money for Ben’s Friends, the F&B industry support group in Charleston offering “hope, fellowship, and a path forward to professionals who struggle with substance abuse and addiction;” the first Switcharoo held in Sept. 2017 raised over $3,000 to benefit the organization.
Sponsored by Maker’s Mark, the event will highlight the talents of chefs and bartenders from across the country. Chefs who will become bartenders for the evening include Brittany Annderson (Metzger Bar and Butchery in Richmond, VA) Justin Brunson (meat expert and Denver chef) Griffin Bufkin (Southern Soul Barbecue in GA), Bob Cook (Edmund’s Oast), Michael Hudman (restaurateur and James Beard nominee for Best Chef Southeast), Travis Milton (Milton’s at the Western Front, Saint Paul, VA), and Andy Ticer (co-owner of Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen with Hudman, also James Beard nominee for Best Chef Southeast).
The bartenders playing the role of chef will be Gary Crunkleton (The Crunkleton, Chapel Hill), Nick Detrich (NoLa “rum wunderkind”), Jayce McConnell (Edmund’s Oast), Micah Melton (The Aviary, NYC), Stephen Palahach (drink writer and bartender at Maison Premiere, Brooklyn), Jerry Slater (veteran Atlanta bar master set to open new spot, The Expat, this year), and Pam Wiznitzer (creative director at Seamstress and national president of the USBG).
Vasco Croft at Vintage Lounge
8 p.m.
A la carte
Vintage Lounge
Vasco Croft, the winemaker from Aphros Wines will be behind the bar and floating around talking and pouring his natural wines from Portugal.
J. Brix Wines at Kwei Fei
6 p.m.
A la carte
The Daily
David Schuttenberg’s Kwei Fei residency at The Daily gets a special vino visit from Cali winemaker J. Brix. They’ll be at the pop-up until late, and will be selling four selections from their portfolio by the glass and by the bottle. Owners Jody Brix Towe and Emily Towe will discuss their natural wines and winemaking process.
Saturday
Half Crown Bakehouse at Lewis Barbecue
2 p.m.
A la carte
Lewis Barbecue
Husk Sous Chef Justin Cherry will be bringing his Half Crown Bakehouse pop-up to Lewis, joining La Morra Pizzeria in town from the West Coast. There will be pizza, plus wood-fired tartines, and barbecue. Say no more.
NICO lunch with Veuve Clicquot
noon-4 p.m.
A la carte
Nico Oysters and Seafood
Pair your bivalves with some bubbly. From noon to 4 p.m. at NICO, feast on feature specials by chef Nico Romo designed to pair with Veuve Clicquot bubbles. Veuve winemaker Pierre Casenave will pour selections by the glass including the Yellow Lable champagne ($10 per glass) and the Rose NV ($12 per glass).
Dead Rabbit Takeover at Bar Mash
10:30 p.m.-2 a.m.
A la carte
Bar Mash
Teddy Nixon and the team at Bar Mash bring NYC’s Dead Rabbit beverage director Jillian Vose behind the bar for a night, where they’ll be pouring cocktails and shots with local spirt Virgil Kaine Lowcountry Whisky. According to a press release, Dead Rabbit is an Irish Pub “with a sense of place” that is “considered by many to be the best bar in the world.” Nixon and Vose will offer a collaborative menu of cocktails made with Virgil Kaine’s rye whiskey and bourbon. Virgil Kaine giveaways will also be handed out throughout the night.
Merlot Moments
6-11 p.m.
$35
Redux Contemporary Art Center
The latest installment in Adult Contemporary Head Nod hip hop group Langston Hughes III’s Merlot Moments, this event will be a celebration of three iconic soul food restaurants. Aptly named The Soul Food Kitchen Convention, the event will honor Bertha’s, Hannibal’s, and Dave’s Carryout at Redux.
For the event, Langston Hughes III will premiere a mini documentary they filmed
and produced dedicated to these restaurants. There will also be art showings from
artists Elva Lovoz (DC), Whitney Warden (Atlanta), Alexandria Searles (NY), Javet Blunt (S.CC) and Martin Askem (UK) in addition to wine tastings from Deepwater Vineyard. Chef JA, owner of Lillie Ollie, will be on hand serving what Merlot Moments is calling “elevated soul food.”
J. Brix Wines at Vintage Lounge
8 p.m.
A la carte
Vintage Lounge
Jody Brix Towe and Emily Towe will be pouring some amazing natural wines from California. Their winery’s mission is “Only Love,” so come with an open heart and fill your glass.
2Nixons pop-up at Le Farfalle
10 p.m.-1 a.m.
A la carte
Snacks from 2Nixons and drinks from the osteria, what could make for a better late night?
Spero pop-up at Workshop with EffinbRadio
9-11 p.m.
A la carte
Workshop
Spero pops up with “snacks” at the new home for podcast EffinbRadio; sip on cocktails, beer, and wine while you hob nob with hilarious F&B folks.
Sunday
Guest Chef Brunch: Little Sesame at Butcher & Bee
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
A la carte
Butcher & Bee
D.C.’s “hummuseria” Little Sesame, known for their simple, satisfying, fast casual fare, pops up at B&B for a special brunch event. Expect favorites like shakshuka and house made pita and collaborative Israeli dishes highlighting Lowcountry produce and of course, hummus. Walk-ins only.
6-9 p.m.
Free to attend
Warehouse
Sunday Funday and say a fond farewell to CHWFF 2018 at Warehouse with cocktails from Cathead Distillery, Dalai Sofia, Cannonborough Beverage Co., and Jack Rudy Cocktail Company; soul food from chef Jason Daly; and bluegrass tunes from The Blueston Ramblers.
La Morra Pizzeria at Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.
11 a.m.-4 p.m.
A la carte
Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co.
La Morra owners Marlee Blodgett and Zach Swemle are coming back for (what we believe is) a one-day-only pop-up at Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. As you may recall, last spring the darling duo broke our hearts when they moved to L.A. Order up their wood-fired goodness while you can starting at 11 a.m. at EOBC.
Beer + Food: PBR and Spero Pop-Up
2-7 p.m.
A la carte
Local 616
Spero is heading next door to 616 for a PBR-themed hangover pop up. RJ is creating a special menu for the day and Dwayne will be slingin’ PBR specials, plus Pabst has a new beer for you to try.
Charleston Pho and Wine Brunch
10:30 a.m.
A la carte
Mercantile
Chefs Sarah Adams and Greg Gettles will be “slinging the best Southeast Asian breakfast food this side of the Cooper River” Sunday starting at 10:30 a.m. until all the good stuff runs out. All menu items are a la carte, first come first serve, and will be served outside, family style, at the north entrance of Mercantile. Menu items include a pickled tea leaf salad, fried chicken congee, pork meatball pho, vegetable pho, injera collard rolls, and ginger steamed buns, with wine available for purchase through Mercantile.
And, for all you out there who don’t plan on participating in the “Wine” part of the festival, be sure to check out the Fri. and Sat. night alcohol free after parties.
Have a fringe event we should know about? Email Kinsey@charlestoncitypaper.com
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