Saturday afternoon rolls around and you already have nearly two full days — and nights — of pure indulgence under your belt at the Food & Wine Classic.
You’ve tippled with some of the best, most innovative winemakers and experts of all things juice, nibbled countless tasty morsels under the Grand Tasting Tent and sampled the best Aspen’s restaurants have to offer.
What better time to head up to Snowmass for what some (ask a local) consider the most filling, ahem, fulfilling, event of the weekend — Heritage Fire. And it all takes place smack at the edge of Base Village in the verdant great outdoors.
This year, Heritage Fire (“Fire,” don’t you know), will welcome a full cadre of name chefs to set up all manner of live-fire cookery, on or over which they will have their way with around 3,500 pounds of locally raised, heritage meat, fish, fowl, a bounty of locally grown heirloom vegetables and whatever other tasty morsels they truck up.
Get there early if you want to get first dibs (earlier if you want to watch the fascinating setups), don’t fill up on the first round (new and delicious bites just keep coming), and stay late. You might be full, but you won’t be sorry. And hey, it’s all for a really good cause.
THE CHEFS ROSTER
Locally Grown: Will Nolan of Rico BBQ Co. in Rico, , Andrew Helsey and Jim Butchart of Aspen Skiing Co. Mountain Dining, Joshua Pollack of Rosenbergs Bagels and Delicatessen in Denver, Eddy Chimal of Venga Venga in Snowmass, Lon Symensma of LeRoux in Denver, Alberto Figueroa of Viceroy Snowmass, Matt Vawter of Mercantile Dining & Provision in Denver, Kyle Wilkins of Home Team BBQ in Aspen, Hosea Rosenberg of Blackbelly Market in Boulder, Jason DeBacker of The Edge Restaurant in Snowmass, Steve Redzikowski of Acorn/Oak in Denver and Marc Felder of Edge Four Seasons Denver
Further Afield: Feliz Florez of Cherry Block Craft Butcher & Seasonal Kitchen in Houston, Jean-Philippe Gaston of izakaya in Houston, Nate Singer of Carter County Meats in Wyoming and Justin Sutherland of Handsome Hog in Minneapolis.
THE WET STUFF STUFF
Sip sparklers from LaCroix Sparkling Water, fresh juices from Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Co., fresh cider from Stem Ciders, cocktails from Wheatley Vodka with Perfect Puree of Napa Valley, and the Manhattan Project featuring premium bourbons from Eagle Rare and Buffalo Trace topped with Luxardo cherries. Other libations include tastings from Blade and Bow, El Tesoro Tequila and Whiskey Five, Rosés from Chateau D’Esclan and offerings from the portfolio of Riboli Family Wines and Nielson Wines. More? Other sponsors include Puree of Napa Valley and Element Knife Co., and there’s a Pop-Up Butcher Demo with celebrated butchers Jason Nauert and Jeff Weinstock.
WHERE YOUR MONEY MATTERS
Heritage Fire, including the Pop-Up Butcher Demo, and Rustic Grind are all fundraisers for Piggy Bank. Launched in 2015 as a nonprofit start-up by Cochon 555 Founder Brady Lowe’s Piggy Bank is creating a farming sanctuary in Missouri for heritage breed pigs, many of which are endangered. Piggy Bank will provide genetics and access to shared business plans for raising heritage pigs to emerging family farms. It is an open access movement dedicated to making our foodways more safe, honest and delicious. It strives to create biodiversity for the future of agriculture to come.
Eat hearty, give big.