Paso Robles Gourmet Mac & Cheese Festival

Festival Photos 

The perfect combination 

Cheers!!

    This past weekend I got a chance to attend the first ever Macaroni and Cheese Festival in Paso Robles. With over 25 different restaurants and a long list of local wineries; 1,000 people sipped, savored, and relaxed at Le Vigne Winery. The event helped raise money for Zoo to You and was made possible by American General Media (AGM).
    I had an amazing time and was impressed by the creativity of all the restaurants involved. There were flavors ranging from the traditional mac and cheese all the way to lobster. Not to mention endless wine tasting, beer, gelato, and live music. My personal favorite was from TJ's Grill, their mac and cheese was not too heavy and complimented with fresh green peas to liven up the dish. Other restaurants included The Apple Farm, New Frontier's, Gather Wine Bar, The Seaventure, and Mo Tav.
    The People's Choice award was granted to Fenomenal as the grand prize winner, with the Cliffs Resort - Marisol and Pappy McGreggors coming in at a close second and third. The Cork Dorks awarded the Cliffs Resort - Marisol as their favorite dish.
    Not to forget about the wineries, I enjoyed refreshing tastes from Chamisal, Broken Earth, Le Vigne, and Claiborne and Churchill. My favorite glass being from Ancient Peaks, their 2011 Sauvignon Blanc was fruity without being too sweet or tart.
    Jessica Beattie was the mastermind behind this amazing event, so to get more insight on the inspiration for the festival, along with future plans to continue the tradition I interviewed her to talk about why she chose melted cheese and wine to start a trend.

Here are some tid-bits I learned and questions I got answered:

• The inspiration for the Gourmet Mac & Cheese Festival came from wanting to stray away from an event based solely on alcohol. Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of long distance radio transmission, was the reason they chose to feature Mac and Cheese as the main dish. All in all the event was used to pay tribute to radio. 

• The event was a huge hit with the only concerns being the long line to get in and the lack of vegetarian options. (Both of which will be improved upon for next year's event) 

• The wine and food vendors were not charged to participate in the event. 

• Next year they plan on expanding the festival to accommodate 2,000-2,500 guests and include a greater number of wineries and restaurants. They also plan on continuing to use Le Vigne Winery for the venue.     

   I'm already craving more mac and cheese. I can't wait for next year's event!!!