Mother’s Day is Sunday, kids. If we’re the first to tell you? Number one, you need a new internet connection. Two, there are some amazing food events going on across the country that might be the perfect way to say “Hey, you’re awesome!” to the special mom in your life (even if she isn’t yours). If you’ve already made your Mother’s Day plans, or you’d rather celebrate National Salad (or Hamburger, or Egg, or…Fungal Infection Awareness) Month, grab some friends and a bottle of sunscreen and check out some of May’s best foodie festival offerings.
Gator by the Bay: May 11-13–San Diego, California
Can’t make it to New Orleans? Get your zydeco and Cajun crawfish fix at Gator by the Bay, a Louisiana-inspired food fest filled with live music, dance lessons, shopping, and more savory seafood than you’d ever imagined. Plus, you can enter to win a free trip to NOLA to experience the real deal! Tickets range from $15-$75 depending on how much partying you can handle. Don your Mardi Gras beads and get yours today!
Chocolate Workshop: May 12–Boston, Massachusetts
We love just about anything edible here at Poor Taste HQ, but chocolate takes the cake (and cookies, candy, mole’ sauce, and even cocktails, if we’re being honest). Whether you’re a fan of milk chocolate truffles, bittersweet chips or white chocolate mousse, you can truly appreciate this infamous ingredient by learning to make it from scratch at Taste of Chocolate‘s chocolate-making workshop. Made up of chocolatiers, chocolate historians and plain ol’ chocolate fanatics, Taste of Chocolate brings arcane knowledge of cacao-based treats to the mainstream through tours, classes, and events. Check it out here.
Celebrity Chef Tour: May 15–Las Vegas, Nevada
Nothing says Las Vegas like luxury, and where there’s luxury, there’s famous people. Join celebrity chefs Jonathan Waxman and Clayton Arakawa at the Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill for discussions, cooking demos, and tastings of their incredibly innovative recipes. From classic American cuisine to island-inspired mango relish and coconut bubbles, your taste buds will thank you. Pick up your tickets here.
EAT Honolulu: May 16–Honolulu, Hawaii
Feelin’ fancy? Grab your best island-chic couture and get ready for a mouthwatering meal at EAT Honolulu‘s four-course seafood dinner event, featuring langoustine ceviche, lamb empanadas and spicy Chilean wines. Tickets are $65 and reservations are required; to save your plate, call (808) 487-7926.
OC Greek Fest: May 18-20–Anaheim, California
Greece: the land of olive oil, Spanakopita, and dancing in circles with a table in your mouth. This year’s OC Greek Fest is sure to be a super fun, raucous event filled with incredible Greek dishes, music, dancing, shopping and drinks (they have a Taverna!). Perfect for the entire family, you’ll leave this festival full of tasty food and colorful memories. Get your tickets now!
Artichoke Festival: May 19 & 20–Castroville, California
If someone demanded that you eat a thistle, chances are you’d tell them to go shove something large up something not so large. But before you go all Roadhouse on us, you should know that technically, artichokes are thistles–spiny, delicious thistles that Castroville celebrates annually at their famously fabulous Artichoke Festival. With a diverse history that includes a pre-Marilyn, brown-haired Norma Jean being crowned as their first Artichoke Queen in 1948, decades of both innovative (ice cream!) and wonderfully traditional (deep-fried!) artichoke-based dishes, live music, cooking demos and more, this is one west coast event you really don’t want to miss. Ticket prices vary; get yours today.
Boston Food Swap: May 20–Boston, Massachusetts
In a time where finding a five dollar bill in your pocket can feel like winning the lottery, it’s easy to forget that paper money and credit cards weren’t always the way of the world. Boston brings it back to basics with their monthly food swaps, where participants mingle with their community while sharing homemade, homegrown, and self-foraged foods and drinks (I’ve never foraged for a drink, unless you count drunkenly crawling around in search of water). Half-silent auction and half-culinary trading game, these Boston Food Swaps encourage culinary currency by allowing attendees to pay for food with food. Perhaps this is the solution to our country’s financial problems? RSVP here.
The New Orleans Wine and Food Experience: May 22-26–New Orleans, Louisiana
Most food-obsessed folks would give just about anything to spend a month or two eating their way around NOLA; crawfish, po’boy sandwiches, red beans and rice, and world-famous beignets are only some of things to get happily fat on in the French Quarter. It’s probably why one of New Orleans’ most famous food events is called an ‘experience’ and not just a festival. For over two decades, the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience has brought together a brilliantly colorful culture, delicious local food and wines from around the country, raising over $1 million for charities that work to end hunger and promote culinary education. Join the party by getting your tickets here.
9000 Years of Cheese: Fermenting Religion, Climate Change, and the Environment: May 31–New York, New York
While cheese is not always at the top of the list in terms of smell, dietary preference or “things to consume in vast quantities before a date,” there’s no denying the cultural impact that this extraordinarily diverse food has had on our world. From smooth French brie to sharp American cheddar, soft Mexican queso fresco to the ever-controversial casu marzu of Sardinia (it contains live insect larvae. Yum!), cheese has played a vital and highly influential role in kitchens across the globe. At the 9,000 Years of Cheese event, you’ll discover exactly how archaeology, anthropology, linguistics, and geography have been shaped by this time-honored treat. Get your tickets here.
Photos by Slice of Chic, Teesha Dunn, Wendy, and Ami (@entouriste).