38 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY APRIL 9-15, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com Rodney Scott noticed a car slowing to pull up alongside as he was walking to an event. Although concerned for a moment, the barbecue pitmaster of James Beard and television fame quickly realized that the driver appeared more curious than threatening. So when the man asked Scott’s name, he responded. “I told you it was him, I told you it was him,” the man said to his wife with obvious excitement. Pebble Beach Food & Wine is not a gathering for celebrity chefs like Scott. The event includes many local names, as well as award-winners and others legendary in communities across the country perhaps not yet known by the general public. Yet Pebble Beach has become a celebrity attraction. Jonathan Waxman hosts the opening night. Antonia Lofaso and Geoffrey Zakarian present The Foundation Table Dinner on Friday. Sunday’s Tasting Pavilion lineup includes Stephanie Izard. Rocco DiSpirito will be on hand, among several others. But the chefs come not to be seen, but to see. “A good food and wine festival can’t just be about exposure,” says Jonathon Sawyer of Kindling in Chicago. “You get to talk with like-minded peers. I look forward to that connection.” Scott laughs as he tells about his encounter with the fan. Coming from a small town, spending much of his life tending to smokers, he never expected to be ranked among celebrity chefs. “I take each event as a learning experience,” he says, adding that he can ask other kitchen professionals for tips about ingredients or techniques. “For me, it’s like a field trip.” Celebrity status has been attached to chefs for decades—perhaps centuries, as culinary historians point to the fame of Marie-Antoine Carême, who cooked for Napoleon. But it was a smaller world. The evolution of Food Network in the mid-1990s was like a big bang for big names. “I went to culinary school in the ’80s. It was a much different time,” says Michael Symon, who returns to the event for the first time since before the pandemic. He recalls attending the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen after being named Best New Chef in 1998. But, he adds, “At the end of the day, whether I’m on a stage or in a kitchen, the approach is the same.” The life of a celebrity chef is different. In the weeks before PBFW, Symon traveled to New York for a television episode then took part in a charity dinner in Philadelphia. “I love the cooking, I love the interaction,” he says. “I wish I could do it with less travel.” The first wave of Food Network chefs arrived on merit. They had come up through the restaurant ranks, gaining attention for their work in the kitchen. In 2018, Scott earned the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast, only the second pitmaster so honored (the first being Texas legend Aaron Franklin in 2015). “It’s humbling,” Scott says of his status. “All I knew was to do my best and be appreciative of the people you serve.” Sawyer took a kitchen job while in college. In 2010, Food & Wine magazine recognized his talents, naming him Best New Chef. Five years later, the James Beard Foundation added Sawyer to its pantheon. “I don’t take it for granted,” Sawyer says of the effort and the steps on the way to television, including a stint at Symon’s restaurant in Cleveland (“A love of cigarettes and wrestling is how Michael Symon and I bonded,” he says with a chuckle). “When a chef is acting on TV, you can tell. The people who are just themselves, it comes across as genuine.” Both chefs wrestled in high school. They disagree on who was more accomplished on the mat, but they are of a like mind when it comes to festivals. “I don’t do a ton of them,” Symon says. “Pebble Beach is a special one.” Symon and his wife plan to spend a few days enjoying the Peninsula. Sawyer is a big fan of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and John Steinbeck (“East of Eden is my favorite novel,” he says.) Scott’s wife insisted they make a return trip, although he really didn’t need much convincing. “The atmosphere, the old friends, the new friends,” he adds. “What better place to cook food?” FIRST COURSE New York City-based chef and TV personality Esther Choi preparing a plate during the 2025 Pebble Beach Food & Wine. The event regularly draws celebrity chefs. REMEMBER THE MAIN…Another beloved local establishment is closing its doors. Chef Nuccio Altomare and his wife Anna have made the difficult decision to close their downtown Salinas spot, Mangia - Eat On Main. The Italian restaurant opened in 2021. The couple is holding their last day of service on Friday, April 10. 328 S. Main St., Salinas. (831) 256-2170, instagram.com/mangiaeatonmain. CREMA CROP…Tamie Aceves is back, and that’s a very good thing. Crema opened in a new location last week with a limited menu and schedule. More to come once the liquor license arrives. 631 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove. cremapg.com. WHERE IT WENTE…Get a taste of Wente Vineyards at The Caledonian’s Wente Wine dinner on Friday, April 10 starting at 7pm. Guests will enjoy a multi‑course dinner with a wine paired with each course. Given that Wente Vineyards is the longest continuously operated, family-owned winery in the United States, and The Caledonian is spearheaded by Executive Chef Aaron Raynor, you can expect an exceptional experience. $180. 150 Fountain Ave., Pacific Grove. (831) 393-4210, miradorhotelpacificgrove.com. CRAFT AND BREW…Make your own spring-tacular succulent creation at Bees Knees Home & Garden’s driftwood succulent workshop at Hops and Fog Brewing Co. on Sunday, April 12 from 2-4pm. Participants will receive all the materials to make their own masterpiece, perfect for gifting or using as a springtime centerpiece. 511 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. (831) 215-1658, hopsandfog.beer, instagram.com/beesknees_homeandgarden. SHELL GAME…Estéban Restaurant is hosting West Coast shellfish boils every Monday from 4:30-8:30pm. Get your hands dirty and your fair share of seafood for $30 per pan. Pans include peel-and-eat prawns, clams, mussels, corn on the cob, Spanish chorizo sausage, fingerling potatoes and the chef’s secret Cajun spice. 700 Munras Ave., Monterey. (831) 375-0176, estebanrestaurant.com. CRAM-TASTIC…Finals are approaching, but Bayview Grill has students covered: Free soda with lunch and free wi-fi, so they can hang out and study with a view (which would seem to be a distraction). 1 McClure Way, Seaside. (831) 899-7271, bayviewgrille.com. By Jacqueline Weixel MORSELS eatanddrink@montereycountynow.com “For me it’s like a field trip.” EAT + DRINK DANIEL DREIFUSS Stars Bright For celebrity chefs, Pebble Beach Food & Wine is an opportunity to be themselves. By Dave Faries
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