02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Celebrity chefs, fans celebrate food and drink at Relish's debut in Newport Beach
The premier food, wine and spirits event known as Relish made its debut in Newport Beach over the weekend, bringing celebrity chefs and foodie fans to Orange County.
Co-created by chef and Newport Beach resident Jamie Gwen with Cobalt Events event planner, Nicole Hirsty, the three-day culinary experience was held at VEA Newport Beach from June 27 to 29.
'We're incredibly proud of Relish's success and deeply grateful for the enthusiastic response from our guests, partners, and community,' Gwen said in a statement. 'It was a vibrant gathering of creativity, connection and culinary excellence. '
The weekend kicked off with a cocktail reception on Friday evening with gourmet hors d'oeuvres, like sushi rolls from Sushi Roku, a fresh fruit and charcuterie spread from Melissa's Produce and craft cocktails and wine on the lawn at sunset. The cocktail reception was followed by a private, four-course Italian dinner with chef and 'Chopped' judge Scott Conant.
On Saturday, industry experts hosted a full day of master classes, giving attendees the opportunity to learn about craft spirits, wine, chocolate and cheese from sommeliers, mixologists, pastry chefs and more. Gwen tapped celebrity chef friends and colleagues to fill out a roster that included chef Gale Gand, mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim, winemakers Chris Kjanai and Bob Cabral and cheesemaster Afrim Pristine. The highlight of the evening was a four-course dinner from chef and Food Network show host, Tyler Florence.
The event closed on Sunday morning with a sushi and doughnuts brunch that was followed by wellness workshops on guided yoga and meditation to balance the weekend's indulgent spirit.
The ambitious event was partly created to bring culinary clout back to Newport Beach in absence of the Newport Beach Food & Wine festival, in which Gwen was heavily involved.
'I love living in Orange County and I believe that we do have a culinary scene and we do deserve an elevated, bespoke and extraordinary gastronomic event,' Gwen told TimesOC in April.
Relish partnered with the James Beard Foundation, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the foundation's Good Food for Good mission and also received support from Visit Newport Beach.
Encouraged by the success of the inaugural event, Gwen said the team is looking forward to the future of Relish.
'We're already dreaming up ways to elevate the experience even further in the years ahead,' she said.
