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The 2019 Crave Food and Drink Celebration’s Grand Tasting and Foods From Around the World at CenterPlace Regional Event Center on Saturday, July 13, 2019, in Spokane Valley. CLICK HERE to view the gallery by Don Chareunsy of The Spokesman-Review

A three day event celebrating the Inland Northwest Culinary Scene?! That’s my love language. It all starts on Thursday, July 11th at Center Place Event Center with the SEAFOOD BASH. A luxurious celebration of fresh fish, shellfish and all things seafood! Last year the seafood boil with crab, corn, potatoes, and sausage stole the show along with the ahi stack from Anthony’s. We can’t wait to see what these talented, innovative chefs come up with this year. Friday, July 12 from 6-9 pm, enjoy a special ‘Fire & Smoke’ themed evening featuring a BBQ extravaganza, with live cultural entertainment by The Coeur d’Alene Tribe, sponsored by Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort. Try the various food pairings with craft beers along with wine and cocktail pairings. Saturday is an all day affair beginning with the Grand Tasting and Stage Demos from 1-4pm, where attendees can sample from food purveyors, wineries, breweries, distilleries. New this year… Spokesman-Review Northwest Passages Main Stage: Programming is focused on women in the culinary industry. Anito Lo, a second-generation Malaysian American chef who defeated Mario Batali on Season 1 of “Iron Chef America” and a filmmaker, Joanna James, who has created a documentary about the struggles that female chefs have faced in the culinary industry are two of the headliners on the Main Stage. The lineup also includes Mareya Ibrahim, “The Fit Foodie Chef”. From 6-9pm on Saturday night, enjoy ‘Foods from Around the World’. Global flavors with a vibrant theme paired with wines, beers and cocktails. Join us for the afterparty by the falls with a no-host bar, desserts and live music under the stars! All events are 21+ and events are outside, rain or shine. CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY AND PHOTOS

The Crave Food and Drink Celebration runs Thursday through Sunday in Spokane Valley, and this year it’s even bigger than last year. A celebration of the Inland Empire’s chefs and tastemakers, Crave! is a three-day culinary event located at the Spokane Valley CenterPlace Regional Event Center, showcasing the creative talents of Northwest chefs utilizing fresh seafood, ranch-raised meats, and farm-to-table produce. Liquid refreshments and innovative social experiences round out the culinary festival, featuring a Grand Tasting, Seafood Bash, Fire and Smoke, and Foods from Around the World. Crave! is partnering with 2nd Harvest Foods and Wishing Star as beneficiaries of the event. For tickets and information, visit cravenw.com. By Julie Arnan | May 6, 2019425 Magazine A celebration of the Inland Empire’s chefs and tastemakers, Crave! is a three-day culinary event located at the Spokane Valley CenterPlace Regional Event Center A celebration of the Inland Empire’s chefs and tastemakers, Crave! is a three-day culinary event located at the Spokane Valley CenterPlace Regional Event Center, showcasing the creative talents of Northwest chefs utilizing fresh seafood, ranch-raised meats, and farm-to-table produce. Liquid refreshments and innovative social experiences round out the culinary festival, featuring a Grand Tasting, Seafood Bash, Fire and Smoke, and Foods from Around the World. Crave! is partnering with 2nd Harvest Foods and Wishing Star as beneficiaries of the event. For tickets and information, visit cravenw.com.

Let’s begin with the lay of the land. Spokane is a border town, only a short drive to the Idaho border. It’s a city sliced in half by a river known for its dramatic waterfalls right downtown. It has four distinct seasons, plenty of outdoor public spaces, and is populated with folks who have to drive five hours to get to Seattle. That last point drives Spokane’s fierce sense of independence. It lives in no other city’s shadow. It does things its own way and is better for it.  When it comes to food, fierce independence and creativity have transformed Spokane from a city of diners and steak houses into one of modem cuisine and gastropubs. It’s flashy at times and dive-y at times-with a no-nonsense approach that sheds all pretense. In Spokane, it’s all about the food. A delicious way to gain an introduction to Spokane’s food and beverage scene is by attending CRAVE! (cravenw.com), an annual summertime food and beverage celebration that takes place in Spokane Valley (in 2019, it will run July 11-14). CRAVE!’s Culinary Director is Chef Adam Hegsted, a regional semi-finalist for the James Beard Award and owner of Eat Good Group with several restaurants in the Spokane area and the Idaho Panhandle. CRAVE! gathers creative personalities from the Spokane food and beverage community into one place, and festivalgoers get to sample dishes from local and visiting chefs and sip a variety of beers, wines and spirits. Guests leave with a solid sense of what the Spokane food scene is all about. With appetites whetted, it’s time to sally forth.  Start simple with the basics at downtown Spokane’s Incrediburger & Eggs (incrediburgerandeggs. com), one ofHegsted’s eateries, serving comfort food for breakfast, lunch, dinner and any time in between. Can you get a sense of the menu offerings from the restaurant’s name? What makes Hegsted’s workaday American fare so special is the care he takes to source local ingredients and the special touches he uses in preparation (beef fat French fries, anyone?). Hegsted’s inspiration for the food at Incrediburger & Eggs comes, in part, from the nostalgic foods of his past. Across the river and up the food chain of restaurants is Wandering Table (thewanderingtable. com), situated in the new Kendall Yards district. Here, Hegsted’s crew plays with foods that appeal to contemporary palates that can appreciate a culinary mashup. Ingredients travel across boundaries of international cuisines, like fried com cobs with lime, cotija cheese, kewpie mayo, togarashi and bonito flakes (Mexico meets Japan) and duck carnitas with tortillas, watermelon kimchi, gochujang, cilantro and pickled onion (Mexico meets Korea).  For more familiar fare, head downtown to the casual yet stylish Table 13 in the Davenport Grand Hotel (davenporthotelcollection.com). Chef Evan Tewel takes a shared-plates approach (so it’s permissible to snatch a bite of your companion’s plate without asking), using locally sourced ingredients. Detect a theme? Fortunate for Spokane’s chefs, the city happens to be surrounded by independent farms that supply local kitchens. Many of Tewel’s dishes appeal to a broader audience than more cutting­ edge fare would, but a grilled prime filet mignon, especially adorned with foie gras and a red wine veal reduction, is nothing to scoff at. The portions are more than ample, and the preparations and presentations flawless.  Three restaurateurs with broad national experience came together more than a decade ago to open Wild Sage Bistro ( wildsagebistro.com), and the restaurant has been a fine-dining mainstay that has remained at the top of critics’ lists ever since. What’s the secret? Contemporary, casually elegant surroundings and food that showcases the best locally sourced ingredients. The menu is a crowd pleaser­meat-and-potatoes guests will be happy, as will the more adventuresome diner.  Sometimes you just want a great pizza and a craft beer, right? The Flying Goat (theflyinggoat.com) is your answer, and with a name like that you have to check it out. Choosing from their out-of-the-box menu might be the toughest decision of the day. (I like the Fairview, topped with heavy cream, their house cheese blend, in-house back bacon, pears, gorgonzola cheese crumbles and white balsamic reduction.)  The people of Spokane know never to start a day without breakfast. Join them at Bruncheonette ( coupleofcheft.com) for well-imagined and-executed comfort food that pops with flavor and plated up in stick-to-your-ribs portions. The chicken and waffles, the bacon sticky-bun and the chilaquiles are all winners. And vegans need not despair-to borrow a cliche, there’s something for everyone.  This just scratches the surface. Over the last decade Sante, Mizuna, Clover and so many other restaurants and their visionary chefs have elevated the Spokane culinary scene and made it worthy of national attention.  To select a hotel and plan your Spokane foodie getaway, go to visitspokane.com.  By Allen Cox, Northwest Travel Magazine 

The Crave Food and Drink Celebration runs Thursday through Sunday in Spokane Valley, and this year it’s even bigger than last year. The Crave Food and Drink Celebration runs Thursday through Sunday in Spokane Valley, and this year it’s even bigger than last year. More than 50 chefs from around the region – and country – are coming to the sophomore Crave fest, created by local restaurateur and chef Adam Hegsted. He’s working in partnership with Newman Lake-based Vision Marketing to organize the event, which is expected to draw more than 2,000 people to the CenterPlace Regional Event Center. By Adriana Janovich adrianaj@spokesman.com(509) 459-5446 The Crave Food and Drink Celebration runs Thursday through Sunday in Spokane Valley, and this year it’s even bigger than last year. More than 50 chefs from around the region – and country – are coming to the sophomore Crave fest, created by local restaurateur and chef Adam Hegsted. He’s working in partnership with Newman Lake-based Vision Marketing to organize the event, which is expected to draw more than 2,000 people to the CenterPlace Regional Event Center. “It isn’t just for foodies,” said Karen Stebbins, who co-owns Vision Marketing with her husband, Tom. “You don’t have to know chefs’ names. You don’t have to watch the food channel. You’ll still have fun. There’s something for everyone.” Tickets are available online or at the door. They run $40 to $311, depending on the single event or package. The “best bargain,” Karen Stebbins said, is the Grand Tasting, which costs $40 and runs for three hours on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. It features cooking demonstrations by top nationally known chefs as well as the chance to sample products from about 80 different regional food and beverage vendors. There are, Hegsted said, “way more vendors” than last year. In fact, “there’s probably three times as many. There’s lots.” That was intentional. “We wanted to reach a wider demographic,” Hegsted said. “This is for everybody. You get to sample a bunch of stuff from the area. You get to celebrate the Northwest and what it has to offer. And it’s really fun.” Also intentional, Hegsted said, is including more chefs from throughout the region. Most are coming from around the Pacific Northwest, including Spokane, Seattle, Walla Walla, Moses Lake, Coeur d’Alene, Ponderay, Pullman, Montana and the Yakima Valley town of Union Gap. Food editor’s picks for CraveEach of the four main tasting events at this weekend’s Crave Food and Drink Celebration features 12 to 15 chefs. Here are the samples food Adriana Janovich is most looking forward to sampling. | Read more »That’s where Felipe and June Hernandez have owned and operated Los Hernandez Tamales since 1990. This year, they won a prestigious James Beard Foundation America’s Classics Award for their handmade chicken, pork and asparagus-and-cheese tamales. They’ll be bringing about 40 dozen of them – along with their red and green salsas – to Friday night’s Food from Around the World event. Felipe Hernandez admits that’s “probably not enough.” Ever since winning the prestigious national award, demand for their tamales has doubled. “We’ve already done last year’s sales. We’re running out of product,” said Felipe Hernandez, 70, who came to the U.S. from Mexico in the 1950s for agricultural work. The secret to making tamales, said June Hernandez, 65, is simply “hard work.” It could also be the corn meal, Felipe Hernandez said. “The corn meal we make ourselves. We grind our own corn,” he said. They’re looking forward to Crave, Felipe Hernandez added, “to share the tamales that we make and showcase our product.” There’s lots to sample. The four-day festival features six main walk-around tasting events with more than 50 chefs in all. Each of the four themed tastings – Thursday’s Seafood Bash, Friday’s Foods from Around the World, Saturday’s Fire and Smoke, and Sunday’s brunch – will spotlight 12 to 15 chefs and wineries. Chefs are coming from as far away as Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area, Georgia and Vancouver, B.C., to participate. One of the most recognizable is Hugh Acheson, a judge on “Top Chef,” who owns a handful of restaurants in Atlanta and has won James Beard Foundation Awards for his 2011 cookbook “A New Turn in the South” as well as for best chef in the American southeast in 2012. Look, also, for Tu David Phu, named by the San Francisco Chronicle as a Rising Star Chef in 2017 and a recent contestant on “Top Chef,” as well as Mark Singson, the runner-up on the latest season of “Top Chef Canada.” Phu will be preparing sweet potato tartare during Friday’s Foods from Around the World tasting. Singson will be making beef tartare at the same event. Brian Duffy, who owns Flying Fish Crafthouse in Philadelphia, doesn’t plan on cooking at the event. He had such a good time at least year’s Crave that he’s coming back this year “just to have fun and hang out,” Karen Stebbins said. Aarthi Sampath, who won “Chopped” in 2016 and recently bested Bobby Flay on his own show, “Beat Bobby Flay,” will also be cooking at Crave. So will Matthias Merges, who owns and operates Folkart Restaurant Management in the Windy City. Sampath plans to prepare summer chicken with lemon harissa, lentil pilaf and a cucumber-fennel salad. Merges is making Northwest steelhead poke with Thai curry, kimchee and nori. Of course, that’s not all. Vendors will also be sampling their fare. Look for a variety of wines and food samples from the Visit Walla Walla organization, including olive, vinegar and cheese. Yoke’s Fresh Markets also has a tent with an assortment of cheese, bread and other samples. Booey’s Gourmet will be sampling its sauces. Roast House and Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters will be sampling their coffee. Look, also, for samples from Fannie’s Ice Pops, Sweet Annie’s Artisan Creamery, Caramel Kitchen, Henderson Dip, Vandal Hot Sauce and more. Tickets are all-inclusive for all events, except for Saturday’s after-party that has a no-host bar. Look for offerings from One

Meet Celebrity Chef & California Cuisine Icon Jeremiah Tower at Crave NW Inaugural Spokane Valley culinary festival to feature screening of Anthony Bourdain’s recent documentary film Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent. Internationally renowned chef Jeremiah Tower will be one of the special guest chefs at the inaugural CRAVE NW culinary festival which will take place June 15-18 at CenterPlace Regional Event Center in Spokane Valley, Washington. On Saturday, June 17 at 12:00 pm a special screening of The Last Magnificent will be held with Tower in attendance in the CenterPlace auditorium. Produced by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and featuring cameos by Mario Batali, Martha Stewart and Wolfgang Puck, the documentary film explores the illustrious, mysterious and often controversial career of the outspoken chef Tower – an icon of ‘California Cuisine’ and a ‘farm-to-table’ dining pioneer. Immediately following the screening, guests will have a chance to meet Chef Tower and receive a signed copy of his book Start the Fire: How I Began a Food Revolution in America. Tickets for the film screening are $50 and include a signed copy of Tower’s book, as well as entrance to the CRAVE Grand Tasting event from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. CRAVE NW will feature 10+ tasting and workshop events highlighting local, regional and internationally recognized chefs, artisan food purveyors, wineries, breweries, distilleries and other craft-drink providers. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.