Million Air Summer 2020

Clockwise from left The Chef Fest Grand Tasting; dinner at sunset; Louis Roederer Cristal champagne; chefs at work; chef Claude Le Tohic at a demonstration

Chef Fest FOUR SEASONS RESORT HUALALAI, HAWAII, USA

It’s always a good time to visit Hawaii, but savvy travelers plan their trips around Chef Fest at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai each November. The relaxed and intimate event takes place in the beautiful resort and features a roster of interesting chefs, like James Beard Award winners Mashama Bailey, Claude Le Tohic and Charles Phan, alongside Hualalai’s executive chef Thomas Bellec. The weekend kicks off with bocce and bubbles with the chefs, offering guests an opportunity to ask questions and get to know them. The cooking classes are interactive, unlike many other festivals, so guests pair up to cook the dish at the same time as the chef rather than just watch the chef cook. Last year, chef Bailey of The Grey in Savannah taught guests how to humanely kill and cook lobsters to make her famed lobster and grits. There are various cultural activities, like lei making, and the schedule is quite relaxed, so there’s plenty of time to explore the Big Island and to relax at the resort’s beautiful beaches and pools. There is an important wine and spirits component as well: Top mixologists host daily beachside cocktail demos and small workshops. One of the most sought-after tickets of the weekend is the rare wine tasting, which has featured vertical tastings from some of the biggest names in Napa Valley, including Colgin Cellars and Harlan Estate. At night, there is a mix of casual evenings where chefs set up stations with signature dishes and more formal seated dinners. The festival concludes with a gala at ‘Ulu Ocean Grill, where guests sip fabulous champagne (last year they served Louis Roederer Cristal) and mingle with the chefs before a multi-course extravaganza under the stars. -KS fourseasons.com