Hello Fork & Cork, Goodbye Taste Addison

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Fork & Cork Addison Cooks Up a New Foodie Fest by Whitney Filloon When it comes to food-centric festivals, the city of Addison certainly has plenty to boast of: There’s Oktoberfest, WorldFest and the perennial favorite Taste Addison. Fans of the latter may be slightly disappointed to hear that the annual event won’t be returning in 2014, but Addison is cooking up something totally new that promises to be a big draw for the Metroplex’s serious foodies. Come May, Fork & Cork will replace Taste of Addison as the city’s largest annual food event. According to a press release, Fork & Cork will “spotlight the culinary diversity found among Addison’s chef-driven establishments,” which is exciting news for a city with no shortage of talented chefs, including Mediterranean master Chef Gorji of Canary by Gorji, as well as big flavor maestro Kenny Bowers of Kenny’s Wood-Fired Grill. Add to that the fantastic ethnic cuisines that are represented at Addison restaurants like Queen of Sheba, May Dragon, Ziziki’s and India West, and it’s clear that Fork & Cork is gearing up to be a well-rounded culinary event that celebrates world cuisines. This is in contrast to the Taste Addison, which has recently come under scrutiny for featuring some national chains in its lineup rather than sticking more closely to local restaurants. Taste Addison has also been widely known as a family-friendly festival, with plenty of activities for kids like carnival rides and crafts, but that’s all changing with the arrival of Fork & Cork: The new festival will be limited to a 21-and-up only crowd, with a major presence by local breweries, wineries and spirits makers. Fork & Cork is also throwing some celebrity guests into the mix, with star-studded New York chef and Food Network TV personality Marcus Samuelsson set to offer cooking demonstrations and beloved Texas musician Pat Green scheduled for a concert. Of course, much like its predecessor, the main attraction of Fork & Cork will likely be the plethora of restaurants serving up bite-sized samples in the tasting pavilion; this year, though, guests will be able to get more up close and personal with cooking classes and even craft beer and wine seminars. Fork & Cork will be held outdoors at Addison Circle Park on May 16 and 17; ticket prices range from $35 to $100 depending on the package selected (the upper tier includes perks like chef meet-and-greets and even valet parking). For more information, keep an eye on Addison’s official website. Related Content: Addison,TX Restaurant Reviews More 2014 Culinary Events You can click on each photo to enlarge.