The 2025 Food & Wine Classic

This fall, from November 14-16, the second annual Food & Wine Classic descends on the Charleston scene. The event boasts more than 50 cooking demonstrations and beverage seminars presented at various venues around town. Four “Grand Tastings” held beneath big tents at the Bus Shed invite guests to sample premier wines, handcrafted cocktails and bites, curated by over 100 brands and restaurants. Field trips include a tailgating party at the Dunlin Hotel in Kiawah River, an oyster roast and a crabbing excursion. These events, hosted by Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure and Southern Living magazines, will be led by an impressive lineup of global and local talent.

One such homegrown hero is Femi Oyediran, sommelier and co-owner of Graft Wine Shop in Charleston, South Carolina, who discovered his passion for wine while working at The Charleston Grill. During his time there, he achieved the rare feat of passing the first three levels of the Court of Master Sommeliers within two years. He is also a two-time national finalist for the Chaîne des Rotisseurs Best Young Sommelier in America competition. In 2018, he was awarded Wine Enthusiast magazine’s “40 Under 40 ”, and in 2019 was named Sommelier of the Year by Food & Wine magazine.

Another local celebrity participating in this year’s Classic is Charleston-native James London. After graduating from the French Culinary Institute in New York and honing his skills in top restaurants from coast to coast, London returned to the Lowcountry. Since then, he has opened Chubby Fish, a dock-to-table seafood concept that has garnered a Best New Restaurant nod from Bon Appétit and ranked #7 on Food & Wine’s list of Best Restaurants in the U.S. In 2024, London was also recognized as a finalist for Best Chef: Southeast by the James Beard Foundation.

As a pitmaster on the craft-barbecue scene, Hector Garate is bringing old-school woodfire techniques he learned during his childhood in Puerto Rico. In his quest to produce the finest barbecue for his award-winning brand, Palmira Barbecue, Garate sources sustainable farm-to-table smoked meats by partnering with Peculiar Pig and Creekstone Farms. 

Also on the roster is Rodney Scott, who has been cooking whole-hog barbecue over wood coals since he was 11 years old. In 2017, he opened Rodney Scott’s BBQ, which Bon Appétit named one of the 50 Best New Restaurants that same year. Awarded the Outstanding Chef: Southeast by the James Beard Foundation in 2018, Scott has since opened three locations across the South. His cookbook, “Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ,” was released in 2021. 

Chef and co-owner of FIG and The Ordinary, Mike Lata, is also part of this year’s lineup. Having earned the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast in 2009, Lata was a semifinalist for Outstanding Chef in 2017 and 2018. His establishments have also received their own accolades. In 2018, FIG won James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Program, and in 2019 and 2020 it was nominated for the Outstanding Restaurant Award. In 2013, The Ordinary was a James Beard finalist for Best New Restaurant. 

Sean Brock is adding his touch on this year’s Classic, too. In 2010, Brock won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast and has been a four-time finalist for Outstanding Chef, as well as a three-time finalist for Rising Star Chef. His first cookbook, “Heritage,” is a New York Times bestseller and winner of the 2015 James Beard Award for American Cooking. Brock hosted season two of the Emmy Award-winning television show “Mind of a Chef,” produced by Anthony Bourdain. In 2019 he released “SOUTH,” which was nominated for a James Beard Award and became a New York Times bestseller. Brock’s “ode to fast food” restaurant, Joyland, is a playful, nostalgic take on the chef’s love for burgers, fries, fried chicken, breakfast biscuits and shakes.

Executive Chef Vinson Petrillo will also be sharing festive dining experiences inspired by his Italian heritage. Since The Restaurant at Zero George opened in 2012, Petrillo has shaped the establishment’s exceptional culinary identity by championing the use of local and seasonal ingredients. In November 2023, Petrillo expanded his culinary repertoire with the opening of Costa, a coastal Italian restaurant where he also serves as executive chef.

Additionally, Carrie Morey, founder of the iconic Southern brand Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, will be dishing on her traditional recipes. As author of two cookbooks: “Callie’s Biscuits and Southern Traditions” and “Hot Little Suppers,” Morey also stars in “How She Rolls,” a culinary docu-series about biscuits, business and balance. 

After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Marcus Shell spent years cooking in celebrated Boston restaurants. In October 2020, Shell moved to Charleston, where he worked at several restaurants, including Bistro 221, 82 Queen and 39 Rue de Jean. Now, as director of culinary operations for Uptown Hospitality Group and executive chef at Bodega, Shell will be serving up his secret sauce during the Classic.

Known as “The Casual Crabber,” Tia Clark is excited to lead groups of 12-15 on off-campus crabbing experiences. During the excursions, Clark walks her guests through traditional techniques for crabbing. At the end of the trip, Clark teaches how to clean and bag the crabs they’ve caught so they can take them straight home or to a restaurant. For a fully immersive experience, Clark insists on her no cell phone policy. “That way folks can enjoy nature without distractions. My team and I will take the photos and videos.” 

While it’s no secret that Charleston is the culinary epicenter of the South, there’s a certain je ne sais quoi that happens when top chefs and mixologists from near and far collaborate in the spirit of gastronomy at the FOOD & WINE Classic. To learn more, visit foodandwineclassicincharleston.com.