Big chefs set to perform at BottleRock
Some of the biggest names in the food world are headlining the Culinary Stage at BottleRock Napa Valley, the sold-out music festival returning after a yearlong absence this Labor Day weekend.
Main attractions include José Andrés, the James Beard Award-winning chef known for feeding wildfire victims through his nonprofit, World Central Kitchen; Guy Fieri, the Santa Rosa celebrity chef behind Food Network shows like “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”; and Ayesha Curry, the famed cookbook author and co-owner of San Francisco’s International Smoke.
And the Bay Area representation doesn’t end with Fieri and Curry. This year, with chefs Michael Mina, the restaurateur behind several upscale San Francisco spots such as Pabu Izakaya; Tyler Florence, Food Network personality and owner of San Francisco’s Wayfare Tavern; and Matt Horn, the rising star pitmaster who draws long lines to Oakland’s Horn Barbecue, the Bay Area presence is strong.
There are also multiple stars from
Bravo’s awardwinning reality competition show “Top Chef,” including judge Gail Simmons, brothers Michael and Bryan Voltaggio, and past winner Brooke Williamson. Plus, celebrity chefs Aarón Sánchez, a judge on “MasterChef,” and Roy Choi of Kogi BBQ food truck fame.
The Culinary Stage has become a consistently lively — if sometimes chaotic — attraction at BottleRock, pairing chefs with musicians for mash-up cooking demonstrations. (Think Martha Stewart and Macklemore making chicken or Masaharu Morimoto teaching Snoop Dogg to roll sushi.) While the festival hasn’t announced the exact pairings just yet, we do know some of the musical performers slated for the Culinary Stage: East Bay-bred rapper G-Eazy, country singer Maren Morris, Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Portugal. The Man.
The luxury outdoor festival, which normally draws 120,000 people every Memorial Day weekend, was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 outbreak. As the pandemic continues, the 2021 festival is requiring attendees to show proof of vaccination or proof of a negative coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of each day of attendance. Threeday ticket holders may be tested Thursday, Sept. 2, or Friday, Sept. 3, for their negative result to be honored on all three festival days.