Your Guide to Malibu Food & Wine: What to Eat, Drink & Experience
Malibu Food & Wine is back for three days of standout chefs and plenty to eat, drink and discover. Here’s what I’d have on your radar for each day…
- By: Ani Gutierrez | Photos: Courtesy of Malibu Food & Wine
Malibu already knows how to do a beautiful weekend. Add a lineup of some of the country’s most talked-about chefs, great wines, live music, and enough food to make a full day of it, and you have Malibu Food & Wine. Taking over Saddlerock Ranch Sept. 18–20, the three-day festival turns the ranch into a weekend-long playground for all the delicious discoveries to come.
Co-founded by chef Marcel Vigneron and Lauren Rae Levy, the festival benefits the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu and the Culinary Careers Program, while Friday night’s opening dinner supports the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project.
One of the most exciting things, though?: Each day has its own personality. Friday is the dressed-up dinner, Saturday is a full-blown Italian night, and Sunday is a family-style country cookout.
Here’s what I’d have on your radar for each day…
Friday: The Luxe Opening Night
Friday at Malibu Food & Wine is for the people who like their food festivals with a chic atmosphere and a dress code. Hosted by Academy Award winner Charlize Theron, the opening night brings chefs Andrew Zimmern, Bryan Voltaggio, Michael Voltaggio and festival co-founder Marcel Vigneron together for an intimate farm-to-table dinner.
The evening will start with a cocktail reception, so there’s plenty to do before the dinner even begins. The rest of the night will include tray-passed bites, live chef demonstrations, espresso from Bruce’s Beans, beer from Sandy Brew, and live music from the Minta Spencer Collective with sounds by Aviator Nation Dreamland.
Then comes the main event: a five-course dinner with wine pairings by Marine Layer Wines. The chefs will talk through the inspiration behind the courses alongside the winemakers, making this the most sit-down-and-pay-attention night of the weekend.
Don’t miss: The live chef presentations, the wine pairings, and the five-course dinner itself. Friday is the night to actually settle in and enjoy the meal rather than trying to see everything at once.
Good to know: Cocktail attire is requested. From 5:30-9:30 p.m., this is a 21+ event and tickets are $749 per person. All food and beverages are included.
The vibe: An intimate dinner party, but with a touch of Malibu glam.
Saturday: Italian Night
Saturday is Italian Night, but Malibu style. Hosted by Man v. Food‘s Adam Richman, Italian Night takes over Saddlerock Ranch with a chef lineup that feels like the kind of group chat you’d want to be added to: from Top Chef alums Mei Lin, Stephanie Izard and Spike Mendelsohn to Tobias Dorzon, Jonathon Sawyer, Chris Oh, Brian Redzikowski, Rose Previte and Karlo Evaristo.
There will be live chef demonstrations, unlimited food and drinks, endless wine pours, and the Main Stage with live DJs and enough entertainment to keep the energy high all night long.
What to Eat
Start with the live bluefin tuna carving, where chefs Brian Redzikowski and Nick DeVries of Kettner Exchange will break down a whole fish in front of guests. Then (naturally) make your way to the interactive cannoli bar, because a food festival in Malibu is probably not the time to pretend you’re above a freshly filled cannoli.
For an indulgent stop, head to Truffle Boys for truffle and caviar bites, then keep the night going with Cazcanes Tequila cocktails and Capri Gelato & Coffee’s espresso martinis, frozen palomas, affogatos and gelato topped with shaved truffles and caviar.
Where to Sip, Eat & Hang
The Just Ice Tea Lounge is the place to take a breather, with chef-curated pairings from Spike Mendelsohn, snacks from Stellar Snacks and an après-surf setup featuring art by Malibu artist Bobbi Bennett.
At the Snyder Diamond Lounge, you’ll find luxury kitchen appliances by Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau, wines from Dry Creek Valley wineries including Dutcher Crossing, Smith Story Wines and Fat Dragon, plus fresh oysters from Morro Bay Oyster Company.
If you’re taking the night off from alcohol, the Gaia Herbs Non-Alcoholic Mixology Experience will have botanical mocktails. The Sandy Brew Beer Garden will be getting a food pairing of its own with bites from Food Network wellness chef Nikki Martin.
Good to know: Malibu-chic attire is encouraged. Early admission begins at 5 p.m., while general admission is from 6-10 p.m. Tickets are $175 for general admission and $250 for early admission. Food and beverages are included.
The vibe: Italian dinner party meets a Malibu night out. Bring your appetite and don’t make too many plans for after.
Sunday: The Country Cookout
Sunday is a full-blown country cookout that will bring chefs Brian Malarkey, Carlos Anthony, Elizabeth Falkner, Lee Anne Wong, Matt Pittman, Rhoda Magbitang, Spike Mendelsohn, Viet Pham, Vinnie Cimino and Ace Adler to Saddlerock Ranch for an afternoon centered on fire-side barbecue and family-friendly activities.
Throughout the afternoon, chefs will demonstrate everything from low-and-slow barbecue, to live-fire cooking and elevated takes on a classic cookout. Wine pairings from Napa, Sonoma, Healdsburg, Santa Ynez and Malibu will be flowing alongside the food.
Where to Sip, Eat & Hang
The Just Ice Tea Lounge and Snyder Diamond Lounge will return with all the fixings from rich wines and fresh oysters, to botanical mocktails and truffle-and-caviar situations.
If you missed Nikki Martin on Saturday, she’ll be back on Sunday at the Sandy Brew Beer Garden, cooking garden chicken sausage to pair with the plant-based beers.
Don’t worry, the Main Stage will still be bumping with live DJ performances and entertainment throughout the afternoon.
Good to know: Western-chic attire is encouraged. Early admission starts at noon, while general admission is 1-5 p.m. This is a 21+ event and general admission tickets are $175, while early admission is $250. All ages are welcome.
The vibe: Your excuse to finally wear those cowboy boots and eat a questionable amount of barbecue.
So, Which Day Is for You?
For wine lovers: All three nights
For celebrity chef sightings: All three nights
For the serious foodie: Friday’s five-course dinner
For the big night out: Saturday’s Italian Night
For a laid-back afternoon: Sunday’s Country Cookout
For families: Sunday
For an elevated date night: Friday or Saturday
For the most relaxed Malibu energy: Sunday
…
No matter which day you choose, you’re guaranteed great food, an array of wine pairings, live entertainment, and an experience that makes the drive to Malibu feel very much worthwhile.
So whether you’re there for the chefs, the wine, the truffle-and-caviar situation, or simply just an excuse to spend the day at Saddlerock Ranch, Malibu Food & Wine is exactly where anyone craving a good meal, a great bottle, and even better company should be.
