The Grand Strand Chef's Table is booked for a second year on Friday, Oct. 16, on the grounds of the International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach at Horry-Georgetown Technical College.
The night is produced with Visit Myrtle Beach and the James Beard Foundation. Students from the institute work the stations. A share of the proceeds is directed to the foundation's Good Food for Good work, and the advance report on the tasting says another share goes to the students' study-abroad program.
Doors for the higher-priced ticket open at 5:30 p.m. Everyone else comes in at 6. The event is rain or shine, the dress note is coastal casual, and it is limited to guests 21 and older, with identification checked at the door. Organizers suggest a rideshare. General admission is $130 and covers tastings, pours, and the activations. The $185 early-entry ticket, which adds a lounge bar, a live-fire station, and a gift bag, is listed as sold out.
The published lineup mixes institute cooks with restaurants from the Strand and guests from farther off. Names on the roster include BJ Dennis of Okatie, Joseph Bonaparte of the institute, Elliott Moss of Florence, Megan Fenwick of Croissants Bistro and Bakery, Kamal Fraser, Lisa Lee and Steve-O of Tasting Room on 9th, Keith Hardee of Boardwalk Billy's in North Myrtle Beach, and Michael DeCicco, who cooks at Kiawah River. Institute instructors Wilson Lui, Catherine Medrano, and Cody Middleton are listed too, along with stations for Winna's Kitchen and O.A.K. Prime Kitchen and Bar. Pours are planned from breweries, wineries, and distillers. Private comments from cooks were left out of this account.