We just secured famous chocolatier, Jacques Torres as a celebrity judge for the Inaugural Big Island Chocolate Festival on June 8, which I am busily promoting throughout the island.  Jacques’s participation will encourage the 20 chefs creating sweet and savory treats for the guests to really step up their game. He will be greeting guests after judging all the entries, so if you are a foodie..get your tickets and come have your picture taken with a Food Network star!

Part of this “Chocolate Week” that we are working on is an intimate wine and chocolate pairing at Hale Ku Mana, a multimillion dollar estate in Hualalai, with the Fairmont Orchid catering the dinner being held on June 7.  Jacques is bringing his own chocolates to sample and Farsheed Bonakdar, owner of the Cocao Outlet, here in Kona, is also bringing gourmet chocolate to taste. Tickets are $100 and only 40 are being sold. SWANKY and TASTY. Chocolate and wine tasting in paradise..get your tickets! 

Below is more info about the event and of course, you can learn more about all the wonderful “Foodie Fiesta” events we have planned at the Chocolate Festival website. To add to the community value of the Festival, proceeds from the silent and live auctions are benefitting two charities, including the Kona Pacific Public Charter School.  (How cool to get a famous chef from New York to come add some star power to help us raise money for my kid’s school, right? )

Please help me spread the word about this awesome, tasty, fun and foodie event!

 

Meet Food Network star Jacques “Mr.Chocolate” Torres at the Inaugural Big Island Chocolate Festival at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on Friday, June 8, 2012  6 pm-10 pm. 

Over 20 top chefs, chocolatiers and candy makers from around the islands are competing to win the “Best Savory” or “Best Sweet” awards as judged by Jacques Torres. Come enjoy these treats and cast your own vote for the “People’s Choice Award”.

Enjoy live entertainment by Grammy award winning slack key guitarist Cyril Pahinui and dancing to Salsa Latinos. The live and silent auctions are hosted by the “Equip the Kitchens Campaign” for the new Palamanui College and Kona Pacific Public Charter School’s capital campaign to build a new community amphitheater.

Tickets are $75 in advance and $85 at the door. Limited tickets available. There are three educational sessions about growing cacao, and processing chocolate from bean to bar, creating and tasting authentic Aztec chocolate drinks and more.

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai has prepared a special prix fixe dinner for only $49 from 4-9 pm at the beachfront Pahau’i restaurant.  To purchase tickets for the symposium and Gala and for more information about the chocolate and wine tasting with Jacques Torres, educational symposium, cacao tours, prix fixe chocolate dinner, and gala event, go to BigIslandChocolateFestival.com