April 12, 2019 – Gourmet heaven in Spring, as historic Korcula comes alive with the Korculanske Pjatance Spring Food and Wine Festival.
It was without doubt the nice thing we did as a family last year.
And if someone asked me to cherry pick a Croatian gourmet experience, I don’t think I could have done better than a 5-course special at arguably Croatia’s leading luxury boutique hotel, Lesic Dimitri, whose restaurant is in the Michelin Guide, with wines from Bire, who was coincidentally celebrating 20 years of his iconic Lumbarda winery, most famous for its Grk. A perfect introduction to a fabulous food and wine festival on Korcula, which this year returns from April 26-30. You can read about the opening night here.
Tara’s Lodge in early MayTara’s Lodge in early May with such glorious Korcula weather – it was impossible to get the kids to get in the car back to Varazdin. And the workshops! My kids adored the homemade pasta masterclass at Filippi, and foraging for herbs with pastry chef Petra Jelicic before learning how to use them to make some outstanding desserts in another Michelin-rated restaurant – Konoba Mate in Pupnat.
Could that outstanding programme be bettered? Impossible! Or so you would think. But this year’s programme looks tantilising indeed. Check out the press release and programme below.
And I know that we Brits are not famous for our food (at least in terms of high quality), but what a fantastic opening night combination to start the festival. British owner of Lesic Dimitri will be the host, and Londoner Jo Ahearne MW, the only Master of Wine in Croatia, will make the short journey from her adopted home on Hvar, to sort the wines.
This is a truly fabulous event – don’t miss it.
SPRING FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL KORČULANSKE PJATANCE
Dino Galvagno, Hrvoje Zirojević, Jo Ahearne, Marko Gajski, Biljana Milat, Lucija Tomašić, Damir Šarić and others famous names of the Croatian food and wine scene, will be our guests at the third edition of the Spring Food and Wine Festival Korčulanske Pjatance, which will be held from 26th to 30th April, organized by Korčula’s finest restaurants.
Korčulanske pjatance is already recognized by the profession and the media. Last year we offered creative plates defined within the framework of modern Croatian cuisine, with additional guest appearances from people like the famous chefs David Skoko and Steven Pieters, or pastry chef Petra Jelinić.
This year, masterclasses will be held by some of the most famous names of Croatian culinary art, chef Dino Galvagno who is in top 10 Croatian chefs, chef Hrvoje Zirojević, recently established as the chef of the year in the Gault&Millau, gourmet guide and successful young pastry chef Lucija Tomašić. The art of making homemade bread will be presented by Damir Šarić, and Jo Ahearne, a British Master of Wine who lives in Croatia will preside over our Wine Night with her personal selection of the best wines from Korčula.
All the Festival visitors will enjoy our Chef’s creativity, great seasonal produce and the finest local wines at special prices.
The Korčulanske Pjatance Association brings together the finest Korčula restaurant: Adio Mare, Aterina, Barić, Filippi, LD Restaurant, Marco’s, Nonno, Radiona, Konoba Maha, Konoba Mate as well as OPG Eko Škoj, a producer of organic local olive oils, jams and herbs. They all take their inspiration from locally grown, seasonal food and herbs.
This year’s Festival will see collaboration with the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula, which will host masterclasses in their well-equipped demonstration kitchen.
The value and importance of the Festival and Korčula’s gastronomic offer has once again been recognized by the most prestigious global gastronomic guide Michelin which for the second year in a row has assigned three recommendations, for LD Restaurant, Filippi Restaurant and Konoba Mate. Together with our visiting experts local chefs will be presented, primarily chef Marko Gajski, a participant in this year’s Chef’s Stage in Šibenik, Biljana Milana who recently won the prestigious Gault&Millau award for pastry chef of the year, and the Slow Food Pelješac Association, whose members will hold a workshop for children. Participants will also take part in a cocktail workshop in cooperation with Coca Cola and an education course on local olive oils.
FESTIVAL PROGRAM
Korčula and surrounding places
26 – 30 April 2019
26.04.2019.
11.00
Konoba Maha
Official opening of the festival with presentation of participants, business partners and other associates – for invitees of festival and public media
15.00
Cocktail Workshop – Powered by Coca Cola
19.00
LD Restaurant
Korčula in the Bottle – five-course dinner with wine choices by Jo Ahearne – Master of Wine
27.04.2019.
11.00
Bistro Radiona
The Art of Brunch – traditional brunch of Korčula
14.00
Demonstration Kitchen at the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula
Pastry shop Mala Truba – healthy desserts and bread made of homemade yeast and whole-wheat flour workshop
19.00
Konoba Maha
Guest chef Dino Galvagno – multi-course dinner with wine
28.04.2019.
9.00
Demonstration Kitchen at the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula
Masterclass: Wild Edibles & Entrails – chef Dino Galvagno
19.00
Korčulanske pjatance
Lagoon Regata – dinner for regatta participants
29.04.2019.
11.00
Demonstration Kitchen at the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula
Slow Food Peljesac Association – Lecture and workshop for children
15.00
Demonstration Kitchen at the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula
Masterclass: Sea on the Plate – chef Hrvoje Zirojević
19.00
Aterina Restaurant
City museum of Korčula – Culture of nutrition through history of Korčula, lecture powered by Aterina snacks
30.04.2019.
10.00
Demonstration Kitchen at the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula
Eko Škoj and Sensory analysts of Korčula island – presentation, tasting and education about olive oils of Korčula island
19.00
A joint dinner of all “Pjatance” participants for all gourmets
23.00
Festival After Party
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