The Valley, Anguilla, April 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- [ANGUILLA] – Chef-owner Noah Sandoval of Chicago’s 2 Michelin-starred Oriole will be a featured guest chef at the Anguilla Culinary Experience (ACE), a new epicurean festival taking place in Anguilla from May 11 to 15 to benefit culinary education and showcase why the island is known as the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean. Sandoval joins New York’s Chef Jonathan Waxman on the growing roster of international and local chefs who will blend their creativity with Anguilla’s fresh ingredients during five days of parties, dinners, classes, tastings and tours at Anguilla’s five-star resorts, luxury villas and award-winning restaurants. Tickets can be purchased online at www.AnguillaCulinaryExperience.com with a portion of proceeds to fund life-changing programming for Anguilla’s next generation of chefs.
On Thursday, May 12, Sandoval will partner with Carrie Bogar, the chef and owner of Anguilla’s Veya Restaurant, to present a VIP-ticket only dinner at oceanfront Villa Alegria on Cul de Sac near Blowing Point. The evening at Alegria is one of several simultaneous VIP dinners being hosted at select luxury villas and resorts. Each dinner – complete with unforgettable food, wine, live music – will feature an intimate interaction with different chefs and be kept to just 20 guests.
"I am so excited to be a part of this experience and for the opportunity to work with Anguilla’s one-of-a-kind ingredients and of course the talented Carrie Bogar," said Sandoval.
The following evening, Sandoval and Bogar will combine their talents again, this time in the kitchen at Veya where Bogar offers “cuisine of the sun,” a fusion of exotic flavors from hot spots around the globe. The duo will draw on their individual styles to create a collaborative prix fixe dinner as part of Restaurant Night.
Advance tickets are required, and guests should reserve early, as seats at each participating villa and restaurant are limited. Sandoval will also lend his expert palate as a celebrity judge for a mystery basket cooking competition on Saturday, May 14, during the festival’s final beach barbeque at the Anguilla Great House Beach Resort on Rendezvous Bay.
“I am really looking forward to collaborating with Chef Sandoval,” said Bogar. “What a fantastic opportunity to be able to work with a Michelin-starred restaurant’s chef, not only for myself, but for my entire team. I believe Noah will also enjoy working with our local seafood, especially our lobster-sized crayfish which is only available in Anguilla.”
Sandoval’s passion for cooking began as a teenager while dishwashing at Helen’s in his native Richmond. The chef asked him to taste the food and since that moment, cooking and hospitality have been Sandoval’s north stars. After training under chefs Shawn McClain, David Shannon and Michael Carlson, he became the founding chef at Chicago’s Senza, the first gluten-free restaurant to receive a Michelin star. Sandoval was named a Food & Wine’s “Best New Chef” in 2017, the same year Oriole began receiving and maintaining its 2 Michelin-star rating. In his spare time, Sandoval is the guitarist for the post-rock band Porcini.
“As Chicago residents, my husband Neil and I are honored to introduce Chef Sandoval to Anguilla’s welcoming hospitality and amazing ingredients,” said Wendy Freeman, ACE co-chair and owner of Villa Alegria in Anguilla. “We have had the privilege of dining at his 2 Michelin-starred Oriole in Chicago, and Chef Bogar and Veya are long-time favorites of ours. It will be exciting to watch these two talented chefs share their skills and vision and create something fresh and never-before-experienced for Anguilla Culinary Experience guests.”
ACE will center around three signature events, including an opening night Ultimate Barefoot Luxury Party sponsored by Tradewind Aviation at Cap Juluca, a Belmond Hotel; a Rosé Soirée party at Malliouhana, an Auberge Resort; and a Caribbean Beach Barbeque at the Anguilla Great House Beach Resort on Rendezvous Bay. Ticket packages include entrance to all three signature events, as well as a full or partial credit towards the Restaurant Night prix fixe meal at select restaurants. VIP ticketholders enjoy extra perks such as an intimate VIP dinner at one of the island’s resorts or villas and rum tasting at Zemi Beach’s famous Rhum Room. Packages are available for online purchase at www.anguillaculinaryexperience.com, along with individual event and child tickets. A portion of ACE proceeds will go to support the Anguilla National Culinary Team and the island’s hospitality training programs. In between the main events, festival guests can explore Anguilla’s 33 beautiful beaches and enjoy small group activities where they can learn how to make traditional Caribbean Johnny cakes or search for the best rum punch as they tour beachside bars by chauffeured open-air Moke.
The Anguilla Culinary Experience is hosted by the following resorts, villas, companies and restaurants: Anguilla Great House Beach Resorts www.anguillagreathouse.com, ÀNI Anguilla www.aniprivateresorts.com, Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club www.auroraanguilla.com, Cap Juluca, a Belmond Hotel www.belmondcapjuluca.com, Ember Restaurant www.emberanguilla.com, Four Seasons Anguilla Resorts & Residences www.fourseasons.com/anguilla, Malliouhana, an Auberge Resort www.aubergeresorts.com/malliouhana, Tranquility Beach Anguilla www.tranquilitybeachanguilla.com, Villa Alegria www.alegriaanguilla.com, Veya Restaurant www.veyarestaurant.com, Zemi Beach House, LXR Hotels & Resorts: www.zemibeach.com, Tasty’s Restaurant www.facebook.com/TastysRestaurantAnguilla Michael Green Food & Wine Entertainment www.michaelgreen.com and the Anguilla Tourist Board www.ivisitanguilla.com. ACE sponsors and partners include: Tradewind Aviation www.flytradewind.com, Les Grand Vins de France Anguilla www.facebook.com/grandsvinsdefranceanguilla, True Anguilla www.trueanguilla.com, Anguilla-Beaches.com www.anguilla-beaches.com and Trophy Properties Anguilla Ltd. www.trophyproperties.net.To explore sponsorship opportunities please contact anguillaculinaryexperience@gmail.com.
###
About Anguilla: Tucked away in the northern Caribbean, Anguilla is a shy beauty with a warm smile. A slender length of coral and limestone fringed with green, the island is ringed with 33 beaches, considered by savvy travelers and top travel magazines, to be the most beautiful in the world. A fantastic culinary scene, a wide variety of quality accommodations at varying price points, a host of attractions and exciting calendar of festivals make Anguilla an alluring and entrancing destination. Anguilla lies just off the beaten path, so it has retained a charming character and appeal. Yet because it can be conveniently reached from three major gateways – Miami (MIA), Puerto Rico (SJU) and St. Maarten (SXM), and by private air, it’s a hop and a skip away. Romance? Barefoot elegance? Unfussy chic? And untrammeled bliss? Anguilla is Beyond Extraordinary.
