Vanilla Festival

Join Chef David Jackman and Patricia Rain, Vanilla Queen, for a magical evening Thursday, December 1st, celebrating vanilla and chocolate, a sublime duo, well worth their weight in gold.

We begin the evening at 6:00 pm at the Museum of Art and History in downtown Santa Cruz (Front and Cooper Streets). The Queen will take you on a visual journey tracing vanilla’s origins from the Mesoamerican rain forests to its presence worldwide as everyone’s favorite flavor and fragrance.

At 7:15 pm we gather at Chocolate Restaurant to luxuriate in a three course meal, crafted to highlight the exceptional and versatile flavors of vanilla and chocolate. Chef David will talk about why vanilla should have a greater presence in savory foods and how vanilla brings out the best in chocolate.

You will leave the evening, well-sated, inspired and with a new appreciation for the value of these extraordinary foods of the Americas!