When you think of great culinary capitals of the world, you might think Paris, Tuscany, Tokyo…and, now, Sacramento, California. While not traditionally identified as a culinary hotspot, modern cuisine’s embrace of the farm-to-fork approach has thrust Sacramento into the culinary limelight. To celebrate, Sacramento hosts the Farm-to-Fork Festival, an annual weeks-long festival highlighting the agricultural bounty native to the Sacramento River Delta, with a culminating weekend bash, this year on September 22 and 23. The Farm-to-Fork Festival is beloved by locals for its pairing of local organic fare with top-notch musical acts and featured events, like the family-friendly Street Festival at the Capitol Mall, the unforgettable Tower Bridge Dinner, and the Legends of Wine tasting event featuring locally sourced cuisine and the region’s best wines. But as the Farm-to-Fork Festival has gained notoriety, more and more foodies from around the country are taking notice of the festival’s heavy-hitting lineup of celebrity chefs and making the trip to the City of Trees. This September 7–23, the 10th Annual Farm-to-Fork Festival returns with their most exciting lineup of innovative, world-class yet home-grown chefs yet. The Tower Bridge Dinner showcases the top tier of Sacramento’s culinary talent, but you don’t need one of the coveted tickets to experience that level of food year-round. Here are this year’s Tower Bridge Dinner chefs, and where you can experience their creations year-round.

Farm-to-Fork Festival Chefs Highlight Why Sacramento Is a Culinary Hot Spot

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DISCOVER

The Farm-to-Fork Festival is beloved by locals for its pairing of local organic fare with top-notch musical acts and featured events.

Chef Sean Rumery’s passion for the Sacramento farm-to-fork culinary scene runs deep. From joining Mulvaney’s B&L – whose menu changes daily based on Sacramento’s growing seasons – to later helping open Wildwood Kitchen & Bar, an upscale local watering hole, Chef Rumery has immersed himself in Sacramento’s thriving restaurant culture. With the opening of Canon East Sacramento, Chef Rumery has perfected his approach to sharable seasonal fare. At Canon, Chef Rumery has received numerous accolades, including Michelin Recognition for his creativity and voracious appetite for culinary knowledge. His latest creation, Little Brother, is a radical new sandwich rooted in nostalgic flavors while showcasing his atypical and downright eccentric culinary style.

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Sean Rumery, Chef & Culinary Director at Canon East Sacramento

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All five of these master chefs will be proudly presenting at this year’s Farm-to-Fork Festival. The main event is happening Sept. 22–23 featuring musical performances by Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals and more. While the main event at the Capitol Mall is free, tickets for specific events are on sale now, but don’t worry if you can’t attend. These Sacramento chefs can be found year-round at their dynamic eateries and restaurants. It won’t be long until Sacramento is internationally recognized as a new culinary capital, fueled by the farm-to-fork ethos and the agricultural bounty of the Sacramento River Delta Valley. Learn more about the Farm-to-Fork Festival as well as things to do in California’s thriving capital at visitsacramento.com.

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buy tickets now

By StoryStudio on August 31, 2023

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Rebecca Campbell, Chef/Owner, Sac City Brews and Nourish Event Kitchen

Chef Rebecca Campbell grew up tending crops and selling seasonal fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets near her parent’s 10-acre Auburn foothills farm. The experience shaped how she cooks: permaculture practices, seasonal eating, and global travel all drive the menus she creates today in her restaurant and catering ventures. Sac City Brews exemplifies her approach, elevating rich home cooking with locally sourced ingredients and delicious craft brews.

Derek Sawyer, Chef de Cuisine, Allora

Long before he was the Chef de Cuisine of Allora’s award-winning modern Italian cuisine, Chef Derek Sawyer was mentoring under Chef Mike Fagnoni and Chef Ed Lopez at their highly regarded Hawks in Granite Bay. Here, Chef Sawyer learned how working directly and closely with local farmers to bring in seasonal and fresh ingredients could create beautiful picture-worthy food in a small gastropub setting. Derek’s passion for Italian cuisine bloomed and was showcased at Hawks Public House in 2022 when they were added to the Michelin Guide. Now, Chef Sawyer brings his skill in hand-made pasta and locally sourced ingredients to Allora, where he’s sure to build on his already standout career.

Dennis Sydnor, Chef/Owner, Renegade Dining/Café Federico

Chef Dennis Sydnor boasts impeccable credentials. Since he graduated with High Honors from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts-Sacramento in the spring of 2010, Chef Sydnor has brought his culinary expertise to the Grange at the Citizen Hotel, the Sacramento Kings, The Ritz Carlton Downtown, the Cleveland Guardians and the Cleveland Browns, The Ritz Carlton Downtown Cleveland, and Syd’s Soul Food. As the head of Renegade Dining – curators of creative pop-up kitchens and intimate dining experiences – Chef Sydnor has been a major contributor to the transformation of Sacramento into a regional culinary force. Winner of Food Network's Cutthroat Kitchen, Chef Sydnor puts Sacramento on the culinary map.

Craig Takehara, Chef/Owner, Binchoyaki Izakaya Dining

Over the last 26 years, Chef Craig Takehara has done it all in kitchens all over California while studying under celebrated chefs like Chef Scott Dolbee and Chef Kyle Connaughton, chef/owner of Single Thread Farms in Healdsburg. Now he’s brought all his experience back to his hometown of Sacramento at Binchoyaki Izakaya Dining, where prepares “Japanese Soul Food.” Along with his wife Toki, Chef Takehara creates classic Izakaya small bites with distinctive California flare. Combining traditional cooking methods over Japanese coal, fresh fish flown in from Japan, and fruits and vegetables sourced from nearby farms, Binchoyaki is true fusion. Binchoyaki has been included in Slow Food Sacramento, received a 2019/2020 Michelin recommendation and a nomination for semifinalist of a James Beard Best Chef California Award 2023, was Sacramento Baconfest Champion 2018, and won the ABC 10 Small Business Award and the Asian Chamber of Commerce “Frank Fat Legacy Award” 2022.

Chef headshots credit: Francisco Chavira