Why do we cover the Fancy Food Show? Because it’s an opportunity to see the latest trends for the foods that go with your wine and spirits. I usually get tons of ideas that update our cheese, charcuterie, and dessert boards too! Read on to see what we discovered from over 1,000 exhibitors at the recent show held this past week in Las Vegas.
For restaurant owners, and would-be owners, there are several educational sessions that take place during the three-day event. When I was still in the consulting business, I would attend these classes and share what I learned with my clients. Now I’m happy to just stroll the convention floor, seeing some of the same vendors from past years and meet and learn from new ones as well.
The Italian pavilion is one of my favorites as it houses everything a fine Italian restaurant could want from cheese to wine! New was a Holiday Market at First Taste Experience and a whole section dedicated to Hawaiian foods – both looked exciting!
At the “First Night Celebration” we were invited to “Let’s party! Step directly from the Show Floor into a winter wonderland of fun, music, drinks, and connection in the Atrium at the Convention Center…” and there were several open bars serving beer and wine and displays filled with cheese and charcuterie. It was a party atmosphere indeed!
First Day
Day one of the 2025 Winter Fancy Food Show done! Now, what sounds good to you: Dr. Tabatha Carr and her Oklahoma-made Dairy Free/Gluten Free plant-based-sweetened single-origin bean-to-bar Good Girl Chocolate that would be fun on a dessert board, Uncle Waithley’s “Vincy” Brew “Ginger Beer with a Scotch Bonnet Bite” with Caribbean Sorrel or Smoked Pineapple that I want in a cocktail, Agave Trading with sweet fruit jellies and syrups like this amazing one I will be reviewing in a cocktail: Agave with jalapeno, Hail M Cocktails are travel-sized infusion bags with everything you need to quickly flavor your spirt of choice in a cocktail – I will also be reviewing these, Galleon Chocolate from Hawaii is made with purple Ube in many ways – with goat milk, Macadamia nuts, coconut cream and more – the purple chocolate would be fun to pair with red wine as a fabulous dessert, spicy and very interesting Bitter End bitters are “Culinary inspired bitters handcrafted in Santa Fe”, and more! Photos from the first day are here.
Last Day
Do you think we discovered more fabulous foods on the last day of the Winter Fancy Food Show? Y E S we did: I was super excited to find my favorite granola made by Nutrail in many more flavors, yummy dairy and gluten free cookies from KC Sunshine’s Cookies, Barsmith premium cocktail mixers – just add liquor – for Espresso Martini, Orange Bitters Old Fashioned, Old Fashioned and Hot Honey Old Fashioned that I’ll be reviewing soon, Bittermilk cocktail mixers, Bourbon Barrel Foods making everything you can imagine from chocolate to jelly, delicious Wagyu, sashimi and much more! Photos from the last day are here.
Find on Instagram
@UncleWaithleys @GoodGirlChocolate @AgaveTradingMexico @HailM @Nutrail @BarsmithMix @DrinkBittermilk @BourbonBarrelFoods @KCSunshineCookies @SpecialtyFoodAssociation @GalleonChocolate @BitterEndBitter @SpecialtyFoodAssociation
https://www.specialtyfood.com/
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
