Hot Date: Addison’s Fork & Cork Festival is May 16-17. Here’s a preview.

Richard Chamberlain is the head chef of Fork & Cork

Intimate, chef-driven festivals are all the hype in food-centric cities. Fork & Cork, Addison’s new epicurean festival, is ushering in a new kind of food and wine festival to be held May 16-17. When the opportunity arose to preview the event, we went.

Hands down, such a great decision. Chef Richard Chamberlain, Addison Mayor Meier and Cafe Momentum founder Chad Houser are the marquee hosts for the festival, with Houser’s Cafe Momentum named the event’s charity beneficiary.

At Fork & Cork this year, chefs will present a selection of entrees including wood-roasted mussels served with house-made chorizo, romanesco, and grilled bread, plus Kobe skirt steak with sweet potato grits and porcini mushroom butter.

Don’t skip the goat cheese and apple salad from Z Taverna. Blue Mesa Grill will serve beef tenderloin with chimmichurri and sweet potato mash. For the pizza patron, check out Urban Crust’s focaccia (including our favorite of arugula, goat cheese, prosciutto, and fig preserves. Lazaranda will be dishing up a grilled filet of mahi with poblano rice, avocado, roasted garlic, jalapeño and crushed chile de arbol. Add a little zest to the evening with Eddie Campbell’s Old Fashioned misted with vanilla, or Chelsea Cheesecake Company’s lavender cheesecake.

Fork & Cork, May 16-17, 2014 at Addison Circle Park. For more information on Fork & Cork and to purchase tickets, visit their website.

Josh Newton is a Dallas-based food gypsy and contributes to EscapeHatch