Date: July 25, 2025
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Taper Auditorium at Benaroya Hall
Hosts: Kenji López-Alt and James Ehnes
Prime – $65 includes access to the event, a Spinnaker Chocolate experience and a MOTO Pizza after-party in the lobby
VIP – $400 tickets include access to the event, an exclusive reception with tasting menus, Gård Vintners wine pairings, and artist meet-and-greets
Tasting Notes II press release here ›
The theme of Tasting Notes 2 is the process of designing an experience from the small-scale — a single dish or piece of music — to the grand, such as an entire front- and back-of-the-house restaurant experience and a full music festival. The demonstrations and conversations include both the artistic aspects and the mechanical and logistical details required to bring these projects to fruition. Guests are treated to live cooking demonstrations alongside the live music performances; each chef performs a silent demonstration of one of their signature dishes or techniques, with accompaniment from a thematically linked piece selected by Ehnes. Some of Seattle’s finest chefs are participating: Kelly Van Arsdale of Spinnaker Chocolate and Kevin Smith of Beast and Cleaver will return to the stage from last year. New to the second edition are Renee Erickson, the James Beard Award-winning restaurateur; Lee Kindell of MOTO Pizza; and Shota Nakajima of Bravo TV’s Top Chef and the Food Network’s Tournament of Champions. They will join world-class musicians James Ehnes, Tessa Lark, Adam Nieman, Jun Iwasaki, Joan DerHovsepian, Bion Tsang and Brant Taylor for a live experience that brings together these two delectable art forms.
All attendees this year will join in a Spinnaker Chocolate experience and a MOTO Pizza after-party in the lobby. For VIP ticket holders there will be an exclusive reception immediately following the event with tasting menus, Gård Vintners wine pairings, and artist meet-and-greets.
