MADISON, Wis. — Seventeen chefs gathered at the Duck Pond on Saturday to prepare a feast for the True North Food and Music Festival.
The event brought together food, live music and beer, giving attendees a chance to sample dishes from a larger lineup of chefs than the festival featured last year.
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Madison Mallards General Manager Sam Rubin said organizers increased the number of participating chefs from 12 to 17 after listening to attendee feedback.
“We heard everyone’s feedback, and so we brought more chefs,” Rubin said. “We had, I think, 12 last year. This year, 17.”
The lineup included Tory Miller, chef-owner of Graze, Dan Fox of Heritage Tavern, Evan Dannells of Cadre, and others. Rubin said the festival drew chefs with a higher profile this year.
For Miller, the gathering gave chefs an opportunity to connect while sharing their food with the public.
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“It’s a chance for all of us to kind of get together,” Miller said. “We get to see each other, and everyone’s going to everyone’s booths, bringing everybody food, trying everything. It’s a lot of fun.”
Attendees said they came for the mix of food, music and drinks, as well as the chance to try offerings from booths they had not visited before.
Rubin said the festival is intended to highlight Madison’s north side and the city’s broader food scene.
“It’s just really a fun way to culminate on the north side, to really showcase what the north side has to offer, showcase what Madison has to offer,” Rubin said. “That’s always what we’re about here.”
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Dining and Cooking