Greg and Subrina Colliers’ food and wine festival celebrating Black excellence returns to Charlotte

Why it matters: It’s hosted by three-time James Beard nominee and chef Greg Collier and his wife Subrina. This the restaurant duo’s biggest event yet — which is saying a lot, seeing as the couple has had quite a busy year.

“The beautiful thing is we have a great team,” Greg told me over Zoom while holding his new baby girl.

Context: In addition to welcoming their first child, the culinary couple behind Uptown Yolk and Leah & Louise is taking over Camp North End with two new restaurants, a donut shop and a speakeasy — all set to open in 2023.

• In May, we reported that chef Greg is behind the new restaurant menu in the Charlotte airport lounge.
• And in June we reported that he’s partnering with Weathered Souls Brewing Co. to create a menu for the brewery. It will open Nov. 5, the Observer recently reported.

You might be wondering ‘when do they sleep?‘ It’s a balancing act the Colliers have been preparing for, according to Greg, who says he wanted to have kids early on in their marriage. “Subrina, smartly, was like ‘let’s take some time to kind of live our lives and do restaurants stuff,'” Greg said.

• Greg also says that he has taken a step back from the kitchen, which he misses, but has full confidence in his various teams. “I don’t need to be sautéing scallops,” he joked, “and something you won’t hear a chef say … I got two, or three people who are better than me at sautéing scallops.”

The big picture: The Colliers’ mission is centered on uplifting, nurturing and promoting Black culinary excellence. “I think the next step of our growth is mentoring and putting people in place to be on their own stage.”

Why you should go: The Bayhaven Food & Wine Festival is an event that attracts people from all over — last year, about 2,500 people attended. In addition to the culinary experts traveling in from out-of-state, “we also got super talented people who are in the restaurant business in Charlotte,” Greg said.

• Of note: The Charlotte Black Restaurant Week, which runs Oct. 17-31, is unrelated to Bayhaven.

Details: The four-day event will have a series of meals prepared by renowned chefs.

• On Wednesday, Oct. 19 is the “Friends of James Beard Dinner,” which will feature six courses and four wine pairings. Appetizers and cocktail reception begins at 6pm, dinner starts at 7:15 pm at the Skyline Terrace. $275 per person.
• Thursday, Oct. 20 is the “Chef Zoe and Friends” dinner, an all-woman dinner led by chef Zoe Adjonyoh, author of “Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen” and director of Women’s Leadership Programs at the James Beard Foundation. The dinner, which starts at 6:30pm at The Ruth, will feature six courses and three cocktail pairings. Guests will also receive a copy of Adjonyoh’s book. $215 per person.
• Friday, Oct. 21 is a six-course $235/person dinner in Camp North End starting at 6:30pm. It’s sold out, however.
• Saturday is the “Pep Rally Tasting Tent,” featuring bites and beverages from more than 75 chefs, winemakers and mixologists from across the country. The event, which chef Greg says he’s most excited about, is from 11am-3pm in Camp North End. Tickets are $150 per person, or $500 for a four-pack of tickets.

Tickets are going quickly and can be purchased here.