Supporting Frankie Lemmon School & Developmental Center.

Jason Stanhope

Featured Appearances

Jason Stanhope & Caroline Morrison Featuring Spire Vigneron Collection

Main Event

A trip to Charleston in 2008 inspired Jason Stanhope to move to the Lowcountry and pursue a career at the city’s leading restaurant, FIG. Working his way up the culinary ladder, Stanhope, alongside acclaimed Chef Mike Lata, now leads the kitchen at this beloved institution that celebrates 20 years in 2023.

Stanhope grew up in Topeka, Kansas, in a family who valued the ritual of cooking and eating together and from a young age, he was captivated by the culinary world. He moved to San Francisco to pursue a culinary degree at Le Cordon Bleu, which led to opportunities to work in Cusco and Machu Picchu, Peru, an experience he credits with expanding his understanding of global cuisine and ingredients. After his international adventures, Stanhope moved back to the Midwest to work with James Beard Award-winning Chef Debbie Gold at Forty Sardines in Kansas City before he made his way South to join Chef Lata at FIG as chef-tournant.

Working side-by-side with Lata for many years has ingrained in Stanhope the restaurant’s timeless philosophies, including how to write a menu by starting with the best possible ingredients and products available and then create dishes from there. By creating new dishes using ingredients thoughtfully sourced from local farmers and purveyors who are meticulous about their standards, Stanhope also upholds FIG’s philosophy of serving cuisine that is relevant, approachable, sensible, technically driven, and seasonally inspired.

A leader in the farm-to-table movement since opening nearly two decades ago, FIG pays homage to the bounty of the Lowcountry region by offering a daily changing menu that is honest and straightforward. In 2015, Stanhope earned one of the culinary world’s highest honors – a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southeast, adding to FIG’s impressive JBF award list, which includes Best Chef: Southeast for Chef Lata (2009), and Outstanding Wine Program (2018). On most nights, Stanhope can be found splitting his time between the kitchen and dining room at FIG, sharing details about the latest dish he’s created with his team or exalting the fresh catch they just received for a friendly fishmonger. Beyond the kitchen, he’s involved in the local community, contributing to several local non-profits and helping to promote the local food community. When he’s not working, you’ll find him spending quality time with his sons Leo and Desi, and wife, Anna Kate, in their garden or tending to their chicken coop.

Links

TWFE is always one of the highlights of the year for us. We love the whole weekend. On Thursday we love that we are able to fill a room with all our friends and celebrate with incredible wines! The gala was amazing and so fun and special. We love the addition of celebrity chefs!

I think the food is definitely as important as the wine. The opportunity to pair great food and great wine together creates a heightened culinary experience for attendees, and the involvement of our local chefs anchors this event as something special and unique to the Triangle.

There is no drink more synonymous with the word “celebration” and “toast” than champagne. TWFE is about raising our champagne glasses high to celebrate the children and families of Frankie Lemmon and the friendships we’ve made through this event.

For me, it’s a rare and incredibly inspiring experience to be in the same room with so much talent—there are very few local events that can illustrate the power of our food community to come together and make a huge impact

Triangle Wine & Food Experience would not occur without the amazing winemakers, chefs, supporters and volunteers, and more importantly, the Frankie Lemmon School would not exist without them. Everyone who participates with TWFE impacts a child’s life for the better.

Working with Frankie Lemmon for the past 20 years has helped me understand what a gift it is to give back and what a responsibility we have as chefs, Food is a tie that binds, and the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life is one of the best and most rewarding aspects of this work.

Triangle Wine & Food Experience

Triangle Wine & Food Experience is North Carolina’s premiere wine and food event. Held annually on the first weekend in February, chefs, restaurants, wineries, and spirit brands from all over the world participate in an unmissable three-day affair that includes lavish dinners and curated tastings that culminates in a grand auction.