The Ahwahnee at Yosemite Highlights America’s Best Chefs

Fiona Chandra

How do you make a holiday at the magnificent Yosemite National Park even better? Well, perhaps by having some of the country’s most influential chefs prepare your dinners! In January and February, Yosemite brings in culinary artists from all over the country to The Ahwahnee for a few multi-day Chefs’ Holidays Sessions. After scaling Half Dome, you can dress up to meet the celebrity chefs over wine, or attend a gala dinner prepared by these visitors.

The 2016 Chefs’ Holidays series will have a total of eight sessions. Each one runs either two or three days and features an intimate Meet the Chefs reception with wine and hors d’oeuvres, cooking demonstrations and tastings, behind-the-scenes kitchen tour and a Chefs’ Holidays Gala Dinner prepared by the visiting culinarians in The Ahwahnee Dining Room. The sessions start in the afternoon, leaving time for guests to explore the majestic sights of Yosemite National Park.

The upcoming session kicks off on Jan. 10-12 with cooks Ken Frank of La Toque (Napa), Sarah and Evan Rich of Rich Table (San Francisco), and David Bazirgan of Dirty Habit (San Francisco). Other authorities in attendance will be Mark Liberman of AQ (San Francisco), Kent Rathbun of Abacus (Dallas), Anito Lo of Annisa (New York), and L.A.’s very own Suzanne Goin of Lucques, among others.

Packages start at $328 per person and include the minicourse and gala dinner taking place on the chosen dates for 2-5 night availabilities at both the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls and The Ahwahnee. Guests staying for five nights can attend two of the workshops and two gala dinners. Each program typically comprises of three culinary demonstrations, a reception, and a kitchen tour along with the dinner. There will be a free shuttle bus between the Lodge and The Ahwahnee for the gala dinner. Guests can also purchase tickets to the dinner itself for $199 per person.

Chefs’ Holidays Sessions will take place on Jan. 10-Feb. 4 at The Ahwahnee. Information and reservation links can be found using this link.