The James Beard Awards: An Insiders Weekend

Every year, the restaurant world gathers in Chicago for its biggest night - the James Beard Foundation Awards. For one unforgettable weekend, you won't just attend. You'll be welcomed in.

Two guests will join acclaimed food writer John Kessler for a curated culinary tour through the restaurants, neighborhoods, and industry gatherings that surround the Beards - the places chefs actually go when the cameras are off.

Your weekend includes:

Friday - Kick things off with cocktails and conversation before heading to dinner at acclaimed restaurant Feld (gift card included), joined by John and members of the Beard Awards community.

Saturday & Sunday - Insider food experiences across Chicago: Chinatown tastings, neighborhood institutions, market explorations, and behind-the-scenes kitchen access - the kind of meals you only find with someone who knows the city (and the chefs) personally.

Monday - The legendary Monteverde Monday Party - the unofficial Beard Weekend kickoff everyone talks about - and this year it will benefit Giving Kitchen. It's where the weekend's energy really begins: chefs, writers, restaurateurs, and friends all in one room before awards night unfolds.

Awards night itself is optional; ceremony tickets are not included, but can be secured separately.

This is way beyond a sightseeing trip - it's the most important weekend in American food. Chefs, writers, and restaurateurs look forward to it all year… and you get to be part of it.

Fine Print: Sold for two guests. Food experiences included as noted. Travel not included. Lodging for three nights is included (Friday, June 12 - Sunday, June 15, 2026.) Ceremony tickets not included but may be secured separately. Dates align with the 2026 James Beard Foundation Awards weekend: Friday, June 12 - Monday, June 15, 2026.
Gratuities and ground transportation not included. 21+ Only.

The Infamous Ossabaw Weekend: A Private Chef Retreat on Georgia's Wild Barrier Island

You can't book a stay at Ossabaw Island. You're invited.

For one unforgettable weekend, you and seven guests will travel off the Georgia coast to a protected barrier island rarely open to the public - no traffic, no restaurants, no schedules - just marshland, live oaks, a historic house full of chefs cooking only for you… and yes, wild donkeys.

This beloved Giving Kitchen tradition returns for its 8th year, and it's unlike anything else in the auction.

By day, you'll explore a place that feels frozen in time: dolphins in the river, wild horses on the trails, historic ruins, and long walks under Spanish moss with legendary naturalist Cathy Sakas, whose stories bring the island to life.

By night, Ossabaw turns into your own private culinary retreat. An extraordinary lineup of chefs will rotate through the kitchen preparing meals together - relaxed, collaborative, and completely unhurried - including:

1. Jason Liang, Chingyao Wang (O by Brush)
2. Kirk Gibson (Lucky Star)
3. Ron Hsu (Lazy Betty)
4. Howard Hsu (Tio Lucho's & Sweet
5. Auburn BBQ)
6. Claudia Martinez (Bar Ana)
7. Terry Koval (The Deer and the Dove & FAWN)
8. Todd Mussman (Unsukay Restaurant Group)

Wine and cocktail pairings will be curated all weekend by on-island sommelier (and occasional donkey whisperer) Melissa Davis.

As the sun goes down, the island does what it does best: long tables, late-night conversations, and live music under a sky so dark you can see every star, thanks to musician Rich Gunderlock - with Monica Gunderlock capturing the weekend through beautiful photography.

It's equal parts summer camp, chef's table, and chosen family. People who go once try to come back every year. Trust us on this one: get on the truck and bid like you mean it.

Fine Print: Ossabaw Island Weekend is set for Friday, April 23-25, 2027. Transportation not provided. Gratuities not included. 21+ Only.

Stage and Screen: NYC with AZ: Broadway + Food Network + Insider Eats

New York City is one of the greatest food cities in the world. Now imagine exploring it with Andrew Zimmern. Four guests will spend an unforgettable weekend in NYC with the Emmy-winning chef, TV host, Giving Kitchen Board Member, and culinary explorer - alongside GK hosts and GK Board Member and actress Jamie Hyder, your in-the-know local host for a weekend designed like an insider's dream.

This is not a "make reservations and hope for the best" kind of trip. It's a curated, chef-forward, culture-packed NYC takeover - with highlights that will include:

Thursday:

• James Beard House tour
• A special dinner experience at the Food Network Test Kitchen

Friday:

• Clase Azul Loft Tasting Experience (Brooklyn Heights)
• Fini Pizza hands-on pizza-making class + dinner

Saturday:

• A private Andrew Zimmern-guided food crawl through iconic neighborhoods like Chinatown, Little Italy, and/or Queens
• Dinner at Hav & Mar, Marcus Samuelsson's celebrated restaurant (gift certificate included)
• Four house seats to a Broadway show - The Outsiders or Buena Vista Social Club

Between it all, you may also get a taste of Brooklyn's creative scene, including time in Bushwick with brewery exploring and a Restaurant Group stop - the kind of "only in New York" layers that make this weekend sing.

This is the NYC food trip you can't plan on your own: big flavors, great neighborhoods, and truly elite guides.

Fine Print: Experience for four guests. 3-nights in NYC. Dates mutually agreed upon with Andrew Zimmern and hosts; scheduling depends on Andrew's filming schedule and will be confirmed as soon as possible after the auction. Preference for May or late June. Broadway tickets valid through Aug. 31, 2026. Travel and ground transportation not included. Lodging included. Gratuities throughout the extended weekend not included. 21+ Only.

Into the Swamp: The Okefenokee Chef Adventure Weekend

You and nine guests will head deep into the Okefenokee Swamp for a three-night, chef-hosted adventure hosted by The Paddle and Fork Collective, where cypress trees replace buildings, cell service disappears, and dinner somehow gets better.

Your basecamp sits at Griffis Fish Camp on the edge of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge - rustic, comfortable, and completely surrounded by wilderness (yes: electricity, running water, and hot showers still exist).

Days are spent exploring: paddling blackwater trails, spotting alligators and birds you didn't know were real, and learning the landscape alongside expert naturalists Cathy Sakas and Scott Taylor and guided by Bryan Schroeder.

Then evening comes - and the swamp turns into an outdoor dining room.

A rotating lineup of celebrated chefs cooks together over open fire and camp stoves, including:

• Terry Koval (The Deer and The Dove)
• Hector Santiago (El Super Pan)
• Todd Mussman (Muss & Turner's)
• Hudson Rouse (babygirl)

Drinks are handled just as seriously, with pairings from:

• Greg Best (Ticonderoga Club)
• Blake Tyers (Creature Comforts Brewing)
• Mike Gallagher (Brick Store Pub)

And, for more flavor and fun:

• Fresh oysters from Kimball House,
• Cheeses from Sweet Grass Dairy
• Live music from Kristina Murray around the campfire.

Meals stretch long into the night, stars cover the sky, and somewhere between the canoe trips and late-night bourbon you realize - you are very far from normal life, in the best possible way.

This is part expedition, part dinner party, part summer camp for grown-ups.

Fine Print: March 18-21, 2027. Guests provide personal camping gear (packing list provided). Rain or shine. Transportation not included. Pre-trip planning session included. Gratuities not included. 21+ Only.