Chefs, Chef Worshippers Flock to Pebble Beach Fest

Over the weekend, the first annual Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival was held, and tickets to the picturesque seaside shindig were fetching up to $5K. Along with mega-name attendees like Thomas Keller, Tom Colicchio, Ming Tsai, Elizabeth Falkner, Gary Danko, Hubert Keller, Charles Phan, and Jacques Pepin (to name just a few), Eater LA was on hand for some first-hand accounts—including some candid shots of Father Keller (pictured, right). Please do head down to Eater LA for a full recap later today (complete with all your favorite Top Cheffers), but until then, kindly note that the place to be was the wine room, Iron Chef Morimoto is a master on the golf course and Big TK couldn't get a table at his own event. For now, we just have to point out the Chronicle's clever juxtaposition of quotes from the super chefs and their (rich) super stalkers fans:

Super Chefs: "[Thomas] Keller took all the attention in stride, but acknowledged that 'the groupie fan thing is sort of absurd.'"

Super Fans: "'I just want to shake your hand,' said 20-year-old Joshua Berman [to Keller], a Providence, R.I., culinary school student who traveled across the country to volunteer at the event and be in the shadow of his heroes."

Super Chefs: As far as people's obsession with him, 'This is a very cliquish kind of thing,' [Jacques Pepin] said. 'We all live in many worlds. This one happens to know me.'"

Super Fans: "[Pepin's] humbleness nearly made Lee Ann Kelley swoon. 'I love him,' said the 40-year-old Carmel resident as she tried to negotiate through the crush of people."

So, we know celebrity chefs are the new rock stars; are yuppies are their new groupies?
· Pebble Beach Food & Wine Fest: Day One [Eater LA]
· Pebble Beach F&W Fest: The Wine Room [Eater LA]
· For $4,750, foodies eat up the chance to see famous chefs in person [Chron]