New Speakers Revealed for Taste Trekkers’ 2nd Annual Food & Travel Expo

PROVIDENCE, RI – Taste Trekkers has revealed more of the speakers who will appear at its second annual Food and Travel Expo in Providence, Rhode Island. Taking place from Friday, October 3rd through Sunday, October 5th, this year’s Expo will feature three days of events focusing on cuisines from different regions. 

“This is a fantastic event for adventurous food lovers who share a passion for travel,” says Seth Resler, founder of Taste Trekkers. “We are thrilled to be returning to Providence because it is such a great culinary destination.” The weekend will kick off with Industry Day on October 3rd. The afternoon’s proceedings, held at Johnson & Wales University, will feature a series of short talks on different facets of the food and travel businesses, followed by a panel discussion on food tourism. The evening will culminate with a networking reception at The Dorrance, Providence’s acclaimed restaurant.

The events at the Providence Biltmore on Saturday, October 4th, are geared towards the general public. The morning will start with a series of short talks focusing on cuisines from different regions, followed by longer sessions that dive into dishes and destinations in more depth. Finally, foodies will have a chance to sample cuisines and mingle at the Hope & Main Tasting Pavilion in the Biltmore Grand Ballroom.

This year, Taste Trekkers is introducing a new event on Sunday, October 5th: The Eat and Run Scavenger Hunt. People are invited to form teams and use clues to scour the city for culinary destinations as they compete for hundreds of dollars in prizes.

Taste Trekkers has announced a host of new speakers for this year’s event, including:

• Myra Alperson is the owner of Noshwalks. She has been leading food tours in New York City for over 30 years. She currently offers unique food tours in all five boroughs.
• Elle Armon-Jones is the owner of The Big Foodie Food Tours, where she leads culinary excursions to New Zealand.
• Christopher Bakken is the author of Honey, Olives, Octopus: Adventures at the Greek Table.
• Gail Ciampa has been the Food Editor of The Providence Journal for eleven years, where she produces a weekly newspaper section dedicated to food and dining.
• Emily Contois is a PhD student at Brown University with an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University.
• Cesin Curi is the chef at Los Andes Restaurant, where he serves authentic Bolivian and Peruvian cuisine with Mediterranean ingredients and flavors.
• Grace Della founded Miami Culinary Tours ten years ago to provide both locals and visitors a taste of the different cultures that make up the city’s neighborhoods.
• Tatiana Gana is the co-founder of Gastro-Tours, offering culinary escapades to Spain.

• Richard J.S. Gutman is the Director and Curator of the Culinary Arts Museum at Johnson & Wales. Gutman has written four books on the American diner and is regarded at one of the nation’s leading diner experts. 
• Jose Duárte is the award-winning chef and owner of Taranta in Boston’s North End. He regularly leads groups on culinary expeditions into the heart of the Peruvian jungle.
• Lisa Gustavson is the owner of Sojourner Tour Company, which organizes culinary trips to France.

• Shane Kost is the President of Food Tour Pros. He launched Chicago Food Planet in 2006. Since then, it has become the nation’s largest, seasonal food tour business. In 2009, he founded Food Tour Pros to give aspiring food tour operators the benefit of his first-hand experience.
• Marina Marchese is the Founder of Red Bee Artisanal Honey and the American Honey Tasting Society. Marina has dedicated her life to educating chefs, foodies and beekeepers about the culinary delights of single-origin honey across the country. 
• Richard Miscovich is an Associate Professor at Johnson & Wales University with a focus on the use and history of wood-fired ovens.
• Sam Poley is a former chef and the current Director of Public Relations & Communications for Durham, North Carolina, which has been named the “Foodiest Small Town in America.”
• Lisa Raiola is the founder of the Hope & Main kitchen incubator in Warren, Rhode Island.

• Meghan Sheridan is the Executive Director of the Vermont Fresh Network and a member of the Vermont Agriculture and Culinary Tourism Council.  
• Thei Zervaki is a food writer and journalist who has contributed to CNN Travel, Southern Hospitality Traveler Magazine, Harbors Magazine, and more.

    Tickets for all three day’s events are on sale now, and range in price from $25 to $50. They can be purchased at http://tastetrekkers.com/expo.

    For more information, please visit http://tastetrekkers.com/expo.

    Taste Trekkers is a website for foodies who travel. The company’s mission is to turn foodies on to new cuisines and new destinations. The company was founded in 2012 by Resler, a media strategist who has been involved in the production of hundreds of events including some that has been recognized by the Mayor of Providence with a Citizen Citation.