Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show

Over the last 5 years I have gone to this special event. The first time was back in 2007 when I was invited by Intensity Academy. While Intensity Academy has not returned because of their own version now in Tampa, I have come back each and every year since. In the past I have had the opportunity to see Paula Deen, Guy Fieri and a little bit of the beautiful Giada De Laurentiis all perform on the live cooking stage at the show. To see all the celebrities above over the 2 day event, the cost is $99 for open seating. You can purchase front row tickets for example to see Giada this year and that would cost you $500. I get a media pass for the show, and I can sit in the back and take pics, but no video.
2-Day Theater Pass – Open Seating to see ALL Celebs
Open Seating. Good BOTH days. Line-up:
• Saturday: Giada De Laurentiis: 11am & 4pm. Gail Simmons & Tom Colicchio: 1:30pm
• Sunday: Jeff Mauro: 11am. Carla Hall & Michael Symon: 1:00 pm. Jacques Pepin: 3:30pm…

If you are into the celebrity cooking thing like my Mom who would love this, I think $99 is worth it. For me, I just make the trip to DC on the Saturday of the show. While free to get in the parking will still cost me $20-30 depending how long I stay for. I go to meet new spicy product companies who I might never get a chance to see at one of the Spicy Events/Festivals that I go to. There is always 1-3 new salsa companies and 1-3 new spicy products companies beyond that. Sometimes I will see familiar companies like world famous hot sauce pioneer Blair’s Sauces & Snacks Bonfatto’s Wing Sauce & Marinade & Tom’s Roid Rippin’ Hot Sauces. Always happy to see my friends again. Bonfatto’s has a new spicy ice cream product line, (Spice Cream) that I had a chance to try at the Bowers show in September and it really kicks ass. I hope someday you will get a chance to try it in a marketplace near you.