Yesterday, SobeSavvy.com joined a few thousand others at DPAC for the 6th Annual Bull City Food & Beer Experience! The word, “experience” accurately depicts this now iconic annual event that I had the pleasure of attending last year and sharing with you again. Enjoying 30 restaurants paired with 30 beers sounds like a great way to spend a ‘Sunday Funday’ especially while raising money and awareness for the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association.
Pale Ale, Stout, IPA, and various ciders were all properly represented here. Small local breweries served their craft beer and stood side by side with international powerhouse breweries. They all coexisted perfectly. A few liquor brands, such as Social House Vodka, also served up some samples of their spirits. Durham has such an incredible food and beer culture and this event does an amazing job showcasing it! Check out my facebook photo album highlighting more from this event, here.
Taking up space on all 3 levels of the beautiful DPAC lobbies, this event is always a crowd pleaser and this year was no different. Inside the actual theatre, they had the Stella Artois Onstage Experience featuring County Fare. This year the food in this area was served by various food trucks based in the Triangle. These meals on wheels have now become a staple in the food scene not just here but nationwide. Guests mingled on stage and enjoyed some awesome live music by Big Fat Gap and beer garden games like bean toss. One of my favorites were the dumplings by the food truck Chirba Chirba. One dumpling was pork, the other offering were their veggie dumplings. Simply delicious.
Guess what else coexisted perfectly with all that beer? FOOD OF COURSE ! Over 30 restaurants of every imaginable genre/cuisine was there. From Italian to sushi and EVERYTHING in between. The restaurants participating gave unlimited samples of the dish they were serving. What also makes this event unique is that most tables paired a specific brew for the specific restaurant dish. Some foods pair better with a stout or pale ale and vice versa. Attendees didn’t have to wander far to find the perfect beer for their dish, it was right there alongside it! My favorite part was the opportunity to meet and talk with the Chefs from some of my favorite local restaurants.
If I had to use one word to describe this event, I would say ‘Incredible’! Where else can you experience local food, beer, beverage,craft artisians, all in one place?! The foodie in me appreciates organized events like this that I can partner with and celebrate what is offered here. Watch this video for recap of all the food + beer + fun!
Thanks for reading and hope to see you next year! Cheers 🍻
Do you have a favorite food and beer pairing? Let me know in the comments below!
SobeSavvy 
Sounds like a good time! Unlimited food at events like this are unheard of (to me). I don’t have a perfect food & beer pairing yet, I’m always trying new ones.
LikeLike
I agree, events like this are rare. Its a good time to discover something new.
LikeLike
Sounds amazing!!! Durham is so rich!
LikeLike
It was amazing and nice that this event is giving back to the community to restore a lake.
LikeLike
I don’t drink at all but I do love eating experiences like this where you can try several things! Looks fun!
LikeLike
It was fun. And while the whole idea is to pair food with beer, they had water and other beverages for people to enjoy.
LikeLike
This looks like a delicious event! As a non-beer drinker, I’m excited to hear that there were ciders there too!
LikeLike
These events are great opportunities to learn about local food trends.
LikeLike
This sounds amazing! Durham is such a great city for food, and unlimited samples are probably my two favorite words together, lol!
LikeLike
I’m not a beer drinker but I love these types of events. I would love to try a pairing with Stella Artois
LikeLike
Ahh I missed the event this year! But there are several familiar faces in the pics you posted 🙂 This is always such a fun event – I’m glad you enjoyed it!
LikeLike
That’s right..you were there last year! I remember thinking is that her when I saw you with the equipment. They had another great turnout.
LikeLike
What a fun event! I had no idea this was happening.
-xo, Azanique | http://www.lotsofsass.com
LikeLike
That all looks so good! I went to school in Greensboro and never did much of anything in Durham. I need to check it out as an adult!
LikeLike
Not a beer lover, but love the Angry Orchard collection! But I would love this event as I could explore other drafts and indulge in food 😚
LikeLike
I love food events! My first big event was in Chicago at the Taste of Chicago! I loved it!
LikeLike
I love events like these! I love being able to try a variety of foods during one event! My husband and I usually get a few things we really want to try and share them with each other.
LikeLike
My last name is Durham can you believe i never been? I would love to go and this fest would be up my alley.
LikeLike
I had no idea they did this in Durham. I love things like this because I love stuffing my face with all the food. So good!
LikeLike
Food and beer? I am there. Two of my favorite things in the world. It looked like a great event.
LikeLike
Love love LOVE beer! I’m not drinking hard liquor right now and I’ve been having fun trying out different brands. I’m so excited that spring is approaching because it’ll be festival season right around my birthday!
LikeLike