New York City Bakery Owners to Celebrate Evening of Desserts and Baked Goods at Vulcan Park

What: 2015 Eat Drink Read Write Festival
When: Thursday, October 8, 2015, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Where: Vulcan Park & Museum, 1701 Valley View Dr., Birmingham
Details: Complete four-day schedule online at www.bplonline.org/EatDrinkFest.
Baked Event is $15, 18 or older to enter, 21 or older to drink. Buy tickets at http://baked.eventbrite.com. The Bards & Brews poetry slam event taking place at Central Library, 2100 Park Place, Friday, October 9, 6:30-9:00 p.m., is free.

The co-owners of two popular New York City bakeries will celebrate an evening of desserts and baked goods at Vulcan Park & Museum Thursday, October 8, on the third day of the Birmingham Public Library’s 2015 Eat Drink Read Write festival.

“The festival combines food, culinary arts, and literature in an engaging format focused on cultural enrichment and entertaining the public,” said Brandon C. Smith, the Eastwood Branch Library manager who is serving as coordinator of the 2015 Eat Drink Read Write festival.

Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, co-owners of Baked and authors of a series of successful cookbooks, are the biggest names ever to take part in the festival, celebrating its fourth year. Their success at both Baked venues, a popular draw in New York City, led them to be semifinalists of the prestigious James Beard Award in the 2015 Best Baker Category. They write a food blog that has a loyal following of fans.

Their appearance will highlight an evening celebrating desserts and baked goods on Thursday, October 8, beginning at 7:00 p.m., at Vulcan Park & Museum. Lewis and Poliafito have been featured in magazines and newspapers around the globe, as well as appeared on Oprah, Martha Stewart, and the Today Show.

During the “Dessert Course” beginning at 7:00 p.m., Lewis and Poliafito will deliver a presentation they call “How Not to Build a Bakery,” discussing mistakes they made along their journey to success and the lucky breaks that have come their way. At 8:00 p.m., the Birmingham Public Library’s Young Professionals board is hosting a reception including wine and dessert samples following the presentation. There is a $15 admission fee to attend this event. Here is a link to a GQ article about Lewis and Poliafito’s third book, Baked: Elements: http://www.gq.com/story/matt-lewis-renato-poliafito-of-baked.

Main sponsors who made the Eat Drink Read Write festival possible are Protective Life Foundation, InSinkErator, and the Birmingham Public Library Young Professionals board. The four-day festival closes out Friday with the Birmingham Public Library’s popular Bards & Brews poetry slam event.

See details on that event below:

“After Dinner Drinks” – Bards & Brews Poetry Slam
Friday, October 9, 6:30-9:00 p.m., Central Library, 2100 Park Place, free admission

The library’s popular Bards & Brews spoken word poetry and craft beer tasting event will close the four-day Eat Drink Read Write festival at the Central Library. Beer will be donated from a number of local breweries, including Cahaba Brewing, Good People Brewing, and Avondale Brewing. Voice Porter, a performance artist and experienced poetry slam emcee, will host the free evening event.

Poets will compete in a slam for $500 in cash prizes while attendees sample beer, coffee, tea, and snacks.

Smith said the Birmingham Public Library would like to thank the main sponsors who made the event possible through their contributions—InSinkErator, Protective Life Foundation, and the Birmingham Public Library Young Professionals—as well as other sponsors: Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network, Avondale Brewing Co., Friends of the Birmingham Public Library, Good People Brewing Co., Hotbox at Parkside, Lawson State Community College, Vizzini Farms Winery, What to Eat in Birmingham, and Alabama State Council on the Arts.

“This event will be a great way to celebrate our food and culture in Birmingham,” Smith said. “I am pleased that we will be able to close out Eat Drink Read Write with our popular Bards & Brews poetry slam. This will be a great way for people to come together, visit the library, and learn more about the great restaurants and breweries we have here in Birmingham.”