The James Beard Foundation’s national culinary tour comes to Boston this fall for a celebration of the city’s food culture. Boston’s weekend-long itinerary kicks off on Thursday, November 1st, with a welcome reception and continues on Friday, November 2nd, with a benefit dinner held at the State Room: A Longwood Venue.

Friday evening will begin with a reception featuring cocktails and hors d’oeuvre from local chefs and restaurateurs, including Tony Messina (Uni), Meghann Ward (Tapestry), Daniel Bojorquez (La Brasa), Douglass Williams (MIDA) and Tracy Chang (Pagu) as well as Host Chef David Blessing (Longwood Venues and Destinations). Afterwards, guests will be seated for an extraordinary dinner prepared by Taste America Visiting All-Star Chef Renee Erickson (The Whale Wins, Seattle, WA) and Taste America Local All-Star Chef Tony Maws (Craigie on Main) who will curate a menu showcasing America’s rich and diverse culinary scene. Capping off the night will be a dessert reception featuring Joanne Chang (Flour Bakery + Cafe), Renae Connolly (Benedetto) and Brian Mercury (Oak + Rowan). A portion of the proceeds from the benefit dinner will directly contribute to the Foundation’s Scholarship Programs.

The celebration continues on Saturday, November 3rd, with complimentary cooking how-to’s at Sur La Table: Copley Place with demonstrations by Renee Erickson and Oleana’s Ana Sortun. The demonstrations, book signings and tastings from local producers and artisans start at 10:00am. While the in-store events are free, reservations will be accepted starting Friday, October 19th and are highly recommended (kitchen space is limited, people).

See event details for Boston’s stop on the Taste America tour and use industry code VIP15 for a special 15% discount off Friday VIP Dining Tickets (limited quantity available).