Cleaver & Cork: Tallahassee Shows Up Hungry

The Edison Team at 2026 Cleaver & Cork Festival

There is one very special day each year when Tallahassee collectively decides to wear comfortable shoes and arrive hungry. That day is called Cleaver & Cork, the annual tasting event supporting the Tallahassee State College Foundation.

The concept is simple and extremely appealing: gather a bunch of great restaurants, add wine, invite a few visiting chefs, and let the city wander around sampling everything. It works every time.

This year, our booth featured one of Chef Morgan Stumpff’s specialties — shrimp & grits, known on our brunch menu as Grits a Ya Ya. It’s a dish he’s particularly proud of, and if you missed it at the festival, you can still find it at The Edison on Saturday and Sunday mornings when brunch is in full swing.

Across the lawn, the real action is always at the booths. Chefs plating as fast as they can. Guests debating whether they still have room for one more bite. Friends pointing across the crowd saying, “You have to try that one.”

Celebrity Chef Maneet Chauhan giving a demonstration at 2026 Cleaver & Cork

The festival had a little extra buzz this year thanks to Maneet Chauhan stopping through. Seeing a Food Network regular on a Tallahassee stage tends to draw a crowd, and it’s always fun watching people do the quick double take when they realize the chef they recognize from television is suddenly standing right in front of them.

What makes Cleaver & Cork so enjoyable, though, isn’t only the food. It’s the people behind it. The team that organizes the festival each year does a remarkable job bringing the whole evening together, and the event ultimately benefits the Tallahassee State College Foundation, helping support students and programs in our community.

So the night ends the same way it begins: a lawn full of neighbors, chefs, and curious diners enjoying themselves in our big small town. And if you’re lucky, maybe discovering a new favorite dish along the way.

Cleaver & Cork guests line up to sample at The Edison’s booth

Food festivals have a way of turning the whole city into one big roaming dinner party. And Tallahassee is particularly good at this kind of gathering. People show up ready to have fun, ready to support local restaurants, and very ready to eat.

By the end of the day, the lawn is full of empty plates, happy diners, and chefs who have served a few hundred bites in record time. A good sign all around.

Cleaver & Cork may only last a few hours, but it manages to capture something we all like about living here: good food, friendly faces, and a crowd that shows up hungry.