It's one thing to watch celebrity chef Alessandro Strata compete on Iron Chef USA from the comfort of your couch. It's quite another to walk into his kitchen and taste the caramelized cipollini he's cooking, hot out of the pan.

That kind of prime access is what makes Hawai'i Food & Wine Festivalso amazing. You can share the pleasure of an oceanview meal with your favorite chefs and fewer than 1,000 other diners, and at the end of the night walk away with your belly full and your head inspired.

Deemed "the premier epicurean destination event in the Pacific," The Hawaii Food & Wine Festival takes place over a two week period and over three islands, Maui, Big Island and Oahu. The Maui events happen from October 14 to 16. Kā'anapali Beach Resort is the backdrop: a piece of paradise wrapped around 12 resorts, two golf courses and two shopping centers, adorning three miles of absolutely gorgeous beach.

The party kicks off Friday with the 19th Annual Roy's Golf Classic at Kā'anapali Golf Course. Top chefs—Maui's own Peter Merriman, Joey Macadangdang, Scott McGill, Bernardo Salazar, Heather Love, and Henry Adaniya—plus winemakers and pro golfers join in the action.

Thirteen renowned chefs take the stage for Saturday's gala event: Kā'anapali: A Chef's Paradiseat Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa. As the sun sinks into the ocean, they'll be whipping up a sustainable feast starring the island's best seafood, meat and produce, deliciously paired with wine. The chef lineup features Maui's Bev Gannon, Isaac Bancaco and Greg Gaspar; plus heavyweights Lincoln Carson, Graham Elliott, Elizabeth Falkner, Ben Ford, Rory Herrmann, Michelle Karr-Ueoka, Raphael Lunetta, Andrew Sutton, Ming Tsai, and Martin Yan. Talented California winemakers include Opus One, Joseph Phelps, Morlet, Blankiet, and more.

Hawaiian Airlines presents "Soaring Palates" on Sunday evening at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa. Six incredible chefs—Kentaro Chen, Jose Garces, Greg Grohowski, Francois Payard, Alessandro Stratta, and Jonathan Waxman—prepare six courses that take guests on a culinary journey from the East to West Coast and across the Pacific to Japan. Raise your perfectly paired glass of wine; then cruise over and take a selfie with your favorite chef!

Also on tap for the weekend is Scandal! The Dark and Stormy Underbelly of Cocktails. Held on Saturday at the Westin Kā'anapali Ocean Resort Villas, the popular mixology lunch features Jen Ackrill and Aaron Alcala-Mosley telling stories about some of the greatest scandals in cocktail history.

The Grown on Maui Farmers Market is your chance to see, first hand, locally grown produce and made on Maui products, and chat directly with the Maui farmers. Set on beautiful Kā'anapali Beachwalk, the market attracts residents and visitors alike to enjoy the delicious flavors of the island—and it's free!

The kitchen's not closed after the Festival leaves town. In fact, this culinary hotspot is cooking 365 days a year. World-class restaurants, talented chefs and a year-round growing season ensure that any Kā'anapali vacation is a culinary event—and a lot more exciting than watching Iron Chef on TV.