Wild Dunes Literary Series' Spring Luncheon featuring Vivian Howard in conversation with Mary Alice Monroe

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The Wild Dunes Literary Series is proud to welcome award-winning cookbook author, chef, restaurateur, and TV personality Vivian Howard to the spring luncheon, in conversation with New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe.

Join Howard and Monroe for this special spring event Thursday, April 18th, 11:30 a.m. at the beautiful Indigo Room & Rooftop, in the Sweetgrass Inn at Wild Dunes Resort for a luncheon and author talk featuring Howard's latest cookbook, This Will Make it Taste Good (2020).

Her first cookbook, Deep Run Roots: Stories & Recipes from My Corner of the South (2016), is a New York Times bestseller and was named “Cookbook of the Year” by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Both books will be available for sale at the event. 

During the spring luncheon, guests will enjoy a menu by the Wild Dunes culinary team that is inspired by recipes featured in Vivian’s cookbooks, promising to be a true Southern treat to be savored. 

Vivian stars in the hit TV shows on PBS Somewhere South and A Chef’s Life, for which she has won Peabody, Emmy and James Beard awards. Howard owns and operates two restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina– Lenoir and its sister cafe Handy & Hot, along with two restaurants in her home state of North Carolina– The Kitchen Bar at Chef & the Farmer (Kinston) and Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria (Wilmington). 

The Wild Dunes Literary Series spring luncheon offers two tiers of tickets:

VIP tickets: $70 per person. Includes a signed hardcover of This Will Make It Taste Good, a seat at a front table with author (Vivian Howard, Mary Alice Monroe), a delicious lunch inspired by Howard’s cookbooks, a beverage, and author talk. Only 18 seats are available. 

General Admission tickets: $40 per person. Includes a delicious lunch inspired by Howard’s cookbooks, a beverage, the author talk, and $5 book coupon that can be used at the on-site bookstore. 

Buxton Books will be on-site and authors can personalize books. 

Seating is limited. Register online to reserve your seat. There’s an option to reserve an 8-seat table or 10-seat table for your book club or friends. RSVP now at www.maryalicemonroe.com/spring-event/.

Please note: Tickets to this event are non-refundable. If you have a book-included ticket, please email hello@buxtonbooks.com. We will make every effort to reserve your signed copy for you. We can ship nationwide or hold the book for pick-up at the bookstore for 30 days.

About This Will Make It Taste Good:
From caramelized onions to fruit preserves, make home cooking quick and easy with ten simple "kitchen heroes" in these 125 recipes from the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Vivian Howard. This Will Make It Taste Good is an essential work of home-cooking genius that makes simple food exciting and accessible, no matter your skill level in the kitchen. Each chapter in the cookbook is built on a flavor hero—a simple but powerful recipe like her briny green sauce, spiced nuts, fruit preserves, deeply caramelized onions, and spicy pickled tomatoes. Nothing is complicated, and more than half the dishes are vegetarian, gluten-free, or both. These recipes use ingredients that are easy to find, keep around, and cook with—lots of chicken, prepared in a bevy of ways to keep it interesting, and common vegetables like broccoli, kale, squash, and sweet potatoes that look good no matter where you shop. 

About Vivian Howard:
Vivian Howard is an award-winning cookbook author, tv personality, chef and restaurateur. Her first cookbook, Deep Run Roots: Stories & Recipes from My Corner of the South, is a New York Times bestseller and was named “Cookbook of the Year” by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. She created and stars in public television shows Somewhere South and A Chef’s Life, for which she has won Peabody, Emmy and James Beard awards. Vivian runs the restaurants The Kitchen Bar at Chef & the Farmer in Kinston, NC; Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria in Wilmington, NC; Lenoir and its sister cafe Handy & Hot  in Charleston, SC.

About Mary Alice Monroe:
Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of 30 books, including the beloved Beach House series and Lowcountry Summer series. Monroe has also written picture books and a middle grade fiction book series called The Islanders, which is also a New York Times bestseller. Monroe is an active conservationist and supports numerous conservation-focused organizations, including the South Carolina Aquarium and The Leatherback Trust. She lives in Isle of Palms, South Carolina and North Carolina, which are a source of inspiration for many of her books. 

About The Wild Dunes Literary Series:
The Wild Dunes Literary Series is a seasonal experience exclusive to the Isle of Palms and that is a longtime partnership between Wild Dunes Resort and award-winning, bestselling author and island resident Mary Alice Monroe.

The seasonal literary series is as followed

  • Spring Event with featured author in conversation with Mary Alice Monroe
  • Summer Event (for families) celebrating children’s literature
  • Fall Event with featured author in conversation with Mary Alice Monroe
  • Winter Event is our annual gala known as the Wild Dunes Author Event with Mary Alice Monroe, which features headlining authors and includes a weekend of activities celebrating a shared love of books with proceeds benefiting a local literacy program.

Please email mam@buxtonbooks.com with any questions or concerns. 


Indigo Room and Rooftop Bar at Wild Dunes Resort

5757 Palm Blvd
Sweetgrass Inn at Wild Dunes Resort

Isle of Palms, SC 29451