It's a food-festival showdown this weekend in Seattle, Kirkland

Folks behind Kirkland Uncorked declared they're ready for a food-festival showdown with the grand spectacle that is Comcast Bite of Seattle. Something about showing the Westside how to throw a three-day summer celebration.

Organizers on the Eastside really did say that in a news release.

So here comes your food showdown, starting Friday. Kirkland Uncorked at the Marina Park, 25 Lakeshore Plaza in downtown, vs. Comcast Bite of Seattle at the Seattle Center.

Both run three-day food-and-wine festivals with live entertainment, though their focus is a little different.

Kirkland Uncorked, in its fourth year, runs more of a wine festival by the waterfront, with about 70 white wines, summer reds and ales being poured by dozens of local wineries and breweries. Cocktails, too, and a little culture: Kirkland Avenue and Marina Park will become galleries, showcasing art in all media.

Seattle's event, in its 28th year, focuses more on food, including Tom Douglas' The Alley, where 18 area restaurants offer samples. There's a separate lineup of seven restaurants featuring little bites, and six restaurants participating in "Green Bites" that focus on local, sustainable and organic food.

Other highlights:

In Kirkland, grilling is the food focus, with its popular grill-off at 5 p.m. Saturday, featuring three Seattle chefs: Sabrina Tinsley of Osteria La Spiga, Angie Roberts of BOKA Kitchen + Bar and Danielle Custer of TASTE restaurant.

Also, count on grilling demonstrations through out the three-day event and food samples from several Eastside restaurants. The $20-$25 admission includes a glass and 10 tasting tokens. Food samples are free.

In Seattle, five beer gardens and a jazz and wine-tasting event spread across the Seattle Center campus, as well as eight stages of live entertainment and cooking demonstrations. Free admission, though expect to pay from $3.75 (that's the price for this year's Just a Bite offering, a 3- to 4-ounce "bite" of participating eateries' menu items) to $10, depending on which food line you want to partake in.

Tan Vinh: 206-515-5656 or tvinh@seattletimes.com