New York City Wine & Food Festival Expands to Brooklyn
Founder Lee Schrager invites you to hop a ferry and party with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, among other celebrities and chefs
The New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF) celebrates its 16th year, with more than 80 dinners, tastings, and seminars benefitting God’s Love We Deliver.
This year, the festival will move much of its signature events, including the Grand Tasting and Burger Bash to a massive 450,000-square-foot campus at the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Brooklyn.
Speaking of Burger Bash — Broken Palate readers are invited to save 25 percent on tickets to Burger Bash by using code Burger25 at checkout. Find tickets and more at NYCWFF.org.
Many other events, including the Sunday Brunch hosted by the cast of Food Network’s The Kitchen and the family-friendly Halloween Sweets & Treats, will remain in Manhattan.
Festival founder Lee Brian Schrager says the decision to move the signature events to Brooklyn was made after several years of rainy weekends put a damper on the festivities. “We needed to move the festival somewhere where we could tent it. And we needed a large area to do so. We should have made the move to Brooklyn years ago.”
For Schrager, hosting the festival in Brooklyn is a homecoming of sorts, since New York City’s first Burger Bash was held in Dumbo. In addition to plenty of space in which to pitch the massive tents that span the length of several football fields, Brooklyn holds one more advantage: a gorgeous view of the Manhattan Skyline and the Statue of Liberty. “The backdrop is great,” says Schrager who dubbed the neighborhood, “The Brooklyn Riviera”.
Schrager, who owns homes in Miami and New York City, also notes that Brooklyn is home to New York’s most interesting dining scene. “Every time I come to New York, I try out a new place in Brooklyn,” he says, noting how convenient it is to get there. “If I hop on the Subway at 59th Street, I’m at dinner in 25 minutes tops.” The festival also encourages ticketholders to take a special NYCWFF ferry from Wall Street’s Pier 11 directly to the Brooklyn campus for $4 each way. “We’ve made it easy and cost-effective if you’re coming from Manhattan,” says the festival founder.
If you need more convincing to party in Brooklyn, Schrager says there’s something for everyone from a dance party with Bobby Flay to Andrew Zimmern’s Oyster Bash and The Cookout with JJ Johnson and Rev Run.
But the more anticipated event has to be the Thursday night party hosted by Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. Brooklyn Eats & Beats will feature chefs Michael Solomonov (chef/co-owner, Laser Wolf), Sean Feeney (co-owner Misi and Lilia), Esther Choi (chef at mökbar and co-host of Food Network’s “24 in 24: Last Chef Standing"), Bill Durney (pitmaster and owner of Hometown BBQ and Red Hook Tavern), and Lucali’s pizzaiolo, Mark Iacono. And, since Martha Stewart is hosting a few of her own soirees during the festival (including a celebration of her 100th book) there’s no telling whether she’ll traverse the East River to hang out with her bestie.
Of course, there is the sheer sensory overload that is the Grand Tasting on Saturday and Sunday afternoon in what can best be described as “a wonderland of food and drink”.
If you insist on staying on the island of Manhattan, there’s plenty to do including Saturday morning’s Drag Disco, hosted by David Burtka and Neil Patrick Harris at the Cutting Room; and Alex Guarnaschelli’s Ciao House: An Italian Tasting, co-hosted by Gabriele Bertaccini at the exquisite Hall des Lumières in Downtown Manhattan.
Schrager hopes that fans of the festival will return, and he’s excited to welcome a whole new crown of Brooklynites who can take advantage of the festival being in their backyard. After all, says Schrager, “It’s the New York City Wine & Food Festival - and Brooklyn is a big part of New York City.”
Get more information on the events and purchase tickets at NYCWFF.org.