The New York City Wine & Food Festival is in Full Swing
Here are the premiere events you can still buy tickets for
The New York City Wine & Food Festival is in full swing after an opening party at the Tin Building that saw culinary A-listers like Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Martha Stewart hobnobbing and noshing.
This year, the festival returns to Manhattan, with a new home at the South Street Seaport — a genius move for its accessibility and gorgeous views. With the weather promising to be spectacular, the festival should be tops on your “to do” list this weekend if you’re in or around New York City (or want to catch a last-minute flight like I’m doing).
I hear your inner monologue: “But I forgot to buy tickets”…Luckily, there are several events that are still available for the rest of the weekend. I suggest texting a friend and making plans now.
Tonight (Friday)
One of the festival’s signature events — and a “must do” for burger lovers — the Burger Bash offers you the chance to sample the city’s best burgers under the stars. Rachael Ray hosts this annual love affair with beef, with DJ Cassidy providing the beat.
José’s Table: An Intimate Dining Experience with José Andrés
Okay, okay — the tickets cost the price of a round trip to Spain ($1,570 per person), but when are you ever getting another chance to have an intimate dinner with chef/humanitarian José Andrés? Rumor has it that there are only two seats left for the dinner for 12, since the winemaker opted not to be seated for dinner. Personally, I’ve met the chef numerous times, and his stories and culinary talent are genius. If this is a bucket list item, it’s worth exploring.
Saturday
Part trade show, part walkaround tasting, part carnival — the Grand Tasting is THE SHOW in a nutshell. If your idea of a grand afternoon is to walk around and drink wine and cocktails, sample some of New York’s culinary treasures, and be entertained beyond belief — all under a crisp autumn sky — then you cannot miss this. This is as much an annual Fall ritual as is watching the leaves change color in Central Park.
Say you can’t make the Grand Tasting in the afternoon, or you simply want to double down on a good time, this year, the NYCWFF introduces Grand Tasting After Dark. Instead of Saturday and Sunday sessions, the festival has broken down the Grand Tasting into day and night sessions — kinda like tennis. The evening event, hosted by Bobby Flay and Brooke Williamson, promises to be a great time with culinary demos, tastings, and plenty of fun. And, don’t you want to take a gander at Williamson’s “rock” that the tabloids have been writing about?
Sunday
Catch of the Day: A Seafood Feast
Imagine the ultimate Sunday seafood brunch loaded with oysters, shrimp, ceviche, and crabs. Imagine downing plate after plate of raw items like a Mermaid on a bender. Then, imagine free-flowing glasses of crisp Modelo to wash it all down with — while Andrew Zimmern gently coaxes you to go for another round. That’s what you’ll experience at Sunday afternoon’s Catch of the Day event, hosted by Zimmern from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
If you’ve grown up in NYC, you know Sundays are all about mom and Nonna spending hours preparing the Sunday gravy and meatballs. Even if you didn’t grow up in an Italian household, chances are you’ve been invited to this most decadent, down-home tradition. This Sunday, close out the festival with an array of pasta and parm, hosted by the Pasta Queen, Nadia Caterina Munno, and Lil Mo Mozzarella.