The New York City Wine & Food Festival Was a Culinary Dream
October’s most anticipated festival went above and beyond.
NYCWFF is every food lover and wine connoisseur’s paradise. The goal of the festival is not only to bring joy from and knowledge of food and wine but to also end world hunger with donations to the Food Bank for New York City and No Kid Hungry.
Festival-goers were treated to a 4-day extravaganza consisting of tastings, demonstrations, panels, parties, and dinners. The festival kicked off on October 10th with Elvis Duran’s Taste of New York that served wine, beer, unique cocktails, and a smorgasbord of delicious cheeses, meats, and finger food and featured a smashing performance by pop sensation Alessia Cara. The party continued with a Night at José Andrés’ Mercado Little Spain that highlighted Spanish cuisine, from savory jamón to warm churros.
The following day, October 11th had 5 main events: the Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Trade Tasting, Food & Fake News panel, Taking the “Female” Out of the Award panel, Social Media for the Hospitality Industry panel, and Flashback Friday late-night party. The panels featured panelists Angie Mar, Jason Riis, Kevin Boehm, Chloe Coscarelli, Mitchell Davis, Eden Grinshpan, Emily Hyland, Sarah Steffan, Steven Bartlett, Michael Chernow, and Kristen Tomlan. Amongst the topics discussed were food industry myths, eliminating a separate category for female chefs in order to achieve more inclusivity, and how restaurants can make the most of social media, giving attendees the opportunity to learn and become aware of the intricacies within the culinary industry.
On October 12th, the Grand Tasting presented by ShopRite featuring Culinary Demonstrations at The IKEA Kitchen presented by Captial One®, was one of the most anticipated events of the festival. It consisted of samplings, wine, and beer tastings, and much more. Many celebrity chefs and personalities from popular networks such as Food Network made an appearance and demonstrated their culinary talents. Celebrities included Geoffrey Zakarian, Rachael Ray, Whoopi Goldberg, Andrew Zimmerman, Katie Lee, and many many more. The day also offered Oktoberfest, Barilla’s Drag Brunch, and Dumplings Around the World, which was hosted by none other than Jet Tila (who you may know as a judge from Cutthroat Kitchen). The night held the options to attend 3 different parties: Rocktails hosted by Robert Irvine, Goldbelly Sweets ‘n Beats hosted by Buddy Valastro & Joe Ariel, and Tiki showdown hosted by Anne Burrell. Guests were treated to handcrafted cocktails, creative and unreal sweets, and Polynesian food.
The final day of the festival was all about brunch with the cast of the renowned cooking competition show Chopped. Among the special guests were Ted Allen, Maneet Chauhan, Alex Guarnaschelli, Scott Conant, Amanda Freitag, Marc Murphy, and Devour Power. The brunch had many gourmet delicacies that ranged from eggs Benedict to specialty doughnuts to an unimaginable amount of crispy bacon. The Bloody Marys and wine were everflowing, ensuring that attendees had the best brunch they’ve ever had. After a divine brunch, the Schmaltzy Storytelling and Tasting event followed. It featured Jewish dishes, accompanied by the stories of their origins; it was the perfect mesh of flavorful fare and cultural immersion.
To learn more about the festival and sign up to be the first to know about how to be apart of the mouthwatering experience next year, check out the NYCWFF website.
