Now in its ninth year, the Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival has grown from a one-night event to a multi-day extravaganza with more than 100 events featuring 500 chefs, culinary personalities, entertainers and wine and spirit producers.
This year’s events, held from Oct. 13-16, range from sushi and bagel making classes to burger, hot dog and dessert tastings to intimate dinners with some of the world’s best chefs.
As you’d expect, the intimate dinners come with a higher price tag than, say, a panel discussion, although in both cases all the net proceeds benefit the No Kid Hungry campaign and Food Bank For New York City.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest affairs that are sure to spark jealousy in anyone who checks your Instagram feed — that is, if you’re able to even score a ticket.
A Celebration of Blackberry Farm’s Sam Beall
Sitting on a 4,200-acre estate in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, Blackberry Farm is a luxury resort that has become one of the ultimate foodie getaways thanks to its farm-to-table restaurants and the chance to forage and cook with the chefs. This dinner honors proprietor Sam Beall, who died in a skiing accident earlier this year at the age of 39. Chefs Ryan Hardy of Charlie Bird and Pasquale Jones, Michelle Bernstein of Miami’s Cena by Michy, and Georgia restaurateur and “Top Chef” judge Hugh Acheson will bring a bit of Beall’s “foothills cuisine” to the city while raising money for his foundation with a silent auction. Oct. 13, 7 p.m., $300 (sold out); Charlie Palmer at The Knick, Knickerbocker Hotel, 6 Times Square
A Dinner Hosted by the JGV Family
It has been said that cooking is meant to be a family activity. Few families do it as well as father and son Jean-Georges and Cedric Vongerichten. Cedric worked in London, Hong Kong and Barcelona before teaming up with his dad at their restaurant Perry St. They’ll be joined Jean-Georges’ brother Philippe, general manager of his flagship restaurant, and Jean-George’s daughter Louise, who is head of business development at Chef’s Club by Food & Wine and will oversee the wine pairings. Oct. 13, 7 p.m., $300 (sold out); Perry St, 176 Perry St.
A Dinner with David Bouley
One of New York’s most celebrated chefs will open up his Bouley Botanical events space for a special dinner using private label products and seasonal ingredients. The space features more than 400 edible species of plants used in Bouley’s restaurants and regularly plays host to dinners and lectures focused on health. For this dinner, Bouley will be joined by Danny Wegman and chefs from Wegmans Food Markets. Oct. 14, 7 p.m., $400 (sold out); Bouley Botanical, 281 Church St.
A Dinner with Deuki Hong and Edward Lee
Korean cuisine meets Southern-style cooking as chefs Deuki Hong, of local Korean BBQ restaurant Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong, and Edward Lee of Louisville’s 610 Magnolia and Milkwood come together. Hong’s restaurant is known for its high-quality meats and long waits; Lee’s 610 Magnolia is known for seasonal produce and responsibly farmed animals, while Milkwood focuses on combining Southern traditions with Asian spices and flavors. Oct. 14, 7 p.m., $250; Royalton New York, 44 W. 44th St.
A Dinner with Gabriel Kreuther and the Chefs from Cala di Volpe and Les Airelles
Those longing for a European vacation can get their fix as Gabriel Kreuther is joined at his namesake midtown restaurant by chefs from the hotel Cala di Volpe in Sardinia and the resort Les Airelles in the French Alps. Expect a combination of Kreuther’s Alsatian-inspired cooking, Cala di Volpe’s traditional Sardinian and Mediterranean dishes, and Les Airelles’ French and Italian cuisine. Oct. 15, 7 p.m., $300; Gabriel Kreuther, 41 W. 42nd St.
