The New York City Wine & Food Festival Is Back And Bigger Than Ever

After a two 12 months hiatus, the New York City Wine & Food Festival is ready to return to the Large Apple from October 14th by October seventeenth, 2021. The 4 day extravaganza is billed as the most important of its form within the 5 boroughs, encompassing walk-around tastings, movie star chef-hosted dinners, culinary demonstrations and extra. In whole this 12 months’s iteration will function over 65 occasions scattered throughout the town.

Highlights from the recently-released run of present embrace the ever-popular Blue Moon Burger Bash hosted this 12 months by Rachel Ray at Pier 86; Drag Brunch emceed by chef and cookbook creator David Burtka, and his husband, five-time Emmy Award winner Neil Patrick Harris; and, after all, the Grand Tasting—showcasing a worldwide assortment of freshly ready bites paired alongside world-class wine, beer and spirits. All of it unfurls below the shadows of the Manhattan skyline in Hudson River Park’s Pier 76.

A portion of the proceeds from the competition advantages hunger-relief organizations in New York. So far, “NYCWFF” has raised almost $14 million for such causes. To be taught extra about this 12 months’s go-round, Forbes sat down with competition founder Lee Brian Schrager for an unique preview. His quotes are included beneath.

Give us an summary of the New York Wine & Meals Competition. How has it developed over time?

Our purpose has at all times been to function a platform that amplifies and connects the faces and voices of the hospitality trade immediately with followers. Over time, we’ve developed from a smaller, extra intimate affair to a competition that curates occasions throughout the town and attracts followers from everywhere in the nation. We now function experiential walk-around tastings, intimate one-night solely collaboration dinners, culinary demonstrations from Meals Community and Cooking Channel expertise, hands-on Grasp Courses and extra.

How does it really feel to be again reside, for the primary time in two years?

We’re thrilled to be again reside and in-person. We’ve put collectively a strong line-up of occasions that has one thing for everybody. These on the lookout for a much bigger walk-around fashion occasion will take pleasure in our pier events which can function two sprawling outside tasting areas at Hudson River Park’s Pier 76 and Pier 86, dwelling of the Intrepid Museum – two new venues for us this 12 months.

Something you’re notably wanting ahead to?

I’m particularly excited for Goldbelly’s Best of New York, hosted by Joe Ariel and Rev Run. That occasion will rejoice essentially the most quintessential NYC meals from the town’s most sought-after eating places and can actually be a celebration of the triumphant NYC eating scene.

What about for individuals who wish to keep away from large crowds?

These on the lookout for a extra intimate affair can snag seats to considered one of our 20-plus dinners, which can see collaborations between Alex Guarnaschelli and Michael White, Giada De Laurentiis and Enrique Olvera, Melba Wilson and Michael Lomonaco, Amanda Freitag, Brook Williamson and Stephanie Izard and lots of others.

Speak extra in regards to the charitable element of this competition.

With meals insecurity at an all-time excessive, the competition’s mission is extra essential than ever to “Eat. Drink. Feed NYC,” with all proceeds to learn God’s Love We Deliver and the Food Bank for New York City. Whereas the Meals Financial institution for New York Metropolis has been a long-time beneficiary, that is the primary 12 months the Competition has benefited God’s Love We Ship—the New York Metropolis metropolitan space’s main supplier of medically tailor-made meals and vitamin counseling for people dwelling with extreme sickness.

We additionally see the Competition as equally essential to the hospitality trade, as its mission has at all times been to rejoice the sturdy and resilient New York Metropolis restaurant scene whereas additionally offering a platform for all members to advertise their companies – one thing we really feel is extra essential than ever as New York Metropolis continues to reawaken. 

What are you doing to make sure the protection of visitors amidst COVID?

The security of our taking part eating places, workers and visitors is our primary precedence. We’ll now require proof of vaccination to achieve entry to any of the 65-plus occasions over the 4 days. In Could of this 12 months, NYCWFF’s sister occasion, the South Seaside Wine & Meals Competition returned, marking the primary wine and meals competition to happen because the onset of the pandemic. We featured a slew of well being and security protocols there that proved to achieve success and we’re taking lots of the similar precautions in New York, if no more.

A whole itemizing of occasions—together with tickets—at the moment are obtainable at nycwff.org.