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

After a two yr hiatus, the New York City Wine & Food Festival is about to return to the Huge Apple from October 14th by means of October seventeenth, 2021. The 4 day extravaganza is billed as the biggest of its variety within the 5 boroughs, encompassing walk-around tastings, celeb chef-hosted dinners, culinary demonstrations and extra. In whole this yr’s iteration will characteristic over 65 occasions scattered throughout town.

Highlights from the recently-released run of present embrace the ever-popular Blue Moon Burger Bash hosted this yr by Rachael Ray at Pier 86; Drag Brunch emceed by chef and cookbook writer 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. Thus far, “NYCWFF” has raised almost $14 million for such causes. To be taught extra about this yr’s go-round, Forbes sat down with competition founder Lee Brian Schrager for an unique preview. His quotes are included under.

Give us an summary of the New York Wine & Meals Competition. How has it advanced through the years?

Our aim has all the time been to function a platform that amplifies and connects the faces and voices of the hospitality business immediately with followers. Over time, we’ve advanced from a smaller, extra intimate affair to a competition that curates occasions throughout town and attracts followers from everywhere in the nation. We now characteristic 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 stay, for the primary time in two years?

We’re thrilled to be again stay and in-person. We’ve put collectively a sturdy line-up of occasions that has one thing for everybody. These searching for an even bigger walk-around fashion occasion will take pleasure in our pier events which is able to characteristic two sprawling out of doors tasting areas at Hudson River Park’s Pier 76 and Pier 86, house of the Intrepid Museum – two new venues for us this yr.

Something you’re notably trying ahead to?

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

What about for individuals who want to keep away from massive crowds?

These searching for a extra intimate affair can snag seats to one in every of our 20-plus dinners, which is able to 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.

Discuss extra concerning the charitable part of this competition.

With meals insecurity at an all-time excessive, the competition’s mission is extra necessary 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 yr the Competition has benefited God’s Love We Ship—the New York Metropolis metropolitan space’s main supplier of medically tailor-made meals and diet counseling for people dwelling with extreme sickness.

We additionally see the Competition as equally necessary to the hospitality business, as its mission has all the time been to have a good time the strong and resilient New York Metropolis restaurant scene whereas additionally offering a platform for all contributors to advertise their companies – one thing we really feel is extra necessary than ever as New York Metropolis continues to reawaken. 

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

The protection of our collaborating eating places, workers and company 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 yr, NYCWFF’s sister occasion, the South Beach Wine & Food Festival 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 identical precautions in New York, if no more.

An entire itemizing of occasions—together with tickets—are actually obtainable at nycwff.org.