The Grand Tasting At The New York Food & Wine Festival: Feasting, Fun And Doing Something Nice To End Hunger!

By: Anne M. Raso

I recently attended my first-ever Grand Tasting at The New York Food & Wine Festival at Piers 92 and 94 even though it’s been happening for seven years now. I was expecting something like the Fancy Food Show at the Javits Center, of which I am a longtime veteran. There are a lot of similarities although there are less foreign food brands than at the Fancy Food Show. Do you get as stuffed walking around and sampling from more than 100 booths? You betcha. I gained five pounds yesterday from all that feasting—plus, this year there were more than 100 types of wine to try, not to mention a lot of bourbon and rum!

New York City Wine and Food Festival Day 2: Brunch with Paula Deen

By: Finance Foodie 

[Continued from Day 1]

The last day of my New York Wine and Food Festival weekend went out with a bang - as in brunch Ms. Paula Deen, aka the queen of southern comfort food. Being from the south, my mouth salivated as I glanced at the menu, which featured Paula's favorites from south of the Mason-Dixon line.

New York City Wine and Food Festival 2012 Day 1: A Toast with Charles Krug

By: Finance Foodie 

Charles Krug was Napa Valley’s first winery, established in 1861. The creation of the Family Reserve Generations wines was a fortuitous experiment by Marc back in 1991. The Family Reserve Generations wines are among the most sought after in the Charles Krug – Peter Mondavi Family portfolio. During Day One of my New York Wine and Food Festival weekend, I had the pleasure of tasting eight vintages of this elegant wine, starting with the first masterpiece from 1991.

You had me at hello....

2010 New York Wine and Food Festival: ShopRite Grand Tasting

By: Finance Foodie

The final day of my NYCWFF weekend took me to the Grand Tasting at Pier 54 in the Hudson River Park. This event is pretty much the stuff foodie dreams are made of, as guests get to sample food and drink offerings from over 100 of NYC’s best restaurants, libation vendors, and ShopRite brands.

A few of the highlights after the jump:

Sophisticated Fun: Cosmopolitan Las Vegas Late Night Party

By: Finance Foodie

The last time I was in Las Vegas (at the tender age of 10), $2.99 all-you-can-eat buffets, $50 / night rooms at the Circus Circus, and the gauche bright lights of gambling parlors defined the Strip. But fast forward to present time, and just like Old Times Square, the Strip has transformed itself from a destination of unapologetic seediness into a mecca of sophistication, dominated by mega resorts that cater to every lifestyle need. No longer is the Las Vegas Strip purely a gaming destination; it has also become a center for 5-star cuisine, world class shopping, and glamour-puss accommodations.

Source: blog.vegas.com

2010 New York Wine and Food Festival: Behind the Scenes at the Food Network

By: Finance Foodie

After the Rachael Ray demo, I headed back downtown to Chelsea Market for my next event -- a behind the scenes look at the Food Network. Now there are only two channels that are on constant replay in my apartment (CNBC and the Food Network), so I totally felt like a kid in the candy store about hanging out backstage at one of my favorite stations!

To be honest, work was quite frantic during the week before festival, so I didn’t read the details of this event too carefully. So imagine my surprise when I was taken to a TV set, complete with a chef’s kitchen, tables and chairs for the audience, and a full place setting at each seat! What I thought was a walking tour of the Food Network was actually a four-course cooking demonstration / tasting session (with wine pairings) lead by Food Network’s Executive Chef, Robert Bleifer.

2010 New York Wine and Food Festival: Rachael Ray Culinary Demo

By: Finance Foodie

Since I moved to the East Coast, I’ve looked forward to Columbus Day weekend every year -- not because of the long weekend (I’ve never had a Columbus Day off), but because I get to make my annual trek to NYC for the New York Wine and Food Festival. This three-day extravaganza brings out all the top chefs for a weekend of fantastic events and dinners around the city, with all proceeds benefiting the NYC Food Bank and Share Our Strength! Team Finance Foodie was lucky enough to be invited again this year to cover the festivities – hooray for great foods and great causes! (Our coverage last year can be seen here and here)

Love Rachael Ray!

Ring the Alarm: 100 Mile Brunch @ New York Fire Museum

By: Finance Foodie

The second day (Sunday) of the New York Wine and Food Festival took me to the New York Fire Museum for the 100-Mile Brunch, hosted by Farmer Bob of the Katchkie Farm in Upstate NY. The inspiration for this event was to use ingredients and foods sourced from within a 100 mile radius of New York City - very creative!

Tea Seduction at the Soho House New York

By: Finance Foodie

This past weekend took me back to my old stomping grounds – the city of bright lights and big dreams – none other than New York City. I was invited to attend two events at the New York Wine and Food Festival and boy was I PUMPED (you might recall the "sweet" time I had at the SWEET party last year). As I sat on the Fung Wah Chinatown Bus (which was really not as scary or dangerous as Wikipedia made it out to be) enroute to the City, I could barley contain my excitement when I thought of the fun food filled weekend that was ahead.

The first event I attend on Saturday was Tea Seduction, which was billed as an aphrodisiac afternoon tea party served with foods that stimulate the senses and arouse the appetite. Looks like a sexy afternoon in store for me! As I entered the Library of the uber- posh Soho House, I was greeted to neatly set tables with beautiful place-settings.

How Sweet it is: Food Network's SWEET Party

By: Finance Foodie

As I look back on 2008 (during my 6 hour deathly boring train ride), I reflect on all the magnificent foodie adventures I have had and the amazing friends and family that shared in my journeys. Feeling nostalgic, I remember my favorite event of 2008: the New York Wine and Food Festival’s SWEET party (sponsored by the Food Network).

Held in the late 2008, the SWEET party celebrated all things dessert. Translation: over 100 booths of succulent samples created by some of the most highly regarded dessert chefs in the city (i.e. François Payard, Johnny Iuzzini). Both my foodie friend and I, who believe a meal is not complete without a happy ending (as in a dessert…get your mind out of the gutter!), were uber-excited when we arrived at la.venue, the site of the party. The loft-like space had been transformed into a beautiful pseudo-ski lodge, complete with cozy fur rugs and couches, DJ Sam Ronson (LiLo's gf) spinning funky tunes, and most importantly, an open bar. I had a delightful chocolate mint smoothie shot, which was served on a Target ice sculpture by a charmingly dressed ski elfin (note: Target sponsored the makeshift ski lodge). What a wonderful beginning to our evening!

so cool (literally!)