What You Missed: A Recap Of The 2016 New York City Wine & Food Festival
The New York City Wine & Food Festival has come and gone for another year: This past weekend was a treat of the best burgers, sushi, pizza, meatballs, and more that the city has to offer prepared by award-winning and celebrity chefs.
On Thursday, the most popular events were Tacos and Tequila hosted by Aarón Sanchéz, and Barilla's Italian Table presented by Alfa Romeo and hosted by Giada De Laurentiis. Also on Thursday night, Chelsea Market opened its doors to NYC foodies for exclusive tastes of what its permanent vendors have to offer. Many also waited their turn to pose with smiling Cooking Channel stars Haylie Duff, Tia Mowry, and Tiffani Thiessen throughout the evening.
By Friday evening, the party was really kicked into high gear. One of the biggest events of the weekend was the Blue Moon Burger Bash hosted by Food Network's Rachael Ray; special guest judges included actors Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, restaurateur Marc Murphy, and chef Josh Capon. David's Café was given the Judges' Choice Award for its classic, double patty burger with all the signature fixings.
A late-night treat on Friday came in the form of the Rock & Roll Sushi event where Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto and his team of sous chefs was back in action at Union Fare. Rare seafood was the star of the evening and Morimoto expertly prepared sashimi for every guest.
On Saturday, the Miami Spice dinner brought a little of the Miami restaurant scene to New York. Chefs Aaron Brooks of EDGE Steak & Bar and Michael Pirolo of Macchialina and BaZi came to the McCarren Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for an exclusive dinner in conjunction with Prisoner Wines.
One of the new events this weekend was "Rooftop Chopped" where guests watched 30 of New York's finest chefs compete to become the first Rooftop Chopped Champion and walk away with a $10,000 check. The panel of judges included Chopped stars Geoffrey Zakarian and Alex Guarnaschelli. Black Ant was given the title of first Rooftop Chopped Champion for its pressed suckling pig taco with burnt chile and grasshopper mole.
The late-night place to be on Saturday was the Midnight in Paris dessert tasting with Dominique Ansel, featuring a variety of visually inviting, whimsical, yet tasty treats themed to the City of Love and Lights.
Sunday, the last day of the festival, brought Broadway center stage at the first-ever "Broadway Tastes" brunch hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka. MasterCard cardholders were given the opportunity to experience the best sounds, sights, and tastes of their favorite Broadway productions. Chefs from around the city were tasked with creating a multi-course brunch, with each dish inspired by a different Broadway production.