The Crowds Come Out For New York City Wine & Food Festival's Pigs & Pints

Saturday, October 17 was arguably the busiest and most action-packed day of the eighth annual New York City Wine & Food Festival, but folks who decided to pay $150 for a ticket to Pigs & Pints, hosted by Food Network's Robert Irvine, were rewarded for their choice. Held across three rooms at the chic Hudson Hotel, the event had something for everybody, provided they eat pork!

This brand new event was a testament to all things pig, with 13 restaurants participating including Virgil's Real BBQ, The Smoke Joint, Otto's Tacos, Café Habana, Empanada Mama, Rocket Pig, Pig Guy NYC, Melt Shop, and Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. Standout dishes included 12-hour hickory smoked pork shoulder with heirloom grits from The Smoke Joint, citrus marinated roast pork from Café Habana, a barbecue pulled pork arepa from Empanada Mama, and the flagship Rocket Pig Sandwich (brined, smoked, and roasted pork shoulder; mustard; mayo; and red onion jam on ciabatta) from Rocket Pig. Host Robert Irvine was also serving slow-cooked pork shoulder with a collection of sides and sauces. Dessert was provided by Roni-Sue's Chocolates, Schmackary's Cookies, and Levain Bakery.

Judging by the crowd, this event will most likely return next year, thankfully.