You can tailgate with Hall of Fame quarterbacks and listen to jazz with Run DMC. You can learn to be your own butcher and spend the evening debating Scotch and cigars with your chums. Whatever your taste, the NYC Wine & Food Festival (October 15-18) brings over 50,000 fanatics to the table every year for the ultimate foodie extravaganza. We’ve got your go-to guide to the essential events below, including an exclusive ticket giveaway. Check it out before we’re dealin’ with leftovers here.
LEARN
Man of the hour Mario Batali and Mary Giuliani — the caterer who has captured the heart of the stars — share their favorite “eating stories” over top-notch cocktails. Get a personal glimpse into the music, food, and art that inspired their lives and work.
Take the craft of the perfect cut into your own hands. The Bitici family of Macelleria — a name synonymous with butchery and NYC’s Meatpacking District — will demonstrate the art of skillfully deboning a hen, slicing the perfect chop and the knife skills you need to master meat-shaping on the homefront.
TASTE
Delta Air Lines presents the New York Yankees Pinstripe Brunch
A one-of-a-kind event. Enjoy a star-studded (and striped) brunch with the Yankees, NYY Steak and other local eateries soundtracked by five-time MLB All-Star (and classically-trained Latin Jazz guitarist) Bernie Williams.
Jets & Chefs: The Ultimate Tailgate
NY Jets legend Joe Namath and super fan Batali host the pivotal tailgate event of the year. To boot: the rendezvous includes a chance to win game-day tickets and some highly covetable pre-game field passes.
A match made in Hidalgo. Food Network personality and taco enthusiast Aarón Sánchez will head the feast, with scores of tasty tacos and heavenly cocktails served up by top chefs and mixologists.
TIPPLE
Get your Bloody Sunday on. A host of brands from the Southern Wine & Spirits portfolio will go head-to-head for the title of best breakfast-in-a-glass in front of Food Network’s brigade of pull-no-punches Chopped judges.
Indulge in a premium puff with Cigar Aficionado at the Standard, where you’ll sample exclusive cigars and spirits from Southern Wine & Spirits of New York’s exquisite portfolio.
Let’s get to the bottom of this (glass). We’re talking Kentucky Bourbon v. Scotch Whisky v. Canadian v. Irish. And while we’re at it, where’s Rye come in? Learn everything a man needs know about the dark(ish) spirits we adore at this sure-to-be-boozy bash.
GET INTIMATE
A Dinner with Greg and Gabrielle Denton, Chris Jaeckle and Nick Anderer presented by Wine Spectator
Greg and Gabrielle Denton bring their Argentinian cuisine from Ox Restaurant, while Jaeckle and Anderer showcase their distinctive takes on Italian at this all-wood-fired evening.
An exclusive dinner with Chef Rainer Becker at his new Midtown Manhattan spot, Zuma. The perfect backdrop for Becker’s praised cuisine complete with perfectly paired wine, sake and cocktail offerings.
A Dinner with Jose Enrique and Jamie Bissonnette
Join two award-winning chefs at this can’t-miss dim-the-lights dinner, where they’ll prepare a drool-worthy lineup combining Puerto Rican, Spanish and Italian fare.
GET WILD
Get ye to the Cecil, voted Esquire’s 2014 Best New Restaurant of the Year, where Joseph “JJ” Johnson will cook up succulent breakfast eats while guests dance with RUN DMC’s Rev Run, the Cooking Channel’s Justine Simmons and more into the early hours of the mornin’.
Late Night Izakaya and Sake Pairing
Become a sake ninja. Decorated new-kid-on-the-block Cherry Izakaya hosts chefs from Dassara and Yopparai for a seated tasting paired seamlessly with some of the world’s best sakes.
Love him or leave him, you’ve probably heard of him. Social media sensation The Fat Jew is celebrating NYCWFF with one of the city’s most sought-after dishes: ramen. Slurp and sip (and Instagram) your way through the night while overlooking the Highline.
Gratuity: THE MEATING PLACE
Enter here to win tickets to Meatopia and the Top Dog competition compliments of NYCWFF and InsideHook.
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