Over the weekend, the website for the third annual New York Wine and Food Festival, taking place over Columbus Day weekend, went live, revealing this year's roster of events. Since there's an overwhelming number of events in such disparate price ranges, here now, an Eater Preview Overview. Word to the wise: expect quick sell-outs for several of the major events—Meatball Madness, the Burger Bash—when the tickets go on sale on June 21. And note Times Talk tickets are already on sale.
1) Burger Bash, $225: It's a pricey ticket for sure, but one that comes with unlimited booze, live music, and more burgers than one can possibly consume. It was hands-down the most entertaining event of last year's fest, not only because of the indulgence but also because of the sheer number of top chefs that brought their A game. Look for more of the same this year.
2) Meatball Madness, $200. It's a gluttonous glory, this event. Sliders, bowls of meatballs, and more red sauce that the body can handle.
3) Star-Studded Chefs, a TimesTalk with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Daniel Boulud, and Michael White, $30, OR Restaurant Buzz, a panel with Ken Friedman, Donatella Arpaia, Danny Meyer, and Frank Bruni.
4) Master Cooking Class with Chef Mark Ladner, $100. Del Posto's esteemed Mark Ladner teaches an intimate cooking class in his restaurant kitchen.
5) Tacos & Tequila, $200: Bobby Flay invites chefs including Georges Mendes, Paul Liebrandt, John Fraser, Bill Telepan, and Todd English to present their best rendition of a tacos. This is new event, but it sounds like a good one.
6) Carts in the Parc with Andrew Zimmern, $100: Because the street food fad just is not going away, this new event focuses on multicultural street vendors. Sure, $100 is a lot to pay for a day of street food but this time Michael White, Joe Ng, Zak Pelaccio, and Ed Brown will be on the scene serving up their fare among the best food trucks in NYC.
7) Rene Redzepi: NOMA, a talk with Copenhagen's famed chef, $30.
8) The DinePrivate Experience: An Interactive Wine Dinner, $125: If you can spare the cash, this sounds like a pretty killer event for those wanting to learn the subtleties of wine pairing. Joe Bastianich, Robert Bohr and Mark Ladner will come up with a custom six course menu paired with blind tastings. 12 of the best sommeliers in the country will be on hand to explain the pairings.
9) Ultimate Sandwich Showdown with Tyler Florence, $100. Another first time event that could shape up to be incredibly rewarding: a sandwich showdown.
And of course, don't miss the always fun Eater Blogger Lounge.
Disclaimer: Eater is one of the media sponsors of the event.
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