Presented by Invesco QQQ, NYCWFF will take place at The Seaport in Lower Manhattan from Oct. 15-18, bringing together over 50 events across four days, from signature tastings and one-night-only dinners to late-night celebrations.
The festival’s “snowbird sister,” the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, was held earlier this year in February. However, festival founder Lee Schrager says that New York presents its own unique challenge.
“[New York has] the greatest chefs in the world,” Schrager said. “I think I have to work a lot harder in New York. And when you work harder, I think you just appreciate it more at the end.”
This year’s festival will feature a range of “new collaborations and experiences” alongside “longtime NYCWFF favorites,” according to the festival’s press release. Among them is the city’s biggest burger battle, led by Rachael Ray and special guest co-host Bert Kreischer.
Several longtime festival events will also return, including Oyster Bash, presented by Modelo and hosted by Andrew Zimmern, and Tacos & Tequila, hosted by Aarón Sánchez.
Also returning is the festival’s beloved Best of the Best event, where top-tier chefs showcase signature dishes. This year, Mary Attea, executive chef of New York City’s high-end restaurant The Musket Room, will be among the participating chefs.
“It’s exciting to step outside of the restaurant for a little bit,” Attea said. “We work so hard to showcase what we do on the property, so when we get a chance to bring a taste of The Musket Room…out to the people and introduce ourselves to a new audience, it’s always great.”
A James Beard Award nominee, Attea will present a vegan dish at this year’s Best of the Best event, giving guests the chance to experience something outside of the traditional meat- and seafood-focused festival.
“You need some diversity in the food,” Attea said. “I like doing that because I feel like when I see people, they go like, ‘Oh, this is vegan. Oh, this is delicious.’ It makes me excited because I’m like, yeah, you can enjoy anything as long as it’s in the hands of a good chef.”
Schrager shares Attea’s philosophy of keeping the festival approachable while still giving chefs room to showcase their creativity.
“I always say, be true to what you are,” Schrager said. “Don’t create the craziest burger. Don’t think of the most exotic thing to do at Best of the Best. Think of something that’s a crowd pleaser. That’s what’s important.”
New to the festival this year is the Norwegian Cruise Line Rooftop Series at Pier 17, where guests will not only have incredible views of the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge, but will also have the opportunity to attend a series of events, including Steak & Whiskey, hosted by Bryan and Michael Voltaggio.
The festival will also host its first non-alcoholic dinner on Oct. 17 at The Maze NYC, an alcohol-free members club. The dinner will feature James Beard Award-winning chef Jonathon Sawyer and Gautier Coiffard, co-founder of the famed Brooklyn bakery L’Appartement 4F.
Another alcohol-free event, Morning Buzz, will take place the following day at Pier 17 and will feature Machine Gun Kelly’s 27 Club Coffee. Both events will place greater emphasis on conversation and community rather than alcohol.
“I think that if you want to go out, enjoy good food, I think you should be able to have a meal and not drink if you don’t want to drink. I’m not pushing alcohol. I’m pushing an experience,” Schrager said.
The festival will close out the evening of Oct. 18 with The Cookout, a celebration of Black culinary excellence presented by Mike’s Amazing and hosted by JJ Johnson and Angela Yee. The event will feature a live performance by Method Man and a special appearance by Whoopi Goldberg.
Beyond the festival itself, net proceeds from the NYCWFF will support the Event Zero Foundation and its commitment to promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility throughout the events industry, as well as the James Beard Foundation and its efforts to inspire chefs and the broader culinary community to embrace a new standard of excellence.
Over the past 18 years, NYCWFF has raised more than $15 million in net proceeds to support its charitable initiatives.
“I think it’s important that we give back to something that chefs are passionate about,” Schrager said. “There are a million causes…they’re all great causes, but giving back to something that recognizes great talent like Mary [Attea] is important to me, and that’s why I think that chefs participate.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.nycwff.org.
