NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The seventh annual Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE took place October 16 – 19, 2014 with more than 100 events throughout New York City. Widely recognized for its tastings in celebration of some of America's favorite foods, intimate dinners with world-renowned chefs, late-night parties, educational seminars, panel discussions, and more, 100% of the net proceeds from the Festival benefit Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign and Food Bank For New York City. Approximately 55,000 passionate gourmands and aficionados helped raise $1 million for the nation's leading hunger-relief organizations in 2014.
"Food Network was honored to once again partner with the amazing culinary talent and television personalities who generously gave their time to make the 2014 Festival weekend a success. Eradicating hunger, both here in New York and across the country, is something we know we can always count on our talent and fans to support and we are excited to see what Lee Schrager and his team curate for next year's Festival," said Brooke Johnson, President of Food Network & Cooking Channel.
The Festival kicked off with two premier events on Thursday, October 16. Musician and active Food Bank For New York City supporter Jon Bon Jovi joined brothers Anthony and Matthew for the launch of dad John Senior's new line of Bongiovi Brand Pasta Sauces at Ronzoni's La Sagra Slices hosted by Adam Richman presented by Time Out New York at the Esurance Rooftop at Pier 92. Ribalta, Cucina Napoletana served up pizza in pala ciliegino, with San Marzano tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, basil, and Buffalo mozzarella, and received the Time Out New York People's Choice Award for Best Pizza. Cooking Channel presents Chicken Coupe hosted by Whoopi Goldberg also took place on Thursday evening, with more than 15 chefs bringing to life Festival Founder and Director Lee Brian Schrager's latest cookbook Fried & True: More than 50 Recipes for America's Best Fried Chicken and Sides (Clarkson Potter, May 2014). Attendees sipped on award-winning cocktails from The Dead Rabbit and host Whoopi Goldberg crowned the captain crunch chicken fingers from Queens Comfort as the evening's best dish served at Central Park's iconic Loeb Boathouse.
Chef Josh Capon received his fifth Blue Moon People's Choice Award title on Friday, October 17 at the Blue Moon Burger Bash presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats hosted by Rachael Ray. Attendees used their Esurance SavorBands to vote for Capon's famous bash burger, with caramelized onion and bacon jam, shaved pickles, American cheese, and secret sauce on a Martin's Famous Potato Roll. Additionally, judges Anne Burrell, the New York Jets' Nick Mangold, Adam Richman, and Andrew Zimmern tapped Food Network star Marc Murphy as Pat LaFrieda's 2014 NYCWFF Burger Bash® Champion for his lamb-marc burger, featuring spiced ground lamb with mint chimichurri on a Martin's Famous Potato Roll.
The Festival's headquarter hotel, Hudson, was home to the Festival's tribute to the best things found between sliced bread at Stacked: A Sandwich Showdown presented by Martin's Famous Potato Rolls hosted by Restaurant: Impossible's Robert Irvine on Saturday, October 18. Guests voted Irvine's own sandwich of smoked espresso-rubbed brisket with grilled onions, taleggio cheese, horseradish aioli, and crispy pickled jalapeños on a Martin's Hoagie Roll with celery root slaw the Martin's Potato Rolls' People's Choice Award winner. The New York Hilton Midtown hosted two brunches during the Festival weekend, beginning with CHOPPED Best Bloody Mary Brunch perfected by ABSOLUT on Saturday, October 18, where David Wakefield of TenOak in Texas received major honors when he served up America's Best Bloody Mary, 2014, the bloody beaux Thai. In addition, the New York Hilton Midtown hosted Trisha Yearwood's Down-Home Country Brunch on Sunday, October 19, where the Emmy® Award-winning Food Network personality and Grammy® Award-winning vocalist entertained her guests with an impromptu mini-concert.
The seventh annual Festival ended on a high note with newly-named Esquire restaurant editor Josh Ozersky at Meatopia X: The Carnivore's Ball presented by Creekstone Farms hosted by Michael Symon. The event celebrated the 10th birthday of Ozersky's Meatopia, and featured chefs from three continents preparing 39 cuts of meat from pigs, quail, lamb, chicken, and steer. Life in a Blender performed Meatopia's theme song live and other performances included the legendary DJ D-Nice and High and Mighty Brass Band.
Other highlights of the Festival weekend included more than 25 intimate dinners with world-renowned chefs, including Belgium's Kobe Desramaults, Italy's Dario Cecchini, England's Yotam Ottolenghi, Mexico's Enrique Olvera, and France's Philippe Baranes, Christophe Boucher, and Gregory Marchand. Dominique Ansel, the widely regarded French pastry chef, author, and owner of Dominque Ansel Bakery, delighted attendees at The Refectory at High Line Hotel with his visually-stunning raspberry and vanilla marshmallow cake bite served as a solitary long stem rose at Dominique Ansel's Wonderland.
Pier 94 was once again home to the Festival's signature Grand Tasting presented by ShopRite featuring KitchenAid® Culinary Demonstrations presented by MasterCard®, where guests had the opportunity to sample dishes from New York City's best restaurants, enjoy tastings from suppliers from the Southern Wine & Spirits of New York portfolio, and interact with top culinary and lifestyle brands. Fans enjoyed culinary demonstrations from more than 20 of their favorite Food Network, Cooking Channel, and other celebrity culinary personalities on the KitchenAid® Culinary Demonstration stages.
To date, the Festival has raised more than $8.5 million to help end hunger in New York City and across America with Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign. With more than 16 million children across the country, including one in five children in New York City, at risk of hunger, the Festival raises much needed funds for these two leading hunger-relief organizations. See you next October to Eat. Drink. End Hunger!
About the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE
The Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival is hosted by and benefits the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry, with 100% of the Festival's net proceeds helping fight hunger. Southern Wine & Spirits of New York is the exclusive provider of wine and spirits at the Festival. More information about the Festival can be found at www.nycwff.org.
About Food Bank For New York City
Food Bank For New York City has been the city's major hunger-relief organization working to end hunger throughout the five boroughs for more than 30 years. Nearly one in five New Yorkers relies on Food Bank for food and other resources. Food Bank takes a strategic, multifaceted approach that provides meals and builds capacity in the neediest communities, while raising awareness and engagement among all New Yorkers. Through its network of more than 1,000 charities and schools citywide, Food Bank provides food for more than 63 million free meals for New Yorkers in need. Food Bank For New York City's income support services, including food stamps (also known as SNAP) and free tax assistance for the working poor, put more than $100 million each year into the pockets of New Yorkers, helping them to afford food and achieve greater dignity and independence. In addition, Food Bank's nutrition education programs and services empower more than 275,000 children, teens and adults to sustain a healthy diet on a low budget. To learn more about how you can help, please visit foodbanknyc.org.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should grow up hungry in America, but one in five children struggles with hunger. Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign is ending childhood hunger in America by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need, every day. No Kid Hungry connects kids in need to effective nutrition programs like school breakfast and summer meals and teaches low-income families to cook healthy, affordable meals. This work is accomplished through the No Kid Hungry network, made up of private citizens, public officials, nonprofits, business leaders and others providing innovative hunger solutions in their communities. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.
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SOURCE Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival
