Where are you going to be from June 6 through June 9? I can tell you exactly where Chef Peter X. Kelly of X2O is going to be. I can also pinpoint the locations of Andy Nusser of Tarry Lodge, Adam Kaye of Blue Hill at Stone Barns and David DiBari of The Cookery. Come to think of it, I can tell you where every single one Westchester’s greatest chefs will be—they’ll all be together at Westchester Magazine’s Wine & Food Weekend.
This year—with liquid help from sponsors Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, Pernod-Ricard, and Zachys—our Wine & Food Weekend will be bigger and better than ever. Folks, our epic Burger Bash has outgrown the streets of White Plains. On June 6, we’ll be taking over the vast plaza at Kensico Dam for the biggest beer and burger cookout this county has ever seen. The Cookery pizza truck will be fired up and Captain Lawrence Brewing Company and Manhattan Beer will be slinging suds. They’ll be joined by more than 20 restaurants—including MP Taverna, X2O, Birdsall House, Village Dog, Craftsman Ale House, Crabtree’s Kittle House, and Peekskill Brewery, just to name a few—and everyone will be rocking out to a live band. Last year, our Burger Bash was a so successful that we sold out three weeks before the event. This year, we’ll have more room, but the Burger Bash is still predicted to sell out. It’s wise to snag your tickets now. Proceeds from the Burger Bash will benefit Friends of Westchester County Parks.
On Saturday and Sunday (June 8 and 9), our Grand Tastings in the Ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton, Westchester, will offer more than 120 vintages presented by wineries from all over the world. There will be ales from Captain Lawrence and Manhattan Beer, plus, we’ll be featuring a Pernod-Ricard Spirits Lounge. Here, the company that brings you Jameson’s, Absolut, Chivas Regal, and Veuve Clicquot will be sampling its new liquors and shaking up specially designed cocktails. To eat, there will be tastes from more than 50 of Westchester’s top restaurants. Proceeds from our Grand Tastings and Winemakers’ Dinner will benefit the Westchester Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless.
During the Grand Tastings, in the Sky Lounge, Kevin Zraly (James Beard Award-winning wine educator and author of the Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, Kevin Zraly’s American Wine Guide, and The Ultimate Wine Companion) will be conducting three wine seminars (to book, click here. They are:
- Kevin Zraly’s Best Wines Under $30—Eight wines made from eight different grapes from eight different countries. Cost: $50
- Grand Cru Vineyards of New York, Oregon, and Washington—featuring the wines of the Finger Lakes and Long Island of New York, the Willamette Valley of Oregon, and the Columbia Valley of Washington. Cost: $50
- Connoisseurs/Master Tasting of Brunello Di Montalcino – new this year! Cost: $100
Meanwhile, we’re planning two mixology seminars presented by sponsors Pernod-Ricard. And included in your Grand Tasting tickets, we’ll have chef demos from Chef Eric Gabrynowicz of Restaurant North, Chef David DiBari of The Cookery, Chef Michael Psilakis, and more. Plus, look for a Top Chef cook-off between two stars of the top-rated Bravo show.
Our big gala blowout happens at our Saturday, June 8, Winemakers’ Dinner, when we’ll be honoring the Livanos family and Adam Strum, Co-Founder and Editor of Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The evening will include a dinner with courses prepared by Chef Adam Kaye (of Blue Hill at Stone Barns), Chef Peter X. Kelly (of X2O), Chef Andy Nusser (of Tarry Lodge), Chef Anthony Goncalves (of 42 The Restaurant), Chef Ethan Kostbar (of Moderne Barn), and Chef Marc Lippman (of Crabtree’s Kittle House). Wines will be presented by event sponsors, Zachys.
Details are still forthcoming, but, the gist is that our Wine & Food Weekend is a big deal that you don’t want to miss. Look for more news here on EDP and on the event web page) PS: If you already have tickets or just want more news, get up-to-the-moment bulletins on our event Facebook page.
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Hot Flash
Polpettina Introduces $30 “Family-Style” Prix Fixe
Got a little bit of money, but a whole lot of hunger? Polpettina has you covered. From its announcement: “Reserve our ‘Family Table’ for 6-10 guests, every Monday-Thursday. Two seatings are available nightly: 5 pm and 6:30 pm. Four courses for $30.” Check out the menu here.
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Hot Plate
Beef Brisket on Balthazar Bap at Local Market
What the hell is a bap, you might be thinking. I, too, have been where you are. I learned about baps in England and they’re basically an analog to a soft, fluffy sandwich roll—they’re cheap, usually pretty blah, and about as sexy as an empty hamburger bun. The Balthazar bap is not really bap in the crappy bread use of the word—actually, it’s just a light, very delicious, flat loaf. At Local, they fill it with a very gooey brisket, sweet pickles, cheddar, and mustard. It’s toasted until grill-striped and shattering, then served with salty, nickel-sized potato chips. Yum.
