The Wine & Food Weekend kicked off with a pre-pre party on Thursday, June 16, at Benjamin Steak House, followed by an official pre-party at “A Spin On Green” at ArtsWestchester.
Westchester residents warmed up for the inaugural Westchester Magazine Wine & Food Weekend starting Thursday night at Benjamin Steak House, into Friday night at “A Spin on Green” hosted by ArtsWestchester. The official Grand Tasting finally kicked off Saturday at noon at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester, in White Plains, where guests were lined up around the two-story staircase in the Ritz-Carlton waiting to enter into a foodie mecca. More than 25 top Westchester restaurants offered samplings of food paired with more than 120 wines from across the globe. Guests who thought they were wine pros walked out of Kevin Zraly’s “One-Hour Wine seminar” and Riedels’ “Shape Matters When it Comes to Enjoyment” in complete awe, wondering how they could have been such wine novices. The festivities continued straight into Sunday, where more than 400 people spent Father’s Day upstairs at 42 The Restaurant for Anthony Goncalves’s festive Father’s Day brunch, followed by a second day of Grand Tastings, with more than 25 new restaurants! And, if you thought you had seen it all, Chef Eric Gabrynowicz topped it off when he cut open a pig in his live cooking demonstration! The second day of Grand Tastings was concluded with a fun, interactive cook-off between former Top Chef contestants Dale Talde and Ash Fulk. Our very own publisher, Ralph Martinelli, was even one of the judges, and Ash Fulk took home the title of the official winner. When asked if he was planning to do it all again next year, Martinelli said, “Stay tuned for details to come on our website.” The first Wine & Food Weekend was a huge success and definitely had something to offer everyone.
