Tag Archives: Food Network

January 4, 2012 · 12:22 pm

Do This: Take an Underground Sidetour to Get You Through the January Blues

There may not be snow on the ground yet, but I for one am looking for a little inspiration to get me through January — and the 3°F with windchill is not helping matters. Enter Sidetour, an online marketplace that recently launched this Fall, promoting “authentic experiences. real people.” Or a tagline I am going to apply: really cool experiences, with really cool people we should all know more of {you, of course, do not need to be really cool, but you do need to be real and ready step off the beaten path}.

Sidetour created a platform for anyone with an expertise to host and promote unique events, allowing the host to set everything from the date, price and size of the group to suit each artisanal experience. The result? A collection of underground, undiscovered ways to fill your calendar that break the monotony of your typical social flings {we know you love Pastis, but isn’t it time to try something new?}. It’s the year of private supper clubs, pop-up anything and being the first to know about gems you won’t find in a guidebook or on any Top 10 lists. Whether you’re a native to NYC or a visitor who just tossed their Lonely Planet in the garbage in favor of an authentic experience, Sidetour plays right into the idea of bringing passion and the uncharted together to provide you with something memorable and inspired.

Brooklyn RootedEnjoy Brooklyn Rooted: an Artisanal Dinner Party for 8, with the Chef Who Won Last Night’s Chopped on The Food Network

 

 

 

 

Indian Food and Beer PairingOr Taste Flavorful Indian Food with the Perfect Beer Pairing Prepared by a Contestant from NBC’s America’s Next Great Restaurant

 

 

 

Dine with a Banker Turned MonkHow About Dining with a Banker-Turned-Monk at an East Village Monastery?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fear not, if you’re outside the NYC area, Sidetour plans to expand to other cities this year. And if you’re on a January cleanse after one too many Christmas cookies, check out events that span other areas of interest beyond just food. Hey guys, these would make for great date ideas…several that caught my attention:

Explore the Epicenter of Graffiti Culture at 5Pointz

Get an Insider’s Glimpse into Manhattan’s Historic Jazz Scene

Explore Cutting-Edge Art in Chelsea with a Gallery Insider

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October 5, 2011 · 9:42 am

Bobby Flay Serves Up Tasty Taco Talent at New York City Wine & Food Festival

There was no shortage of taco talent at this year’s Food Network Wine & Food Festival Tacos & Tequila event hosted by renowned master of southwestern cuisine, Bobby Flay. With a $200 price tag per ticket, the evening included the opportunity to taste a selection of taco creations from over 35 of New York’s most celebrated chefs and restaurants, with all the proceeds going to Food Bank NYC and Share our Strength. If you missed this year’s NYCWFF, you can still help raise money for these charities by bidding on a month of Farm to Table Freshocracy deliveries and other seriously delicious auction items HERE.

Tacos and Tequila

With a chilled tequila cocktail in one hand, party goers were free to sidle up to the likes of Jonathan Waxman from Barbuto, Scott Conant of Scarpetta or Kin Shop’s Harold Dieterle to name a few {full list of celebrity chefs HERE}. “What do you have for me tonight Harold?” With the swiftness of a Top Chef champion, he rattled off the list of deliciousness almost too quickly to note: “Tonight we have braised beef brisket and bone marrow tacos with radish sprouts, fried taro root, roti, and yellow bean aioli…Enjoy.” Thank you — I will and I did. The thing about an event like this, is you would be challenged to eat your ticket price in food, so being strategic about your sampling choices is key. If you jump too quickly at the tables near the entrance, you may miss a real gem in the far back corner.

Jonathan Waxman

So what was my favorite of the evening? The hands down winner for me was Scarpetta’s spiced crusted lamb neck tacos, filled with goat cheese crema, on blue corn tortillas. Everything from the richness of the lamb to the sharp, yet creamy goat cheese and the the blue corn that served as a well thought out flavor component {as opposed to strictly an ingredient vehicle}, really made this hand-held sample sing. If it wouldn’t have been a wasted “punch in the tasting card” to go back for seconds, I would have, but alas, we were on to the next…
Best innovation of the evening? Delta’s flight attendants rolling through the crowd with a cart of breath mints, hand wipes and toothpicks. Why can’t I get this kind of service on the plane?

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September 21, 2011 · 9:00 am

Freshocracy and the Food Network Partner to Raise Money for Charity

As part of this year’s New York Wine and Food Festival, Freshocracy is partnering with the Food Network to raise money for Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength through the event’s online auction.

Eat. Drink. End Hunger.
Auction open September 15 – October 14!

Bidding is closed.

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September 8, 2011 · 9:00 am

Do This!: This Year’s Food Network New York Wine & Food Festival

Does the thought of stirring things up with the likes of Giada de Laurentiis, Marcus Samuelsson or David Bouley get you excited? How about the potential for a attending an Asian/Dumpling seminar with Anito Lo or a Master Sushi Rolling class with Morimoto? I personally am looking forward to the Tacos & Tequila event with Bobby Flay. What I’m referring to is just a taste of the big foodie names and events that make up Food Network’s annual Wine & Food Festival. The weekend is jam packed with 120 day and nighttime events, seminars, demos, book signings and dinners with up close access and to some of the biggest culinary names and their tasty creations. The best part about it all {besides this being foodie heaven} is that 100% of net proceeds go directly to Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength, two community-based organizations focused on helping to fight hunger — allowing us to literally put our money where our mouth is. Last year’s event raised more than $1.2 million for these organizations.

This year’s long line-up of scrumptious samplings and celebrity sightings is scheduled for September 29-October 2, 2011. And with tickets still available, you have not missed out on the opportunity to take a bite out of the Big Apple’s biggest food event of the year — so get cookin’! Here’s a sneak peak at just a few tastings, but see the link below for the full line-up.

Oyster Bash: Want to know if Oysters really are an aphrodisiac? Join Ted Allen and the likes of April Bloomfield, Michael Psilakis and other seafood masters at The Standard for an oyster, beer and bubbly bash!

Sake Soiree: Wash those Oysters down with several sips of Sake as you learn about Japan’s signature drink, how to create Sake cocktails and perfect Sake food pairings at the sleek Buddakan.

Take A Bite Out of NYWFF:
Full Event Line-up and Grab Your Tickets HERE

Dickson’s Farmstand Meats’ Pulled Pork Sliders @ Last Year’s Chelsea Market After Dark

Read up on last year’s events and get hungry for more fun:
New York City Wine & Food Festival Kicked Off With Good Eats
Hands On with Giada De Laurentiis at Food Network’s NYCWFF Demo
recipe goodness :: Alton Brown Does Bourbon in the Morning
Getting Tipsy with the Tippling Bros. @NYCWFF Mixology 101
Del Posto Presents Murray’s Cheese & Salumi Wine Party @NYCWFF

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