By the time I reached the third day of the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival, I was a bit exhausted from the weekend. Between time zone changes and taxicab races up and down city streets, I was ready for an easy kind of Sunday. I began in the early afternoon, arriving at the beautiful Norwood in New York’s Tribeca district for an afternoon brunch with Chef Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink.
A fan of chef Schwartz since this year’s Cayman Cookout, I made sure to have the brunch on my weekend schedule. Assisted by pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith and Norwood’s own Nick Grosz, the Miami chef presented a magnificent mouthwatering experience, with a garlic cured wild king salmon, a mini open face BLT, and the outstanding duck confit hash. While Grosz offered wild mushroom tart bites alongside shrimp and grits, chef Goldsmith delivered a bevy of sweets, offering a variety of “Hedy’s Childhood Treats” (housemade oreos, nutter butters, cracker jacks, and pop tarts) alongside an amazing warm banana toffee panini drizzled with bittersweet chocolate and salted caramel sauces. Despite my need for a coffee, I enjoyed a marvelous sparkling rose with brunch, and promised Chef Schwartz I’d make my way to his latest MGFD post – at Grand Cayman Island’s Camana Bay – as soon as possible.
Post-brunch, I made my way up to the newest addition in the hip Kimpton Hotel family, the Eventi, for the Carts in the Parc event. Hosted by Bizarre Foods main man Andrew Zimmern, the afternoon gathering featured a handful of the area’s finest food trucks – including the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, Biryani Cart, Wafels & Dinges, and The Treats Truck – parked alongside restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow’s latest, the FoodParc food hall. With award-winning chef Michael White on hand to dish out a rustic panino di lingua, the favorite neighborhood food trucks fed hungry event-goers everything from jerk chicken to veal schnitzel to cupcakes, ice cream, and cream puffs.
As the day – and the NYCWFF weekend – came to a close, I snagged a spot along the Hotel Gansevoort rooftop lounge for the Sunset Stone Crab event. With plates piled high of corn and crab, food fans and local revelers watched as the sun set along the Hudson River.
Big kudos to festival founder Lee Schrager, event king Devin Padgett, and public relations maven Robin Insley for another successful event weekend. Already looking forward to NYCWFF 2011!
And remember – you can donate to festival beneficiaries Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength all year long.
Stay tuned for more great features on Daily Blender this fall, including coverage of next week’s Portland Cocktail Week, my upcoming interview with New York chef Scott Bryan, and a behind-the-scenes business Q&A with three of my favorite food truck owners!
~Jennifer Heigl
**Photo credit: Jennifer Heigl / Daily Blender