Fall 2012’s best food events, festivals and tastings

Check out this season’s hot tickets, featuring tastings with top chefs and an abundance of food events during the NYC Wine & Food Festival.

By Sarah Theeboom Tue Aug 21 2012

Photograph: Ryan Jensen Studios

NYC Food Film Festival
Photograph: Michael Toolan

Vendy Awards
Photograph: BFAnyc.com

NYC Wine & Food Festival
Meatopia

Photograph: Ryan Jensen Studios

NYC Food Film Festival

Five beloved annual food events—including the NYC Wine & Food Festival, Le Grand Fooding and Meatopia—return with dinner series, classes, tastings and more. Mobile eateries also get their due at the Vendy Awards, with food trucks gathering on Governors Island to celebrate.

RECOMMENDED: Complete guide to Fall in New York

NYC Food Film Festival

Critics choice

Food-obsessed cinephiles can eat and drink what they see on the big screen during this innovative film festival: Each viewing party matches a collection of cuisine-related documentaries, shorts and features with top-notch tastings seen in the screenings. The flicks include a documentary short about a Canadian-maple farm; behind-the-scenes looks at New York eateries Kasadela, Egg, Bark Hot Dogs and Wooly’s Ices; a lesson on making Vietnamese coffee; and an account of Daniel Boulud, Bill Telepan and David Bouley’s goodwill mission to Japan after last year’s tsunami. Check the website closer to the time for a full schedule and details of the events on offer, such as a Lowcountry oyster roast featuring South Carolina bivalves.

Various locations
Sun Oct 27

More info

Vendy Awards

Price band: 3/4
Critics choice

Now in its eighth year, the Vendys celebrate the city’s ever-growing ranks of mobile eateries doling out honors in categories such as Dessert, Rookie and—new this year—Market Vendor. More than 25 finalists will park on Governors Island and dole out their signature grub. Cast your vote for the People’s Taste Award alongside official judges such as Eddie Huang (Baohaus), Kate Krader (restaurant editor at Food & Wine) and Brooklyn rappers Das Racist. An open bar stocked with win and Brooklyn Brewery suds should help ease the time spent waiting in line. Visit nycvendys2012.eventbrite.com for tickets.

Governors Island Governors Island
Until Sat Sep 15

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NYC Wine & Food Festival

Price band: 2/4
Critics choice

Food Network celebs join a slew of NYC’s top toques for this annual celebration, which consists of a nonstop stream of tastings, workshops, lectures and parties. Book now for sure-to-sell-out marquee events such as the Burger Bash with Rachael Ray (Oct 12; $225), Meatball Madness with Giada De Laurentiis (Oct 11; $175), Trucks and Tracks with Andrew Zimmern (Oct 14; $150) and the star-studded Grand Tasting (Oct 13, 14; $195 per day). Many of the panel discussions cost as little as $20, but if you’ve got cash to burn, the festival’s dinner series is as high-profile as ever: Feast on Korean barbecue prepared by Roy Choi with Jean-Georges and Marja Vongerichten (Oct 12; $300), or collect autographs at the Bouley Alumni Dinner, which features a dozen chefs including Dan Silverman, Anita Lo, Kerry Heffernan and Dan Barber (Oct 11; $400).

Various locations
Sat Oct 13 - Sun Oct 14

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Meatopia

Price band: 4/4
Critics choice

More than 45 high-profile chefs will roast, grill and smoke meat of all varieties at this red-blooded cookout. The outdoor tasting will feature stations serving unlimited portions of dishes such as grilled veal brisket with charred garlic scapes from Noah Bernamoff (Mile End), whole Hampshire hog from April Bloomfield (the Breslin) and grilled pork cheeks with summer vegetable mostarda from Michael White (Marea). Amstel Light will be pouring gratis brews all evening, and Jeni’s will dish out free scoops of ice cream to cool you down.

Randalls Island Park Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, at Randalls Island
Sat Sep 14

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Le Grand Fooding: Le Clicquot Brooklyn Tour

Price band: 3/4
Critics choice

Always one of the hottest culinary events of the season, this year’s Le Grand Fooding focuses on the borough of Brooklyn during a four-night dinner series in which Kings County chefs join forces with national and international talent. The teams consist of Brian Leth (Vinegar Hill House) with Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook (L.A.’s Animal) on September 19; Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli (Frankies Spuntino 457) with farm-to-table champion Sean Brock (Charleston, SC’s Husk) on September 20; and Neal Harden and Alain Senderens (Maimonide of Brooklyn) creating a vegan feast with Daniel Rose (Paris’s Spring) on September 21. The final dinner on September 22 invites currently kitchenless chefs—Ignacio Mattos (ex-Isa), Hugue Dufour (formerly of M. Wells), and from across the pond, Isaac McHale and James Lowe of the Young Turks—to collaborate on an art-and-dining experience at the Intercourse, artist Dustin Yellin’s new arts complex in Red Hook. TONY readers can access MasterCard presale tickets; each pass includes a dinner tasting menu and a half bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne.