Spring Food Festivals and Talks in NYC
By Troy Segal
With its influx of fresh crops, it’s no wonder that spring is a favorite season for New York venues to serve up food festivals, tasty talks and other occasions for the culinary-minded. Herewith, a menu of events guaranteed to make your mouth water, from dinners with novelists to whiskey sipping and a Lower East Side block party.
Liquid Courage: Be prepared to clink glasses and drink—and drink and drink—at the NYC Spring Wine Festival, where more than 200 varietals from around the world are available for sampling, accompanied by some heavy-duty hors d’oeuvres (pasta, charcuterie, pulled pork); a columned bank-turned-events-room and a jazz band provide atmosphere. Broad Street Ballroom, Saturday, May 9…Whet your whistle as three master distillers describe the often turbulent history of whiskey-making in Brooklyn—and yes, they’ll be handing out some spirited samples to prove their points. Brooklyn Historical Society, Thursday, May 14.
Image: Sebastian Mary –Flickr
On the Hoof: Spearheaded by celeb chef/restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson, Harlem EatUp! is a new, three-day-long party (Thursday, May 14-Sunday, May 17) celebrating the culinary culture of the northern Manhattan nabe, with lectures, live musical performances and special dinners at local restaurants. But the high point is The Stroll, an alfresco foodie fair, featuring cooking demos, specialty food purveyors and food and drink from local eateries; there’ll be arts and crafts displays too. Morningside Park, Saturday, May 16…A trip to Chinatown for some authentic Asian eats is an NYC tradition. Learn all about the different sorts of eateries there, and how, “From Coffeehouses to Banquet Halls,” they reflect the quarter’s metamorphosis from bachelors’ den to family neighborhood, in this guided tour offered by the Museum of Chinese in America, Saturday, May 30…For 15 years, the Museum at Eldridge Street has welcomed in warm weather with a block party that celebrates Lower East Side eats (and other cultural experiences), focusing on Jewish and Chinese traditions. This year, it’s adding Puerto Rico to the mix, making what’s now the Egg Rolls, Egg Creams & Empanadas Festival a don’t-miss. Sunday, Jun. 7.
Image: Peck’s
A Feast of Words: Pile your plate full of traditional Eastern European Jewish eats from a Brooklyn deli, then settle in as novelist/short story writer Jim Shepard discusses his latest title, The Book of Aron, about a Jewish boy who manages to stay alive, and even thrive, in World War II Warsaw. Peck’s, Sunday, May 17…A food historian parses the Renaissance dishes discussed in Shakespeare’s plays, with emphasis on those set in Italy (Two Gentlemen of Verona, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice); period-appropriate antipasti accompany her talk. Theatre for a New Audience, Sunday, May 17…You are cordially invited to a civilized literary evening: a café setting, a glass of wine, a buffet meal and live music—capped off with a reading by novelist Rachel Kushner, whose The Flamethrowers and Telex from Cuba have hit bestseller lists and been nominated for National Book Awards. Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Wednesday, Jun. 10.
Garden Variety: Harvest a peck of knowledge about heirloom seeds, historic gardens and vintage crops, as heritage farmer Ken Greene expounds on New York City’s agrarian past. Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden, Wednesday, May 20.
Home cookin’: A quintet of local chefs provide samples of their signature dishes—washed down with artisanal cocktails and wine—at Housing Works’ annual Taste of Home benefit, hosted by culinary-cum-media folk Sam Sifton (of the New York Times) and Chef Alex Guarnaschelli (of Chopped). Housing Works Bookstore Café, Thursday, Jun. 4.
Eastern Eats: Have a yen for the cooking of Japan? A lecture at the Japan Society traces the history of traditional Japanese cafés, aka kissaten, and the “Westernized” food they serve; plenty of post-talk snacks will be on hand, Thursday, May 21… On Monday, Jun. 15, the Society holds its annual sake tasting: 30 varieties of the rice wine from different regions will be on hand, as expert John Gauntner guides palates through the fine distinctions between ginjo and daiginjo, honjozo and junmai.