2013 New York City Wine & Food Festival

It's that time of year again, when the country's most renowned chefs and food personalities take center stage at the annual New York City Wine & Food Festival, presented by Food & Wine. The weather is slated to be just about perfect, and two whole piers on Manhattan's West Side have been taken over by the festival, which will feature dozens of events presided over by everyone from Mario Batali to Whoopi Goldberg. From the grand tasting to the Burger Bash, from intimate private dinners to late-night parties, seminars and cooking demonstrations, the NYCWFF really has something for everyone.

Tickets for most of the events sell out quickly, but if you weren't able to secure yours don't despair! The Daily Meal team is on the scene, and will be filing reports of all the action all weekend long. So drop by often for a front row seat to one of the country's most exciting food festivals!

For all festival coverage, click here. 

THURSDAY, October 17th, 10:00 p.m. We stopped by Patrón XO after hours event where we got to taste some fantastic coffee flavored tequila drinks that were paired with desserts. To learn more about the event and the pairings click here!

11:30 p.m.: Food Network stars congregated at Pier 92 to celebrate the network's 20th birthday. Giada De Laurentiis, Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay, and more told us their secrets to the industry, and their favorite birthday.

FRIDAY, October 18th, 11:20 p.m.: The Chicken Coupe has served its last piece of fried chicken and poured its last glass of Champagne, and John Legend has wrapped up his super-intimate solo set. Click here for a full rundown of how it all went.

Meanwhile, Gotham West Market hosted a preview party before their opening in mid-November, bringing out hot new purveyor Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop as well as Cannibal, Blue Bottle Coffee, and more to showcase the new development in Hell's Kitchen.

Starting at 11 p.m. Mashaharu Morimoto's sought out "Rockin Dumplings and Rollin Sushi" event brought a crowd of excited eaters to New York's Harvard House. The night was filled with great food, drinks, and karaoke, while the chef's seemed mostly interested about a afterparty hosted by Ming Tsai... Find out more here.

11:30 p.m.: GutterGourmet ate a ton of barbecue at Thrillist's Barbecue and the Blues event at the Hudson Hotel. While not all the offerings were legendary, the best offering of the night might surprise you. Read all about it here. 

SATURDAY, October 19th, 1:00 p.m.: Whether it's his passion for food, his honest modesty, or his "god-given" charisma, Emeril Lagasse charms the audience and even reveals how his famous TV phrase "Bam!" came about at Times Talks. Read what he said here.

2:00 P.M.: On October 19th,  a group of roughly 100 people gathered in a narrow waiting area outside the Standard Highline Ballroom, waiting to partake in the New York Wine and Food Festival event "Taste Wine Like a Pro" sponsored by Wine Spectator. We got excellent tips for wine tasting and event details all right here. 

3:00 p.m.: Daniel Boulud and five of his former chefs meet up for the panel discussion "Family Meal: A Conversation with Daniel Boulud and his Culinary Kin." Dominique Ansel gives out cronuts (to the chefs only, not the audience), while they discuss working for Boulud, his favorite late night snack, and more. Get the whole story here.

7 p.m.: At the Jets & Chefs Tailgate Party, pastry chef Dominique Ansel handed out apple butter-filled Cronut holes, and their presence basically overshadowed even Mario Batali. Click here to learn what Ansel thinks about all the craziness surrounding the pastry, and the best ways to score one.

SUNDAY, October 20th, 12:00 pm: Chefs and food lovers alike were out in full force on Sunday, Oct. 20 at the New York City Wine & Food Festival Grand Tasting. The festivities took place on Pier 94, dubbed the "Culinary Campus," and featured cooking demonstrations, book signings, and endless bites and wine samples from top restaurants, chefs, and wineries. To read more about the event, click here.

12:00 p.m. Fans of 'Chopped' and Bloody Mary's gathered at Pier 60 to taste some fantastic Bloody's that were finalists in Thrillist's Best Bloody Marys in America search. The cast of 'Chopped' helped to determine the final winner which you can read about here and get the winning recipe!

4:00 pm: Standing on the rooftop of Pier 92 in New York City surrounded by 19 plus pizza vendors is akin to dying and going to heaven. La Sagra Sunday Slices festivities quickly got underway as hosts and personalities chef Anne Burrell and Adam Richman took the stage to introduce some of the amazing eateries participating in the event. To read more about the event, click here.