1. James Beard Awards
Culinary leaders flock to this influential event, when the James Beard Foundation honors the year’s top chefs, restaurants, cookbooks, and journalists. The May ceremony drew some 1,700 guests to Avery Fisher Hall; the award dinner will return there May 3.
2. Fancy Food Show
As the city’s largest exhibition of specialty foods, this show attracts more than 24,000 attendees, 2,300 exhibitors, and 140,000 products. Before the National Association for Specialty Food Trade moves its event to Washington in 2011, the expo will return to the Javits from June 27 to 29.
3. New York City Wine & Food Festival
In its second year the four-day festival broadened its scope to attract more than 40,000 attendees to 120 separate events. Stars from title sponsor the Food Network—like Paula Deen, Guy Fieri, and Giada De Laurentiis—headlined many of the bigger parties. The next run is slated for October 8 to 11.
4. International Restaurant and Foodservice Show of New York
While it gets support from some industry heavyweights, the New York State Restaurant Association’s Javits Center expo targets more equipment and service-based vendors than chefs. The 2010 show is scheduled to welcome about 14,000 attendees from February 28 to March 2.
5. Chef’s Tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels
Some of New York’s most noted cooks—Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Jonathan Waxman, and Larry Forgione among them—participate in this fund-raiser by dishing up an enormous spread. The event raised approximately $735,000 in 2009, and returns to Rockefeller Center on June 14.
6. Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs Event
Honoring the nation’s top toques, this cocktail reception from the food magazine gathers past winners to feed guests. Last year, 500 invitees joined chefs such as Michael Psilakis and Laurent Tourondel at City Winery. The event is scheduled to return in April.
