Culinary genius Alton Brown is making his way across America to promote his recent book, Good Eats:  The Early Years.  This is the first of two volumes, with the second one making it’s way to store shelves in fall 2010.  His book tour starts this Friday in New York City, with his final destination being Norcross, GA.

Book tour dates, location, and times:

New York City
Friday, October 9
Barnes & Noble – Union Square
7PM

New York City
Saturday, October 10
Food & Wine Festival
12:30PM

New York City
Sunday, October 11
Food & Wine Festival
12PM

Boston
Tuesday, October 13
Brookline Booksmith at Coolidge Corner Theatre
6PM

Arlington VA
Wednesday, October 14
Sur La Table – Pentagon Row
12PM

Washington DC
Wednesday, October 14
Smithsonian (not sure which, check altonbrown.com later for verification)
5PM

Chicago
Thursday, October 15
Borders – N. Michigan Ave
7PM

Seattle
Friday, October 16
Third Place Books – Lake Forest Park, WA
7PM

San Diego
Saturday, October 17
Costco – Fenton Pkwy
1PM

Austin
Sunday, October 18
Location TBD
12PM

Norcross GA
Saturday, December 5
“Lunchtime”
BJ’s Wholesale Club – Norcross

I seem to miss this event ever since I’ve come to known about it.  Even though I’m not a big fan of chocolate, I’m always impressed by the many different types of chocolate concoctions and by the chocolate art.  Details below:

Where

Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th Street – New York, NY 10011

When

October 30th to November 1st, 2009 – Chocolate Show
Friday, October 30: noon to 8pm
Saturday, October 31: 10am to 8pm
Sunday, November 1: 10am to 5pm

Tickets
Now available for $28 per adult.
Website : www.ticketmaster.com
The price will be $30 when purchased at the door
General admission is free for kids under 5 and free for kids 5 to 12 with a 2 child per adult limit. The price for any additional child is $8.
Tickets are only available by internet.

Complete details here.

UPDATE:  Restaurant Week is extended through Labor Day.

Restaurant Week is underway in New York City again.  Over 250 NYC restaurants are participating in the event and it’ll be around until the end of the month.  Lunch is priced at $24.07 (odd pricing), and dinner is set at $35.00.  Drinks, taxes, and gratuities are not included.  Check out the list of participants here.

There are a number of events going on at Vintage Irving in New York City.  If you’re into fine wine and food, then check this place out.  The restaurant also hosts a number of events quite frequently.  Tickets for the events can be purchased online.  118 East 15th St. at Irving Place.

20 Wines for $20

Every Monday at 7pm

Taste a selection of 20 wines for only $20!

Try some reds and whites, and choose your favorite one!! Dinner will be available for purchase before and after event

Enjoy an evening in Union Square at one of New York’s finest wine bars. Vintage Irving is known for its enviable wine and absinthe selections as well as small plates from around the world!

Purchase tickets: www.going.com/20winesfor20

Signature Tuesdays

A palate pleasing evening at Vintage Irving

Enjoy our exclusive “Signature Vintage Menu” specially prepared for one night only!

Every week will bring new menus of all things sweet, savory and scrumptious

$25 Prix-Fixed Menu including Chef demonstration

Every Tuesday at 7pm

Purchase Tickets: www.going.com/signaturetuesdays

Vintage Culinary Series

Learn how to make gourmet meals from the chef himself!

Join us each month to learn how to prepare the most delectable dishes in New York

Q&A will follow every class along with a serving of the prepared meal

August 26th:

Trio of Ceviches paired with a Trio of Sangria

Tickets available:

$45 per person

$80 per couple

Purchase tickets: www.going.com/meetthechef

We also have Wine Cellar Sorbet on our menu:

Vintage Irving is proud to announce the new addition of Wine Cellar Sorbet © to their menu. Wine Celler Sorbet © produces the finest quality sorbets made from finished wines from around the world. With the initial intention of opening a wine bar in Brooklyn, David Zablocki and Bret Birnmaum instead focused on bringing this wonderful combination of food and wine to the people. Vintage Irving will be the first wine bar to feature wine sorbets. You can enjoy the unique and all-natural flavors whether dining in the restaurant or purchasing from the seasonal take-out window. With flavors such as mimosa, pinot noir, and sangria, you can truly eat wine ™.

One of New York City’s most popular annual outdoor food festivals, Taste of Times Square, presented by the Times Square Alliance, is your chance to sample “tastes” of delicious signature dishes from Times Square’s best restaurants, enjoy classic New York street performers, catch top-notch local entertainment on three stages, and show off your hottest dance moves all evening with help from a swing band and free dancing lessons from Swing46.

Food fanatics and music fans have long known that “Taste of Times Square” represents a great gastronomic and entertainment value, offering an impressive range of top-quality international cuisine for dollars per dish, and a diverse variety of musical morsels for no cost whatsoever.

Event Details

Attended each year by thousands of food fans, Taste of Times Square takes over West 46th Street between Broadway and Ninth Avenue, including historic Restaurant Row, guaranteeing a fun-filled evening of fine food and entertainment. From salmon caviar blinis to ribs to paella, the festival’s offerings reflect the neighborhood’s status as the Crossroads of the World.

“Nowhere else can you find such a diversity of chefs and cuisine from all around the world as you can in Times Square,” says Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins, “and it is this that makes dining out in Times Square such an adventure.”

WHEN: Monday, June 8, 2009 from 5pm-8:30pm

WHERE: West 46th Street between Broadway and Ninth Avenue, including historic Restaurant Row.

ADMISSION: Admission to the festivities is free.

FOOD TICKETS

DAY OF EVENT

Taste of Times Square food tickets can be purchased at the event and are redeemable for “tastes” and beverages at each of the booths. The main ticket booth at 46th Street and Broadway opens at 3pm; other booths throughout the neighborhood at 5pm.

PRESALE

Want to avoid the lines? Tickets can also be purchased ahead of time at the Times Square Information Center beginning Friday, May 29th located at 7th Avenue, between 46th and 47th Streets.

Website

Love Tea? Love Coffee?  How about both?  If you live in the New York City area, this event is for you!  I went last year and I enjoyed trying out different teas and coffees from all over the world.

Event: 4th Annual Coffee And Tea Festival NYC

Date: April 18-19, 2009

Place: Metropolitan Pavilion 125 W. 18th St. New York, NY  10011

Time: April 18, 2009 11am-6pm, April 19, 2009 11am-5pm

Website: www.CoffeeAndTeaFestival.com

Tickets: $20 for a full day pass (buy tickets online in advance and save $5 by using promo code FESTIVAL)

Event Description: OPEN to PUBLIC and TRADE

As seen on the Food Network’s hit show “Unwrapped”

New York City gears up for the 4th Annual Coffee & Tea Festival. This international extravaganza is a two-day festival celebrating everything related to coffee and tea. The event will showcase local and national coffee and tea companies who will provide samples to attendees and will include two days of programming on various topics related to coffee and tea.  Goodie bags for first 1000 each day.

Press Release:

March 23, 2009 – New York, NY. Starfish Junction Productions, producer of Coffee and Tea Festival NYC, is getting ready to pump caffeine into the veins of New York City residents and festival attendees at the 4th Annual Coffee & Tea Festival: NYC. This international extravaganza is being held on Saturday and Sunday, April 18th and 19th, 2009 at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18 Street, New York, NY. The event is open to the public and the trade. www.CoffeeAndTeaFestival.com.

Selected as one of the 10 Best New York Events for April 2009, by www.10best.com, “the two day festival will be a celebration of everything related to coffee and tea,” said Lynda Calimano, Event Producer. “It is quite a unique show in that it is open to the public and the trade”, she added. The international lineup of exhibitors is sure to delight all that attend.

Included among the featured exhibitors for the 2009 show: Café La Paz, SerendipiTea, Omoma Coffee, Tay Tea, Tavalon, Jalima Coffee, Harney & Sons Tea, Green Mountain Coffee, Guayaki Yerba Mate, El Pedral Gourmet Coffee, Zen Green Tea Liqueur, Srina Tea, and Starbucks. The show will also feature some extraordinary products including Chip ‘n Dipped all natural cookies, Best Friends Cocoa, Biscottea, and Erica’s Rugelach.

With programming sponsored by Imbibe Magazine, the event offers two days of fun and interactive classes/lectures/demos from well-known industry pros and pioneers. Programming highlights include Coffee Cupping & Tasting hosted by Marcela Zuchovicki of Jalima Coffee; Afternoon Tea: Tips, Terms, and Traditions presented by tea authority, Ms. Ellen Easton; Home Roasting 101 presented by Donny Raus; Turkish Coffee & Culture presented by the Turkish Cultural Center; and two beautiful Korean tea ceremonies performed by Tea Master Yoon Hee Kim, U.S. Director for the Tea Culture Association of Korea and founding director of the Korean Tea Culture Foundation. Chef Melody, the Life Style and Chef/Food Reporter for the Saturday Home Show with Jerry Leen, heard every weekend on WOR Radio 710AM, will teach attendees how to think beyond the cup and incorporate coffee and tea into their favorite recipes.

The entire schedule of events and corresponding times can be found at the event website www.CoffeeAndTeaFestival.com. Attendance at the event programs is included in the nominal, $20 all-day-pass event admission fee.

Goodie bags will be distributed to the first 1000 attendees each day and will include samples from Adagio Teas, Celestial Seasonings, Chopsticks Magazine, Choice Organic Teas, The Tea House Times, Wholesome Sweetners, and others.

Tickets, which include sampling of the international lineup of coffee and tea exhibitors as well as attendance at the classes/seminars/demos, can be purchased at the event website: www.coffeeandteafestival.com.

Invite your friends today to dine out on Sunday, March 8 and fight hunger! For Time Out For Hunger, a selection of Time Out New York’s favorite restaurants will donate 10 percent of a day’s proceeds to the Food Bank For New York City.

An annual partnership with Time Out New York, 90 restaurants helped to raise more than 170,000 free meals for New Yorkers in need 2008. Help us do more in 09 — browse our current list of participating restaurants today and remember to check back every week for regular updates!

Award-winning Pastry Chef Laurent Richard presents a sumptuous gourmet buffet of the most unforgettable decadent chocolate desserts complimented by a bottomless glass of Champagne. Indulge in this sinful selection while experiencing the most breathtaking views of the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor from the 14th floor Rise Bar. The romantic water views are enhanced by Chef Richard’s carnival-themed chocolate sculptures, but the true delights come from a taste of the many dessert selections that are sure to dazzle.

Friday and Saturday nights in February; two seatings: 7:30 p.m. or 9:30 p.m.

$75 per person includes tax and gratuity.  The $75.00 includes an open bar and lots and lots of chocolate.

Reservations required.  Call (917) 790-2600 or purchase the package here

The 2nd Annual New York Wine Expo is less than a month away.  Wine lovers out there better get your tickets fast.

The Grand Tasting is the centerpiece of the New York Wine Expo. It takes place in the Special Events Hall at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

You won’t want to miss this opportunity to sample over 600 wines from around the world and meet the winemakers who produce them. Top winemakers and winery principles are on hand to speak directly about their wines and the wine making process as well as answer any questions you may have.

It’s easy to find your favorites as you navigate through the various countries and wine regions grouped together on the show floor. Taste the wines you know and love and find new favorites to add to your repertoire. You will also find the latest wine accessories and food companies at the Grand Tasting.

Your Admission To The New York Wine Expo Includes:

• As you walk into the Grand Tasting, you receive a souvenir glass that is yours to keep.
• You will also receive a 4-color glossy show program outlining all the exhibitors that are present and where to locate them, plus schedules for the guided tastings/seminars along with other show facts.

Grand Tasting

Friday Tickets (2/27/2009, 6PM – 10PM):  $75.00 through February 20, $85.00 at the door

Saturday Tickets (2/28/2009, 2PM-6PM):  $85.00 through February 20, $95.00 at the door

Sunday is reserved for trade only

Purchase tickets here

The 17th Hot Chocolate Festival at City Bakery starts this Saturday, January 31st and is open until midnight.  Throughout the month of February, visit the bakery for a daily hot chocolate special.  City Bakery is located at 3 West 18th Street, just footsteps from 5th Avenue.  Bonus points if you go everyday in February.

Here’s the breakdown of the daily flavors:

Feb 01:  Beer Hot Chocolate
Feb 02:  Hot Chocolate A-Go Go
Feb 03:  Ginger Hot Chocolate
Feb 04:  Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate
Feb 05:  Earl Grey Tea Hot Chocolate
Feb 06:  Bourbon Hot Chocolate
Feb 07:  Caramel Hot Chocolate
Feb 08:  Cinnamon Hot Chocolate
Feb 09:  Lemon Hot Chocolate
Feb 10:  Vanilla Bean Hot Chocolate
Feb 11:  Passion Fruit Cream Hot Chocolate
Feb 12:  Arabian Nights Hot Chocolate
Feb 13:  Tropical Hot Chocolate
Feb 14:  Love Potion Hot Chocolate
Feb 15:  Banana Peel Hot Chocolate
Feb 16:  Darkest Dark Chocolate Hot Chocolate
Feb 17:  “Happy” Hot Chocolate
Feb 18:  Banana Peel Hot Chocolate
Feb 19:  Expresso Hot Chocolate
Feb 20:  ChocoVivo Hot Chocolate
Feb 21:  Milk Chocolate Hot Chocolate
Feb 22:  Sunken Treasure Hot Chocolate
Feb 23:  Lemon Hot Chocolate
Feb 24:  Hot Chocolate By The Numbers
Feb 25:  Cinnamon Hot Chocolate
Feb 26:  Malted Milk Hot Chocolate
Feb 27:  Bourbon Hot Chocolate
Feb 28:  TBD Festival Finale Hot Chocolate

Time to get your hot chocolate on.

~ Kin