It’s the NYC Wine & Food Festival! Chow Down and Bed Up at Some Great Hotels

The Food Network’s annual New York City Wine & Food Festival kicks off tomorrow, bringing in scores of foodies from the world over. And perhaps you’re one of those planning to take a bite out of the Big Apple this weekend. You know the food will be fantastic, but if you don’t have plans for your digs yet, we’ve found just the spot for you with foodie-friendly hotels that not only serve up the good stuff on a regular basis, but are also playing host to some of Wine & Food’s scrumptious gastronomic gatherings. Check out Oyster’s favorite places to both eat and sleep throughout the festival after the jump.

The Standard New York

Hovering above the High Line on concrete pillars, The Standard New York is a one-of-a-kind Meatpacking District hotel offering 338 light-flooded, ultra-mod rooms with panoramic views of the city. It might just be the hippest hotel in New York City — and it’s the host of nine Wine & Food events this weekend. And with the celebrated Standard Grill on-site, home of the extraordinary penny-tiled floor (literally, 460,000 coins went into it), it’s no wonder why. Highly regarded chef Dan Silverman, formerly of Lever House, has filled his dinner menu with steakhouse standards and seasonally focused dishes: classic dry-aged rib eyes meet greenmarket sugar snap peas and some indulgent-sounding duck-fat mashed potatoes. Gorge here before attending the various wine seminars and beer tastings that will be taking place at The Standard, in addition to many trade panels for those individuals in the know. Our favorite events are:

• Beer Glass Tasting: Haven’t you ever wondered why certain beers are served in ultra-fancy glassware? Is it all for show, or do they have some strange, mystical effect on your brewski? Now you get to find out. (And you come home with four new glasses, too. Almost makes the $110 ticket worth it.)
• 6 Blind Wines in 25 Minutes: Delta partnered with Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson on this fast-paced taste challenge. Take a tour of wine countries the world over and, if you manage to guess all six wines correctly, you could walk away with a pair of first class tickets from Delta. Bites and bubbly abound for $85.

Yotel

The European chain Yotel is known for its affordable rates and hip atmosphere, featuring three bars (including two on an enormous rooftop terrace) and the playful (and delicious) restaurant Dohyo from Chef Richard Sandoval. Serving Latin-Asian cuisine such as Wagyu brisket with sweet achiote truffle sauce, Sandoval’s menu is unique and captivating, much like the hotel. Rooms are tiny, but technology is solid — the hotel even has its own robot, the Yobot, to take care of your luggage. How the foodies will react to him when they arrive for this special event is yet to be determined:

• Shake & Bake with Whoopi Goldberg, Art Smith, and guest DJ Questlove: Who doesn’t love fried chicken? At this event, Oscar-winner Whoopi and celebrity chef Art Smith will wax poetic on their love of poultry before DJ Questlove spins some serious beats on the Yotel’s terrace overlooking Times Square. Tickets cost a cool $145.

Dream Downtown

The Dream Downtown is an aggressively modern hotel in Chelsea. The hotel blends public spaces together in a unique way: The fitness center has portholes overlooking the pool, and the pool itself has a glass bottom that looks down into the lobby. The hotel’s scene is decidedly hip, especially at PH-D lounge (a popular celeb haunt) which features sweeping views of Manhattan. One of the trendiest spots in Manhattan, it is also hosting this decidedly fame-focused event:

• Cocktails Ever After with Bethenny Frankel: It’s all about Bethenny’s Skinnygirl cocktails at this late night happy hour, which will feature samples from the reality-celeb’s entire line. Sip on Skinnygirl Sangria or White Cranberry Cosmos while mingling with the woman herself. The event is anticipated to be one of the most popular throughout the festivities and tickets have already sold out.

The Chatwal

The 83-room luxe Chatwal is housed in a landmark building near Times Square, evoking the glamorous 1920s from the moment you walk through the door. Rooms combine high quality linens and beds, along with playful 1920s touches such as backgammon sets, custom playing cards, and desks that look like steamer trunks. A small, lovely spa and a restaurant by Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian are the hotel’s stand-out features. The Lamb Club, Zakarian’s restaurant, serves modern American cuisine in a clubby, old boys’ club atmosphere, complete with red leather chairs and banquettes, Art Deco decor that matches the lobby (read: lamps shaped like tall martini classes), and an 18th-century French fireplace.

• Hot Cocktails from the Kitchen at The Lambs Club: Sit fireside with Zakarian himself at this detailed demonstration on hot cocktails perfect for the cold winter months ahead. He’ll regale attendees with details about unique ingredients and ticket holders will also learn original Lambs Club recipes. Guests will sample each cocktail, paired with a savory dish from Zakarian’s kitchen, and leave with printed recipe cards to use at home.

This was just a sampling of the deliciousness that will be this year’s Wine & Food Festival. For a full list of events, click here.

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