Edible Events: October 2014

There are all manner of fun, food events taking place in New York on a daily basis — from lavish, charity-driven galas to crowded, walk-around tastings and an endless array of pop-ups.  But unless you have the time and money to party seven days a week, you’ll have to be somewhat discerning about what goes onto your calendar.  So here are just a few worthy food celebrations we recommend getting tickets (or making reservations) for now!

PUNCH + Anfora Present: Futurist Cocktails (Oct. 1st): Joe Campanale, the acclaimed co-owner and beverage director of dell’ anima, L’Artusi and L’Apicio, will join forces with PUNCH Magazine at his West Village bar, Anfora, to host an eclectic evening of Futurist Cocktails.  For $50 per person, guests will be guided through the history of the Italian Futurist art movement as presented through cocktails, which will represent the principles of the Futurists — a love of Italian ingredients and a penchant for the eccentric — reinterpreted for a modern palette.

Pumpkin Beer Fest (Oct. 14th): We’ve gotten used to seeing pumpkin-flavored everything come fall, but there’s no reason our beer needs to taste like canned pumpkin pie filling.  Together with Elysian Brewing Co. (the largest and most diverse brewer of pumpkin beer styles in the world), Clinton Hall in FiDi is hosting a boozy celebration and tasting, to showcase the more nuanced side to pumpkin beer.  Sample brands such as “Punkaccino,” “Gourd Father,” “Orange is the New Blackn=,” and “Gourdgia on My Mind,” poured using Clinton Hall’s rare on-site flux capacitor, the most advanced beer technology in the market, which ensures that each beer will be poured precisely to the brew master’s specifications and at their scientifically engineered best!

Korean Food Festival (Oct. 17-18th): Korean food has been trending in a major way for a while now, which helped spark the idea to launch this massive two day festival in the middle of Times Square.  Back for its second year, the event will include music, dancing, product tastings, eating contests, a pop-up restaurant, and, of course, numerous food vendors, serving signature Korean dishes, such as Bulgogi, Bibimbap, Soju and Kimchi.

Soup Festival on Smith Street (Oct. 18th): Like it or not, it’s just about soup season, so why not celebrate with a steamy bowl… or two on Brooklyn’s bustling Smith Street?  Proceeds from tasting tickets benefit the culinary arts program at the local Public School for International Studies, and will allow you to sample hearty creations from over 25 participating restaurants, such as The Jakewalk‘s Kabocha Squash Soup with Maple Creme Fraiche, Angry Wade’s Frito Pie Chile, Shelsky‘s Celeriac & Apple Soup with Kippered Salmon, and the Heirloom Tomato Soup with Cheddar Crisps at Seersucker.

Lower East Side Pickle Day (Oct. 19th): Many, many years ago, pickles were sold from giant, briny barrels all along the Lower East Side.  Nowadays, you’re more likely to find the neighborhood populated by painfully hip restaurants, bars and clothing stores, but for one afternoon only, you can celebrate its storied pickle past, with multiple vendors and picklers, peddling Pickled Brittle, Pickled Truffles, Pickles on a Stick, and much more!

Brooklyn Bounty (Oct. 22nd): This fun, fall fundraiser benefits the Brooklyn Historical Society, with tickets starting at $200.  The evening includes the 4th Annual Brooklyn Food & Heritage Awards, honoring local, culinary movers and shakers, as well as tastings from a wide range of restaurants and chefs, serving everything from tacos to ice cream to historic cocktails.  This year’s impressive lineup includes French Louie, Oddfellows, Mast Brothers, the Red Hook Lobster Pound, and the newly Michelin-starred Delaware and Hudson.