July Food Happenings

New York is a hard core foodie town with plenty of culinary events to attend in this summer.  July alone is chock full of food happenings, everything from restaurant week deals to Hamptons fundraisers and, of course, the annual Meatopia festival where you gorge yourself silly on all things meat cooked by some of the best chefs in the country.  Here’s a few of our favorites:

Taste of Two Forks – July 16
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Usually you have to choose between the North or South fork when you book a weekend out East. At this Saturday’s event, you’ll get a taste of both. Hosts Dan’s Papers, Marcus Samuellson (Red Rooster) and Good Day NY’s Rosanna Scotto, you’ll sample wines from local vineyards, beers from the Southampton Publick House, and dishes from Long Island’s best, including Jamesport Manor Inn (prosciutto salad; pictured above), LT Burger, Nick and Toni’s and The Blue Parrot.

Chefs and Champagne – July 23
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If you can’t make it to Taste of Two Forks, try to get out of the city the following weekend for Chefs and Champagne, an annual tasting event at Wolffer Estate Vineyard.  The soiree, hosted by the James Beard House, will fete Chef Emeril Lagasse this year.  Toast the “bam” chef with Nicolas Fuillette champagne and bites from some of the city’s top chefs, including Georges Mendes (shrimp with gazpacho coulis), Sam Hazen (oyster escabeche), and Marc Forgione (chile lobster with local corn and lemon verbena).

Serious Eats All-Star Sandwich Fest – July 23
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For weeks, Serious Eats has been promoting their sandwich fest with teasers of the sundry creations they’ll be serving Saturday.  Serious Eats is serious about their sandwiches, so expect top-notch offerings. The website promises multiple meatball options in addition to banh mi, falafel and a legendary Torrisi turkey hero as well as wine and craft beers to wash it all down with. Purchasing a speed pass will help you skip the lines.

2011 Chefs Dinner – July 31st (This Sunday)
GreatChefsDinner.com
July ends in style with this Bridgehampton fundraiser with an all-star cast of chefs cooking at Hayground School, which teaches classes in nutrition, food science, and cooking.  The kitchen was built in honor of the late Jeff Salaway, who owned Nick & Toni’s, to continue his mission of sharing and teaching the importance of growing and cooking food.   will be a cocktail party and a sit-down dinner with produce grown right in the school’s own greenhouse. Michael White, Marc Forgione and Harold Dieterle will be on hand dedicating their time and talents to the cause.  You can buy tickets to support the cause or attend the Great Chefs Dinner this Sunday, July 31st, at greatchefsdinner.com

Meatopia – July 23
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This festival is not for the vegetarian, vegan or really anyone, but the tried-and-true carnivore.  They’ll be an obscene amount of cuts and kinds of meat, each prepared by a different chef.  Try porchetta from Michael White or April Bloombfield’s whole roasted pig as well as meaty preparations from the Chopped judge Aaron Sanchez and Baohaus’s Eddie Huang.