The New York Wine and Food Festival is upon us—but by some stroke of miracle, there are still some impressive tickets to be had. We talked to Lee Schrager, the festival’s visionary, about the lineup’s best hits, and pored over the events you can still get into to offer up our surefire strategy.
Lee Schrager’s Picks:
Celebrity Cruises’ Sweets Masquerade: Hosted by cronut creator Dominique Ansel, this late night dessert party brings pastries, champagne, and all the grandeur of a masquerade to the iconic Four Seasons Hotel. $125
Midnight Jazz Breakfast: Rev Run—yes, that Rev Run—is the emcee for a late-night soiree at the Cecil, in Harlem, where Sammy Miller and the Congregation will play a midnight jazz show while you dig into waffles and fried chicken. $135
Blue Moon Burger Bash: Always a highlight of the festival, the Burger Bash sets up shop of Pier 92—right on the Hudson River. It’s a gorgeous backdrop for a seriously indulgent night. Come with an empty stomach and an open mind. $225
T+L’s Picks:
A Dinner With Charles Phan and Justin Smillie: These two chefs are polar opposites. One is a Vietnamese expert based in San Francisco; the other, a master of Italian and California cooking in New York. They’ll share the stage at this dinner in Chelsea’s Haven Kitchen—a gorgeous little cooking school and dining room in a converted carriage house. $250
Meatopia: Vegetarians are simply not invited to this event, where “every part of every animal” is prepared by legendary chefs (Michael Symon is leading the charge) over open fire. $165
Pastry Making Master Class: Part of what’s wonderful about this festival is the hands-on time you can get with experts—not just eating their food but learning their craft. Here, the head chef of Chickalicious, a well-loved, Japanese-inspired desert parlor in New York’s East Village offers tutorials on petit fours and more. $200
This article was previously published on Travel + Leisure. T+L is a content partner of Fortune.com.
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