Le Grand Fooding, Craft Beer Week, Vendys, and more!

Earlier this week, Little Scarlet told you about some of the events going on in the city this weekend. But it turns out there’s a lot more than previously reported! Check out this day-by-day breakdown for when to be where.

Friday, September 24

So there isn’t really too much happening exclusively on Friday, but this Friday marks the beginning of two very exciting food events: Le Grand Fooding and NY Craft Beer Week!

Le Grand Fooding

Oh yes, San Francisco’s best come to New York in an epic, gastronomic throw-down! It’s Alice Waters’ organic, locally grown, idealist school of thought vs. the foul-mouthed, rock 'n' roll hedonism of Nate Appleman and David Chang. Hmm, which one sounds like more fun? Okay, so maybe we’re a little biased, but hey! this is a New York blog, right? Right. And don’t think the west coast has cornered the market on local food, we’ve got Dan Barber!

Either way, one thing’s for sure - no matter which coast you think is better, a ticket to Le Grand Fooding ($50, legrandfooding.com) promises a night of food from some of the most celebrated chefs in the country, with drinks courtesy of Veuve Clicquot and Belvedere, and wines from the Rhône Valley. Plus, it’s for a good cause, with proceeds from all ticket sales going to benefit Action Against Hunger. Tickets can be bought for either Friday or Saturday night, and a small number of tickets will be held available for walk-ins.


NY Craft Beer Week

Over the last couple of years, people have come to appreciate beer with a passion (and hint of snobbery) that was previously reserved for wine and very fine scotch. If you’re a die-hard brewing enthusiast, you probably know what all of the fuss surrounding craft beers is about. But if you’re the sort to cling to your Pinot Grigo and wonder why people bother with beer in the first place, NY Craft Beer Week will change your life! From September 24-October 3, there’s an event scheduled for practically every hour of the day, with parties, cask ale festivals, and special paired dinner menus at restaurants like Eleven Madison Park, Craftbar, and Blue Smoke.

Craft Beer Week Passport, with snacks from Jimmy’s No. 43 - just a sample of what to expect during Craft beer Week!
Beer-braised beef with arugula and horseradish-crème fraiche on brioche - now that’s a bar snack Little Scarlet could get used to!

To really maximize the festival, pick up a Passport for yourself ($10, nycbeerweek.com/passports or at any of the venues listed here). A Passport entitles you to $3 beers at all of the venues listed, from generic basement bars to beer bars even Garrett Oliver would frequent.

A lot of the venues are offering special year-round discounts and promotions, but why wait? Check out our coverage from last year, and then get out there this week and sample the best of what this great city has to offer!

Saturday, September 25

Stone Street Oyster Festival, and Oyster Frenzy
Saturday brings two oyster festivals to New York - one at Ulysses’ down on Stone Street, and one at the Grand Central Oyster Bar. Both are in beautiful, historic locations, and both will have great tastings and live music. But Grand Central’s Oyster Frenzy will have a shucking and eating competition - and Little Scarlet loves anything competitive!

Sunday, September 26

NYC Apple Day Festival

The name here says it all. Stop by Orchard Street, between Broome and Grand (11 am-5 pm), for apple muffins, apple cider, and bushels of the original forbidden fruit! And just for kicks, here are some bits of New York, apple-related trivia:

Apple Factoid #1: Back in the 1700s, this stretch of the Lower East Side was owned by an apple farmer named DeLancey, giving rise to Orchard Street and Delancey Street.

Apple Factoid #2: Ever wonder why Broadway curves at 10th Street? In 1815, city planners agreed to bend the road here so that it would preserve the apple orchards of Henry Brevoort and other farmers.