GREENWICH WINE + FOOD Announces Details for Big Easy Event

Greenwich Wine + Food announced confirmed musical talent, chef participation and additional events that will be part of its 10-year anniversary celebration taking place this October. Tickets are now on sale, featuring completely re-imagined events and festivities that recreate the most memorable experiences from the past decade. Beneficiaries include two national non-profit organizations with roots in Connecticut - The Jacques Pépin Foundation and Wholesome Wave. Premium sponsors include Wagoneer and Greenwich Hospital.

"We are excited to share additional details for this year's programming, which will look like nothing you've ever seen before, to help us commemorate our big anniversary," said Suni Unger, founder and CEO of Unger Media, the parent company behind Greenwich Wine + Food and Serendipity magazine. "It would be impossible for us to celebrate the food of New Orleans without legendary chef and restaurateur Dickie Brennan, and we are thrilled that he will be joining us as our Master of Ceremonies at The Big Easy event! We have exciting bands coming to perform as part of that evening, including Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, notable acclaimed chefs from the area committing to cooking at our Gala event the following week, and wine, spirits and cocktails ready to be performed! All of these details come together to show the true mission of Greenwich Wine + Food, celebrating food and community while raising funds for important causes, and there's still more exciting news and events to come!"

The 2022 Greenwich Wine + Food celebration will kick off on Saturday, October 1 with "The Big Easy," honoring the sights, sounds and flavors of New Orleans with a mini-French Quarter at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, featuring legendary New Orleans Chef/Restaurateur Dickie Brennan as the evening's Master of Ceremonies. The event will begin at 5:00pm with a private reception for special ticket holders, with doors opening to the dine-around event at 5:30pm. Celebrity and acclaimed area chefs will be serving traditional NOLA eats from 5:30pm-8:30pm. Local craft brews, wine and iconic Bourbon Street cocktails will be served from 5:00pm-10:45pm. The 2022 class of Serendipity's Most Innovative Chefs will also be honored at this lively event: Steven Chen (MIKU, Greenwich, CT), Will Friedman (Kawa Ni, Westport, CT), Jared Sippel (L'Ostal, Darien, CT) and Renee Touponce (Oyster Club, Mystic, CT). Adding to the evening's celebration will be music beginning at 6:00pm from Dumpstaphunk (featuring Cyril Neville performing the music of The Meters), Big Head Todd and the Monsters and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. Tickets (21+ only) range from $340, including access to the dine-around, open bar, orchestra concert viewing, official wine glass and beer glass and official tote bag, to $7,200, including access for six to the dine-around, open bar, seating in a private presidential suite with personal waitstaff and VIP parking, amongst other benefits. VIP parking can be added on to all tickets for $20 per vehicle (limited availability).

The GWF 10th Anniversary Celebrity Chef Gala on Friday, October 7, honoring legendary chef Jacques Pépin, will include renowned chefs cooking and mingling with guests throughout the evening. The evening will begin with a 6:00pm VIP reception with Pépin, Michel Nischan(Wholesome Wave), Rocco DiSpirito, Silvia Barban and other special guests (for special ticket holders only). A cocktail reception will follow at 6:30pm, followed by the Chef's Table dinner at 7:30pm. Confirmed chefs who will prepare a four-course meal in front of guests at their designated tables include:

• Carlos Baez (The Spread, El Segundo, Magic Pie);
• Silvia Barban (La Rina);
• Jes Bengston (Terrain Garden Café, Amis Trattoria)
• Evan Corrales (The Restaurant at Rowayton Seafood);
• Albert DeAngelis (Eastend);
• Julio Genao (Prime);
• Michael Kaplan (Purdy's Farmer & The Fish);
• Bun Lai (Miya's Sushi);
• Geoff Lazlo (Geoff Lazlo Food, The Country Table);
• Stephen Lewandowski (Townhouse);
• Nick Martschenko (South End, SE Uncorked, SE Back End);
• George Mendes (Abigail Kirsch);
• Emily Mingrone (Tavern on State, Provisions on State, Fair Haven Oyster Company);
• Forest Pasternak (Bailey's Backyard Farm to Table Restaurant);
• Debra Ponzek (Aux Delices);
• Matt Storch (Match, Match Burger Lobster);
• Bill Taibe (The Whelk, Kawa Ni, Don Memo);
• Luke Venner (Elm).

In addition to this multi-course dinner, the evening will feature special programming to celebrate the incredible contributions that Pépin has made to the culinary world, capped off with dancing and music from DJ April Larken. Held at Abigail Kirsch The Loading Dock in Stamford, CT, this limited ticket event will allow guests to purchase tables for groups of 10 and select their preferred award-winning chef. Tickets range from $12,500 for two admissions to the VIP reception and gala, as well as four VIP tickets to "The Big Easy," amongst other benefits, to $1,500 for two admissions to the cocktail reception and gala. Purchasing an entire table of 10 is also an option for $25,000, which also includes VIP tickets to "The Big Easy," amongst other benefits.

In addition to these two, all-new flagship events, Greenwich Wine + Food is hosting additional celebrations, with confirmed events including:

• Speakeasy Dinner: A nod to the classic 1920's speakeasy, South Norwalk-based distillery, SONO 1420 will take guests back in time by serving up popular 1920's inspired libations with a modern twist on Thursday, October 6. The cocktails and cuisine, however, will be anything but old-fashioned. The chef (TBA) for the evening will be preparing a three-course dinner to pair with the cocktails. Tickets are $120 per person and include dinner and cocktails.

• Omakase Dinner: Set sail to Rowayton Seafood Restaurant and Market for an alfresco multi-course omakase dinner on their beautiful patio on the water, featuring sushi and a sake or wine pairing, on Tuesday, October 4. Tickets are $150 per person, including dinner and beverages.

• Pop-Up Dinner: Bakery, cafe, and flour mill by day, Kneads in Westport will transform their space for an elegant seven-course, farm-to-fork dinner complemented with wine pairings on Wednesday, October 5. Acclaimed Chef's Daniel and Brittany Moreno source their food from local farmers. Tickets are $200 per person, including dinner and wine.

Additional events will be added in the coming weeks.

Updates to the full schedule of programming, including participating chefs, special guests and events will be available at www.greenwichwineandfood.com, as well as the GWF's social media channels (Facebook @Greenwichwineandfoodfestival and Instagram @greenwichwineandfood). Tickets can be purchased at the website above, or by e-mailing wineandfood@ungerpublishing.com. Please note that talent, chefs and dates for the additional celebrations are subject to change.

Parameters for weather, age restrictions, and health and safety guidelines will also be available on www.greenwichwineandfood.com.

ABOUT GREENWICH WINE + FOOD

Greenwich Wine + Food embraces and honors culinary visionaries in the community of Connecticut and New York, and beyond. A pillar of the brand is creating content, experiences and opportunities to bring together the most incredible chefs, restaurateurs, purveyors, farmers, vintners, industry leaders and guests while giving back to important causes. GWF celebrates community, charity, food, beverage and more in the Connecticut and New York area with multiple events throughout the year, including its flagship Greenwich Wine + Food Festival. The 2022 beneficiaries include the Jacques Pépin Foundation and Wholesome Wave. All proceeds will benefit both organizations.

Previous participants include chefs Daniel Boulud, Scott Conant, Mary Giuliani, Alex Guarnaschelli, Marc Murphy, Adam Richman and Marcus Samuelsson, as well as musical artists Tim McGRaw, Little Big Town, Train and Ziggy Marley. Celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year, previous beneficiaries include the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the Town of Greenwich Parks & Recreation Foundation, Food Rescue US and Ment'or.

Sponsors to date include Wagoneer, Greenwich Hospital (Premium Sponsors), Blancpain, Compass, Manfredi Jewels, Tyson, Val's Putnam Wines & Liquors, Vergelegen Wines by VCluband Westy Self-Storage (*). The event was created by Suni Unger, founder and CEO of Unger Publishing, the parent company behind Greenwich Wine + Food and Serendipity magazine (a women-owned, women-run business), and is supported by a board of advisors including Rob Burnett, Gary Dell'Abate, Icy Frantz, Griffith Harris, Lee Milazzo, Holly Parmelee, Jenny Prince, Karen Rubenstein, Gerard N. Saggese III, Lara Spencer, Andy Stern and Bill Taibe. For more information, visit www.greenwichwineandfood.com or the event's social media channels: Facebook (@Greenwichwineandfoodfestival) and Instagram (@greenwichwineandfood), or email wineandfood@ungerpublishing.com.

(*As of 8/10/22)

ABOUT THE JACQUES PÉPIN FOUNDATION

The Jacques Pépin Foundation supports community kitchens that offer free life skills and culinary training to adults with high barriers to employment, including previous incarceration, homelessness, substance abuse issues, low skill and education attainment and lack of work history. Become a JPF Member to support our educational programs and grants. For more information, visit www.jp.foundation.

ABOUT WHOLESOME WAVE

Wholesome Wave is a national non-profit established on the belief that everyone, regardless of race, age, ethnicity, or income, has a fundamental right to choose healthy food. Wholesome Wave's mission is to address disparities in diet-related disease and enhance nutrition equity by making fruits and vegetables more accessible and affordable to low-income community members through systems change. Founded in 2007 by James Beard Award-winning Chef Michel Nischan and former USDA Undersecretary of Agriculture Gus Schumacher, Wholesome Wave successfully established the legal framework and advocated funding the doubling of SNAP benefits when spent on healthy fruits and vegetables - a program that has reached millions of community members across the country and has been established as a permanent program in the 2018 Farm Bill, named the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program. Today, Wholesome Wave is leveraging our 15 years of experience and relationships supporting successful fruit and vegetable access programs to advocate for their inclusion as a covered healthcare treatment through government-sponsored health plans.

Photo Credit: Sara Luckey

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