Edible getaway: Food fêtes take bite out of NYC

A place to rest after your food coma during New York Restaurant Week: Distrikt Hotel New York City.

By Jennifer Olvera

Post-holidays can be a dreary time of year. Fortunately, the winter leg of New York Restaurant Week — slotted for weekdays from Jan. 16-Feb. 10 – offers a good excuse to book stays at New York hotels, since more than 130 restaurants will offer three-course, prix-fixe meals for $24.07 at lunch and $35 during dinner, plus beverages, tax and tip.

If you can’t make it to town for that, there’s always the New York City Winter Wine Fest on Feb.4 to consider. Held at the Best Buy Theatre at 44th and Broadway, it’s a veritable steal, given tickets start at $59 per person. Featuring pours of over 200 wines — many from small, boutique vineyards — grapes are tempered by nibbles, from cheese to bread and crudités, all served to the tune of live jazz.

Those looking for something a bit more low key should consider an oyster tasting class at Astor Center on January 16 ($99 per person). Students will learn about how terrior impacts oysters’ flavor and texture, and they’ll sample classic preps — including oysters Rockefeller — and learn what wines match perfectly with bivalves. Another option for New York travelers is to book hands-on cooking classes — such as the mozzarella and fondue-making class at New York Vintners on Jan. 20. Alternately, there’s the Canadian ice wine festival, a pleasant jaunt from the city to Niagara-on-the-Lake, from Jan.20-22.

The good news is plenty of centrally located New York hotels are affordable this time of year, making a New York stay the perfect cure for winter doldrums.

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Jennifer Olvera is a Chicago-based author, editor and food enthusiast, who travels often – usually in search of her next great meal.

Tagged: New York