Philadelphia Taste: Festival of Food, Wine and Spirits arrived on the scene at the Oaks Convention Center on the second weekend in October, bringing a wide array of wine vendors and sommeliers, as well as celebrity chefs and TV personalities.
The big draw for this convention was an appearance from celebrity Bethenny Frankel, well-known for her stints in reality TV as well as her line of SkinnyGirl products. I caught up with some of the lesser known chefs and personalities, who were just as entertaining. My favorite person of the day had to be Leslie Sbrocco, international wine expert, television host and founder of Thirstygirl.com. She provided really great tips for wine lovers like me, and I learned a few tricks to make my own personal wine tastings even better! Ever put an ice cube in your wine? Try freezing leftover white wine in an ice cube tray instead, so that your wine won’t get watered down! What a great idea, right?
There were some really great faces around the convention center. I caught a bit of the cooking demo from Emmy Winning comedian Mark DeCarlo, who was cooking with the up-and-coming Jennifer Mueller. I also had the chance to see a bit of White House Chef Guy Mitchell’s demo and talk about cooking for the Vice President.
One celebrity at the convention center that had a slew of fans lined up at his booth was Russell Newberry, from Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch.” With such a large crowd around him, it was hard to even see…but he was a great sport, and found time to have a picture taken with anyone who wanted one.
Besides the array of chefs and personalities, many wine, beer and spirit vendors were on hand, and the tastings were extremely popular. Wines from France, Italy and Napa Valley were being poured in excess, and our own local Sly Fox was tapped out before the afternoon was over. Food offerings such as tacos, crab cakes and some excellent bruschetta kept attendees happy. When I left mid-day, there were streams of people still pouring in, so I knew word had spread on how great this expo is, and I expect next year it will be even more popular.
Stay tuned to gourmetshows.com for coming-soon details on 2013’s food and wine fest.
Photographs credited to Sarah Gagliardo
