The 15th Annual Food Network’s NYC Wine and Food Festival begins this weekend. Lee Schrager, founder and director of the festival, and Baked by Melissa’s Melissa Ben-Ishay joined Cheddar News to discuss the event and to bake delicious Halloween cupcakes.

New York City Wine and Food Festival is Back

food stand where we try mouthwatering eats that are sure to make you one seconds. The 15th annual Food network new york city wine and food festival presented by capital One returns to new york city This week the festival raises awareness and funds for God's love. We deliver an organization aimed at nourishing vulnerable new Yorkers affected by severe illness. Over four days you can catch 85 events, takes more than 400 new york restaurants and even get a taste of N. Y. C. S own baked by melissa earlier, lee Schrager, founder and director of the festival and Melissa, Bennish founder and Ceo baked by melissa, join me at the food stands, discuss this year's tasty event, Take a look melissa before we get started getting to our questions, what have you brought for us that I brought you baked by melissa bite sized cupcakes are Halloween assortment, Tell me about the Halloween assortment. We got spooky tie dye and buried alive and I'm gonna make a fresh batch for you. Right, okay, while you do that lee, let's talk about the festival. What what's it about for those of us who don't know? Well, we are celebrating our 15th year of eating, drinking and ending hunger and feeding new york city. It kicks off this thursday night, october 13th at Pier 86. We have a over 100 events this weekend. We're kicking off on thursday night with our signature event, the burger bash hosted by Rachel Ray on friday night. We're doing a big italian event with Alex Guarnaschelli and scott Conant with special guest Whoopi Goldberg, saturday night, we're doing a big taco event hosted by our friends at the uh, the kitchen, that's Katie lee, Jeff morrow, Geoffrey, Zakarian, Sunny Anderson, So that will be lots of fun with special guest Elvis Duran in the morning show and on sunday, our family barbecue hosted by Andrew Zimmern and Dario Cecchini coming in from Tuscany Italy to do that and throughout the weekend there are 40 events. Melissa is going to be at our 15th annual dessert party hosted by Kalen Allen with special musical performance by reverend that event this morning, we had two tickets left, so I'm assuming it might be sold out by the time we're watching this, but hopefully, well hopefully it is. Stay with you for a minute. Tell us more about the community and the impact this festival has, it's not just about food, well, it's not just about food, it's about raising awareness for God's love. We deliver. God's love is our charity partner and if you're not familiar with God's Love, they're an amazing organization that deliver medically tailored meals to people who are too sick to shop or prepare prepare meals for themselves, they're a great organization, I've been a fan of theirs for many years and there are such great partners and we're thrilled not only to be raising funds, but really making the community aware of the great work that God's Love, we deliver does out there and like you mentioned, baked by Melissa will be at this year's festival, Melissa has been rewarding to see your business grow at the heights. It has expanded locations and of course now being involved in this huge festival. Yeah, we love to be involved. We love to be involved in the festival and it's like one of the most delicious events that we can take part in every year. So, so here at cheddar, many of your customers know you for your baking skills, but online, a lot of us know you for your Tiktok, your cooking skills, easy to follow recipes. Does that sometimes feel like you're living two different lives or does it kind of intertwine? No, it just feels like I'm constantly working, but I love it. So it's great and um I think it's really all celebrating my love for food and the perfect bite. So it's super rewarding and I love being able to share what I love so much do. Welcome to duality. Yes, of course. Tell me more about these cupcakes. These cupcakes are the perfect bite. So this buried alive flavor is one of my all time favorites. It's, I love chocolate covered gummy bears. You haven't tried them. You absolutely should. It's chocolate cake stuffed with chocolate pudding chocolate icing and then you get a little gummy bear on top and this oreo cookie crumble to bury the bear alive. What are you most excited about when it comes to the festival, I just love going around to all the different events and all the, I like, I was actually just telling lee, I discovered one of my favorite ingredients at the food and Wine festival, like Many years ago, like, I don't know in 2010, let's say. So it's just a fun way to experience food. If you love food, it's a great place to be and all the, I feel like every year you have new exciting events paired with some of the classics that are just the best you've been with this event for so many years, what are you looking forward to this year? I'm looking forward to being back in full force, you know, really, after the last two years, I think we're just looking forward to seeing so many friends that we have not seen uh being just being back in the community really uh continue and get to work the word out to everybody that the hospitality industry is thriving here in new york city, but it's important to continue to support the industry. You know, not only do we raise funds for God's love, we deliver, but the most important part, one of the most important parts about the festival is raising awareness for all of the 400 participants, like baked by Melissa, you know, who are here supporting the charity for free this weekend, our tickets sold out, tickets are very close to sell out, but you know, we have 100 events, so there's still some tickets. Okay and what can we expect in the future for baked by Melissa? Oh my goodness! Well we will continue to make your life sweeter with the best gifts that you could send anywhere in the country and choose your arrival date, especially with Halloween coming up. I know my kids, Halloween party is not complete without baked by melissa. Um you will get some delicious content and so much more. We just opened a store in boston this week. So if you're in the boston area, go check it out at the seaport and so much more to come. Well I'm going to take a bike. I thank you so much and we'll see you at the festival. Thank you. The new york Wine and Food Festival is from october 13th through the 16th, scan the QR code on your screen to learn more. And of course get those tickets