On the 102nd floor of the One World Observatory, everything feels a little magical. With 360-degree views of Manhattan and floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the Observatory would be the ideal venue for the boisterous, food-filled ragers that Food Network’s New York City Wine & Food Festival is known for. But on Oct. 19, the observation deck was filled with children in Halloween costumes, cookie crumbs on the tables and parents trying to snap photos with Duff Goldman.
Most NYCWFF events are 21+, but Halloween Sweets & Treats — hosted by Food Network superstars Goldman and Kardea Brown — brought celebrity buzz and foodie fun to New Yorkers of all ages. The event featured 14 food and drink vendors offering a selection of desserts fit for a proper monster mash.
While this is the event’s second year, Goldman has hosted similar events for over a decade, giving him an opportunity to meet his fans face-to-face.
“So many people see us [on Food Network],” Goldman said in an interview with WSN. “We’re in their living rooms every night, hanging out like we’re their friends.”
For Goldman, who is known for being a family man, the opportunity to build community is what brings him back every year.
“For me, I really like doing these events because you’re meeting the people that are actually watching you,” he said. “You’re not thinking about a TV camera. You’re thinking about the little girl with a pumpkin on her head. It helps you to connect.”
Many of the event’s vendors represented established companies, such as Baked by Melissa and Zaro’s Family Bakery — but like the New York City food scene itself, some of the best bites of the day came from smaller businesses.
MumsKitchens NYC was the event’s only vendor without an in-person location. The Queens-based business brought three fall treats to NYCWFF, including the CareFree carrot cake — which got a special shout out from Brown during the event.
“This is the carrot cake you like when you don’t like carrot cake,” TM Walker, the owner of MumsKitchens, said in an interview with WSN. “And if you like carrot cake, you’re gonna love this.”
Succulent and moist, the carrot cake was topped with a delicate rose water cream cheese icing that balanced its earthy nutmeg flavor. MumsKitchens’ StraightUP Brownie Bites were the tastiest chocolate dessert of the event. Featuring seven types of chocolate, the brownie was rich in dark chocolate flavor and not too sweet. The bakery’s My Everything cookie — which contained oats, raisins, dried cranberries, dried apples, shredded coconut and three types of nuts — was the quintessential kitchen sink cookie and perfect for fall.
ByClio Bakery, a Brooklyn-based custom cake shop, served its Ghost Peppa cake — a fluffy white cake topped with raspberry ghost pepper jam, a lemon frosting and drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey. While ghost pepper’s very presence in the dessert was enough to scare off some attendees, its flavor in the jam was subtle — a lightly spicy aftertaste for the tart raspberry. While the cake was slightly dry, the creaminess of the mildly tangy lemon frosting made for a well-balanced dessert.
Chef and NYU alum Scott Krevat, owner of The Bearded Baker, offered an eclectic array of macarons, from caramel apple to tomato ricotta. With its brown and orange-marbled shells and nutty, not-too-sugary filling, the Reese’s macaron honored the original candy’s chocolate-to-peanut butter ratio.
Like these smaller business owners, Brown — who hosts “Delicious Miss Brown” and is Goldman’s co-host of the Kids Baking Championship — got her start in the South Carolina food scene. In an interview with WSN, Brown shared how her journey as a chef inspired her to support today’s up-and-coming businesses through events like NYCWFF.
“It’s really good to hear the stories from the vendors that are just starting,” Brown said. “As the festival goes on, I’ll see more and more of them, and maybe three years from now I’ll say I remembered when they were here and just had a tablecloth. I’m really excited to see their growth.”
Contact Dani Biondi at [email protected] and Lauren Ng at [email protected].
