Nathan’s 2016 Hot Dog Eating Contest

We love a good Taste Festival. Next week is Sydney. Some of Australia’s greatest chefs are cooking up some of their most creative and favorite bites for you to snack on while sipping that lil’ something you best have in your other hand. By that we mean BOOZE. This event is jammed with options and, from what we can tell, really well organized. Their list of attractions hits every possible machination from tastings to lounges to learning. Wish we could get down under but hope some of you already are. March 10-13 at Centennial Park.

The cliché “great thing” about living in a city like NYC when you’re food-obsessed like me is that you have the menu of the entire world at your fingertips, just waiting to be ordered, admired, and posted to your Insta feed by your intrepid, food-adventuring self. And don’t get me wrong, I live for the prospect of an authentic dim sum brunch, followed by a dinner of Ethiopian food, followed by an ice cream concoction with flavors more complex than my high school chemistry homework, all in one glorious, gluttonous day. But let’s be real: sometimes “at your fingertips” means a cross-borough subway ride with multiple transfers. Sometimes, the most exotic thing you can fit into your schedule is a slice of dollar-pizza from a spot with a redundant, non-Italian name. And sometimes, the options are so overwhelming that you give up, stay in, and make do with cheese and crackers you resurrected from the dark depths of a cabinet. That’s why we’re excited for Edible Escape, Edible magazine’s annual round-up of the best international bites, all presented in one jaw-droppingly beautiful venue. Delish dishes from around the globe? Check. Easy commute between cuisines? Check check. All that’s left to do is take some killer pics for your followers, but that one’s entirely on you, my friend. October 20 at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in NYC.

We love barbecue competitions when smashed into music festivals but Hogs for the Cause adds a charitable component. that makes it a no brainer. Add that it’s in New Orleans and if you are not in a cab to an airport (or your car if local) I’m not sure you have tastebuds. The 90 team, 2 day, competition and party raises money for children fighting pediatric brain cancer. Teams range from pro’s to backyard warriors to fun loving eaters trying their hand with the masters. Each team raises money for the cause and so it really is an incredible way to support a great cause bite after bite. Unlike some other competitions, every team sells food. Of course at $2 to $6 for dishes teams will sell out. Go early and go hungry. April 1 from 3:30-9:30 and April 2 from 11:15am to 9:45pm @ The Festival Grounds in New Orleans.

Washing down a big bite of food with a comparable gulp of wine has long been a top pastime of the whole FT Crew. So much so that we’ve come to know the difference between a 2 Buck Chuck and a grape grown in Montalcino. Although they both have a place in our wine cellar (read closet), learning more never hurts. The Brooklyn Wine Fest does this learning thing in the non-snooty, approachable, fun kind of way. I guess you’d expect this from a Brooklyn born wine festival but the legacy of stodgy wine makers is still a hard ship to turn. The organizers have broken these stalwarts down and curated a producers list that will make everyone punchdrunk happy. In addition to the 50+ wineries repping their grape juice there’s some on point food to help coat that belly. Heavy hitters like the Mac Truck, Luke’s Lobster and the Brooklyn Oyster Party, just to name a few, will help you savor every wine wheel tagged sip. Time management alert, the day is broken up into two sessions. (12-4 and 5:30-9) Our advice is, BIG brunch, go early, pace yourself, no spitting and stay until the sun is gone. You’ll be fine. Enjoy yourself and stop by Dandelion Wines post fest to try your new knowledge out. Lily and team will be waiting to help. Saturday, October 28th from 12-9:30 in Brooklyn.