News
February 5, 2024Record Attendance at the 2024 Albany Chefs’ Food & Wine Festival, Supporting Albany Arts
The 2024 Albany Chefs’ Food and Wine Festival saw the largest attendance in its 15-year history, bringing over 2,500 guests to the City of Albany for five events throughout its three-day run. Over 50 participating local restaurants, wine, beer, and spirit vendors contributed to the festival’s culinary landscape, offering an extensive variety of dishes and libations. Innovative art installations and programming filled the space reflecting the festival’s mission to raise awareness and support for the arts.
The experience concluded Saturday, Jan. 27, with the Cabaret & Cabernet-themed Grand Gala. Executive Chef Jaime Ortiz, leading the 2024 Signature Chefs, curated a 5-course meal featuring a diverse array of flavors and textures. The menu included a thoughtful vegetarian option, showcasing the festival’s commitment to catering to various culinary preferences.
The festival’s 3 competitions each declared judges’ choice and people’s choice winners. The highly anticipated Slider Slam competition featured 13 Capital Region restaurants vying for the title of best slider, allowing attendees to cast their votes and declare the champions. Mazzone Hospitality was declared the Slider Slam judges’ choice winner with Prime Burger winning the people’s choice vote.
Additionally, two Battle of the Bartenders competitions captivated the audience as mixologists crafted their unique takes on classic cocktails during the Old-Fashioned Competition and the Margarita Challenge. Zach Wachtel, bartender at The Delaware, swept the crowd away on Friday, winning both the judges’ and people’s choice awards with his take on the Old Fashioned. Saturday’s Margarita competition saw a wide range of creations with Katy Aitchison, bartender at Wellington’s, being declared judges’ choice winner and Robert Shoyhket, bartender at TORO Cantina, winning the most votes from the public. Each competition’s winners received a plaque with judges’ choice winners also receiving a custom championship belt.
“The Albany Chefs’ Food and Wine Festival has once again exceeded expectations, bringing together the community in a celebration of culinary excellence and camaraderie,” Marcus Q. Pryor, board president of Albany Chefs’ Food and Wine Festival. “We are grateful for the overwhelming support from attendees, participating restaurants, chefs, bartenders, vendors, and sponsors. The impact of this event will be felt by our beneficiaries, contributing to the vibrancy of our cultural and artistic community.”
While the final tally of proceeds is still being calculated, funds from the festival will be distributed among seven deserving beneficiaries, including this year’s Premier and Spotlight Beneficiaries: The Black Theatre Troupe, Capitaland Chorus, Capital Repertory Theatre, the Palace Performing Arts Center, Albany Barn, New York Folklore and Playhouse Stage Company. The beneficiaries will be honored with a presentation of the funds raised at an event to be announced in the next few weeks.
The festival was established in 2010 by Albany restaurateurs and others in the hospitality region to raise funds for arts organizations that lost money after the Albany City Arts Grants ended for budget reasons. Albany Chefs’ Food and Wine Festival has provided nearly $1.5 million in sustainable funding for the support and preservation of the not-for-profit arts community in Albany.
For more information about the festival, visit albanywinefest.com.
