Greenwich Food +Wine Festival Showcases the Best to Eat, Drink and Be Merry

They came. They saw. They ate and they drank!

Visitors to the 4th annual Greenwich Food + Wine Festival at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park on the Greenwich waterfront had a glorious three-day run with sapphire blue skies as the backdrop. The lack of clouds in the air were replaced by the delectable aromas of beef bourguinon, garlic, steak, ceviche, barbequed pulled pork, fresh-baked bread, burgers and pizza. And that’s not counting the air-borne bouquets of the locally-brewed beers, wines and hand-crafted apertifs that drew hundreds of foodies who traisped through the white tents pitched in the park.

As the sun dropped into it sunset mode, several boats moored in the Greenwich Harbor to listen to the music of several top-name bands.

The Hudson Grille of White Plains, NY served up grilled shrimp, cloud-like gnocchi dressed with chopped fresh tomato with a basil oil. An up and coming business BuonCello from Bethel, CT served up adult-versioned Creamsicles with a punch. ( They come in four flavors and the orange was heavenly!)

Organized by Serendipity magazine, the festival is a benefit for Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang children’s camp. Close to 150 food and beverage purveyors plied visitors with tasty vittles and grogs who paid a minimum of $135 to partake in the festivities. Each evening was capped off with a concert, with Saturday’s finale featuring the local band Ian Murray Band (read: the co-founder of the ever successful vineYard Vines preppy clothing label), the Bacon brothers featuring actor Kevin Bacon and the country/rock band Alabama.

Visitors lined up for autograph sessions with popular chefs of television’s Chopped fame Anne Burrell, Aaron Sanchez, Jean George and Adam Richman, whose latest tomes were for sale.

Riverside resident and oenophile Kathie Lee Gifford entertained legions of fans who couldn’t get enough of her California blends of white and red wines. Among the fans of Gifford, who was accompanied by her husband, football Hall of Famer Frank Gifford, was Greenwich Selectman Drew Marzullo.

“I have been looking forward to the festival all week,” Marzullow said. “Food and drink is my favorite pastime. The weather was beautiful. The event was packed and anyone who knows me knows how much I love talk radio and love watching the Food Channel. I met Anne Burrell, chatted with Kathie Lee Gifford and Gary Dell’Abate. I was one happy person. It was a very successful event.”

Chef Aaron Sanchez, who recently opened Paloma in Stamford, was over the moon in meeting up with colleagues. He spent at least five minutes dishing with chef Anne Burrell and when he caught a glimpse of chef Jean Gorges, he proclaimed to fans, “ He is one of the most important chefs.” Sanchez said, “ He was using ginger, turmeric, and cardamon when those flavors weren’t being used in French cooking. It didn’t exist in French cooking.”

The pair hugged and mugged for photos taken by fans who patiently waited for personalized inscriptions on each chef’s latest cook books.

Photo: chefs Jean Georges, left, and Aaron Sanchez at the Greenwich Food + Wine Festival, Sept. 27, 2014. Credit: Barbara Heins.

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