Culinary Travel Weekend at The Gourmet Institute

Looking for a foodie-focused weekend?  Look no further than the Big Apple, and The Gourmet Institute to be held October 23rd – 25th, 2009.  Organized by Gourmet Magazine (which publishes some serious food porn), the institute offers a diverse assortment of culinary demonstrations, discussions and tastings.  Sessions are designed for all levels of culinary expertise, from master chef to curious newbies.  What a great way to spend a crisp fall weekend in New York City, than enjoying some great food experiences.

Leading the sessions will be renowned culinary masters, some of the biggest names in the business.  Here’s a sample:  Ruth Reichl, Mario Batali (in photo), Daniel Boulud, David Bouley, April Bloomfield, Floyd Cardoz, Scott Conant, Gina DePalma, Sara Moulton, Charlie Palmer, Marcus Samuelsson, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Florent Molleret, Dan Barber, Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert.

Here are some of the things on the schedule for the weekend:

• Chef demonstrations
• Wine and spirits tastings
• Cheese tastings
• Seminars
• Gourmet test kitchen Session
• Walking tours
• Special menus at select NYC restaurants (Friday & Saturday)
• Book signings

And lots more!

Tickets are now available, and if you think this sounds like a lot of fun, you’d better act quickly.  Some classes are already sold out!  Ticket prices range from $20-300, and you can buy individual classes or seminars based on what interests you, or put together a package.  You can check the schedule and order tickets online.

Photo Credit:  Chef Mario Batali by Bauer Griffin