Savvy subscribers to our indispensable free daily events newsletter, GothamList, have known about the Food Network New York Wine and Food Festival for quite some time now, and already secured tickets to sold-out events like the famous Burger Bash and the SWEET dessert extravaganza. But there are still tickets for sale for some of the celebrity chef cooking demos, wine tastings, and other consumption-related events during the festival, which kicks off tomorrow night and ends Sunday. Below, some of the highlights for which tickets are still on sale; be aware that though some of them are in the $100 range, proceeds benefit the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength, which is dedicated to ending childhood hunger, and you don't want the little ones to go hungry, do you?

  • Bruni Unveiled! The former New York Times dining critic has a new book, an autobiography called Born Round, and on Friday night he'll be dishing about his tenure at the Times and his turbulent relationship with food. Tickets cost $35.
  • Meatpacking Uncorked Also on Friday night, $65 entitles you to wander around the Meatpacking District sampling unlimited food and wine served inside some of the neighborhood's boutiques and restaurants, including Spice Market, Macelleria, Murray’s Cheese and Murray’s Real Salami. "Performance artists, musicians, and other sexy and sophisticated spectacles," are promised, which somehow sounds a little more intriguing than your average Friday night in the Meatpacking District. It runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and you can get $15 off with promo code UNCORKED09 here.
  • The Grand Tastings happening on Saturday and Sunday are definitely grandiose. It'll cost you $150, but for three hours you can consume as many samples as physically possible from a seemingly infinite number of restaurants, vintners, breweries, and spirits purveyors. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. it's hand-over-fist, and the list of participating restaurants runs from 10 Downing Food & Wine to Yerba Buena Perry. See for yourself, and buy here. But if you go, get there early.
  • Midnight Amore at Scarpetta Scarpetta may very well be our favorite restaurant in all New York, so we don't hesitate to recommend this midnight snack extravaganza for the night owls. Chef Scott Conant's planning some "live-action" stations with fresh, made-to-order dishes, plus little bites that "will offer flavor explosions perfect for pairing with fine Italian wines." As if Conant's fireworks needed any backup, there will also be appetizers and desserts created by landmarc’s Marc Murphy and Prune’s Gabrielle Hamilton. $100
  • 100-Mile Brunch: Farmer Bob Cooks Brunch Bob Walker operates the 60 acre Katchkie Farm in Columbia County, but on Sunday he's in Tall Town to serve a big brunch meal using only ingredients from his farm, his neighbors, and other farms within a 100-mile radius of NYC. The menu includes Katchkie Farm Eggs Benedict with Flying Pigs Bacon, 100-Mile Lasagna with Home-Made Pasta from Local Grains, and Lightning Tree Farm Cracked Wheat Pancakes, among other options. Peruse the whole massive menu here; tickets cost $125.
  • Holiday Libations On Sunday afternoon, Tony Abou-Ganim, the Modern Mixologist, will be at The Standard Hotel teaching some classic and innovative drink recipes for the holiday season, including Egg Nog, Hot Buttered Rum, Yuletide Champagne Punch, and his Cousin Helen's famous Tom & Jerry recipe. $65