Brian Lawrence Live

Sunday, July 13
Today the Chefs & Wine Experience is going on at the Tremont Grand. Style Magazine is a sponsor of this exposition of all things food- and wine-related. Lots of vendors line the rooms of four floors of the Tremont Grand, offering samples of delectible foods, wines and other drinks. I took a spin through the Style Lounge, which was serving several different types of Champagnes and had a jazz combo playing all afternoon. It was a popular spot for people to sit for a while and relax, particularly after indulging on all the food samples on offer. My personal favorites were the “nudie” gnocchi in vodka sauce from Sotto Sopra, and the Stella Artois being poured by the glassful. Talks and demonstrations by Ted Allen, Warren Brown, Jerry Edwards and others were really popular, with queues for Allen’s two talks snaking through the halls. Former local gal Sandra Pinkney, now of Food Network, was on hand to host the event. Late in the afternoon, I made my way downstairs to the VIP party, where my pal chef Jerry Pellegrino introduced me to Ted Allen. They’d worked together recently on the pilot for a new series Ted will be hosting on Food Network called “Food Detectives,” so he told me all about that.