This past weekend something new and exciting happened in New Jersey. Living in this state we are exposed to many exciting festivals throughout the summer but unlike other areas affluent Bergen County has not engaged in them until now. On September 16th and 17th the first annual Bergen County Food and Wine Festival took place at Westfield Garden State Plaza,bringing an assortment of new and classic venues together to benefit the 200 Club of New Jersey.
For anyone unfamiliar with all that Bergen County has to offer in terms of excellent food and beverages this past weekend would have opened your eyes to the endless possibilities. Purchasing your ticket opened the doors to sampling every dish and spirit throughout the event. On this bright sunny weekend all of the restaurants were gathered under a deluxe tent surrounded by tables, outdoor seating and even a haystack for a fall feel.
Upon entering, we were greeted with a special tasting tray that also holds your beverage for convenience while indulging.Everyone seemed happy and full energy. At one point amidst the well-prepared tables, guests were even dancing the afternoon away with the help of the live DJ.
There was no shortage of Italian staples including pasta. Our choices for best pastas “of the afternoon” goes to Aldo’s penne pasta of Wyckoff and the red wine manicotti at Stella Artisan of Ridgewood, NJ.These two restaurants deserve a revisit.The day was a smorgasbord of culinary delights from Mexican, Italian,Greek,seafood, burgers, beer, spirits, and excellent wines. If you were there to tickle your sweet tooth there was a wonderful array of baked goods, ice cream, and even vegan cookies and pastries. Ridgewood also seems to be budding with new exciting restaurants. Ridgewood based, Alt Eats Cafe was our favorite choice for their delicious vegan cookies and desserts.
All in all,the Bergen County Food and Wine Festival was a grand success.If you didn’t make it this year we encourage you to indulge next year!
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