Where Food Is on the Marquee

Anticipating new eateries from name brand chefs is exciting, but don't jump to dial the reservation lines just yet. Fall openings are often delayed — and it could be months before the tables are actually set. Food-related fall events, by contrast, are almost always a sure thing since venues are reserved, tickets sold, and experts secured months in advance. Here is a roundup of some of the season's tastiest happenings.

Gourmet Institute

One weekend a year, the editors and staff of Gourmet magazine, including editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl and the publication's executive chef, Sara Moulton, turn their offices into classrooms for the "Gourmet Institute." Now in its fifth year, the Institute offers a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes of culinary publishing. Participants, who customize their own programs, can tour the recipe test kitchen, learn about food photography, and take part in wine tastings. Star chefs who have graced Gourmet's pages, such as Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin, Masaharu Morimoto of the Food Network's "Iron Chef" program, and Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit, will be on hand to cook and host events for participants. The program fee includes eight seminars over two days; breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday, and a Saturday night dinner at Aureole, the Grill Room at the Four Seasons, or Le Bernardin. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Citymeals-on-Wheels.

Friday, October 19–Sunday, October 21, 4 Times Square, between Sixth Avenue and Broadway, among other venues, $1,395. For more information, or to register, visit www.gourmetinstitute.com.

Cook. Eat. Drink. Live.

This first-of-its-kind-tasting, purchasing, and educational food and drink show, Cook. Eat. Drink. Live., promises to be the "ultimate luxury epicurean weekend" for both culinary professionals and amateur foodies alike. The schedule includes demonstrations by celebrity chefs such as alumni of Bravo's "Top Chef" program, Ilan Hall and Sam Talbot, and by Gotham's top restaurant chefs, including Brad Farmerie of Public, and Amanda Freitag of Gusto. There will also be opportunities to sample wines and spirits from around the world, and seminars on sushi-making, and caviar tasting. Younger visitors can develop their palates at the Children's Pavilion, where there will be cooking demonstrations targeted at the elementary school set. The Make-A-Wish Foundation will receive 5% of proceeds from the sales of tickets. Discounts are available for food industry professionals.

Thursday, October 25–Saturday, October 27, Pier 94, Twelfth Avenue at 55th Street, $325 a day, $625 for the weekend. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.247365nyc.com.

Le Città del Tartufo — The Truffle Towns of Italy

If you like white truffles — and really, who doesn't? — you may want to put the James Beard Foundation gala on your calendar. Chefs from Italy's truffle Meccas (Alberto Bettini from Amerigo 1934 in Savigno, Bruno Cingolani from Dulcis Vitis Ristorante in Alba, and Flavio Faedi from Granaro del Monte in Norcia) will fly in to cook with 25 pounds of the precious tubers specially imported for the truffle-centric menu. The evening includes a live auction, and it's hard to guess which will be more expensive: the first-class Italian truffle-hunting trip for six, or the private luncheon at Rao's?

Thursday, November 8, Guastavino's, 409 E. 59th St., between First and York avenues, $1,000 for James Beard members, $1,250 for nonmembers. For tickets, call 212-627-2308, or visit www.jamesbeard.org.

Chocolate Show

For chocolate aficionados, this event is almost mandatory for both shopping and eating. During the three-day gathering, Metropolitan Pavilion is turned into a virtual Wonka-land with more than 65 vendors and chefs offering up chocolate drinks, candies, demonstrations, and art. For the petit enthusiast, there's a "kid-zone" with tasty interactive programming. The opening night gala fashion show on November 8 — fund-raiser tickets are $200 — will feature wearable confections. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the event, restaurants around town will feature special "Chocolate Week" menus.

Friday, November 9–Monday, November 12, Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, adults, $28; $8 for children 5–12; children 5 and younger, free. Ticket information is available at www.chocolateshow.com.

Sweet

This event — touted as "New York's biggest dessert party!" — is both a debut and a preview of the Food Network's New York City Wine & Food Festival, coming here in fall 2008. The event is an outgrowth of the network's white-hot South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Food Network stars, alongside New York City pastry chefs, cheese makers, bakers, and chocolatiers will be serving up confections. There also will be wine, Champagne, and cocktails. Among those slated to attend are Pichet Ong of P*Ong, Johnny Iuzzini of Jean Georges, and Nicole Kaplan of Del Posto. A portion of the money raised will benefit the Food Bank for New York City, and Share Our Strength, an organization fighting childhood hunger.

Friday, November 16, 9 p.m.–1 a.m., the Waterfront, 269 Eleventh Ave.,between27thand28thstreets, $200. Tickets are available at nycwineandfoodfestival.com.