Five ways to turn your NYC vacation into your own personal wine and food festival

With the Food Network's New York City Wine and Food Festival kicking off on Thursday, we were inspired to whip up a little Big Apple "wine and food festival" of our own -- without the need for pricey, hard-to-come-by event tickets, crowded venues, swarms of press, and the packs of Food Network star stalkers. Oh, and we thought we'd go ahead and answer that pesky question of where to stay, too.


Here are Oyster's five ways to make the most out of a New York City vacation by turning your trip into your own personal wine and food fest -- all autumn long.

The Just-to-Say-You-Ate-There Trip: Deluxe Columbus Circle Feast TheMandarin Oriental New York in Columbus Circle is within spitting distance of two of NYC's finest restaurants, Per Se and Masa. If you can shell out the dough for Per Se's $275-per-person (not including tip or drinks, folks) tasting menu or face the $1000+ bill on the table at Masa without wanting to throw yourself into Manhattan traffic, then you can totally take a matchbook home and brag about the experience to your friends. Hit up The Mandarin's own MOBar or Asiate for a less formal (and easier on the wallet) experience, too -- the views are fab, and it would appear that there are no shortage of choices if you're interested in adding the "wine" to your "wine and food festival."

The Old New York Experience: Heaping Helpings of History Stay overnight in theAlgonquin -- once home to the storied Round Table (where ''The New Yorker'' was created!). Major writers ranging from William Faulkner to Maya Angelou have exchanged ideas here. It's the ideal place to shack up while you spend a weekend treating yourself to the tasty delights of "old New York." Grab a drink at Campbell Apartment in Grand Central Terminal, then head over to the Grand Central Oyster Bar to pay homage to the hotel experts that suggested you do so. After your slimy, succulent appetizer, journey to Keen's Steakhouse, an NYC institution dating back to 1885, and stuff yourself with some of the "pleasant old tavern's" legendary Mutton Chops.

The New York Local Experience: Pretty ProduceThe Union Square Greenmarket -- which is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays on the perimeter of Union Square Park -- is packed with local farmers selling their own fresh, seasonal produce (not to mention yummy baked goods, preserves, crafts, etc.) You can test out the goods by taking a stroll through the market yourself -- just a few steps from a hotel you might dig, the W Union Square -- or take the 6 train down a few stops from Affinia Dumont, where you can take home some produce and whip up something tasty in your hotel room's kitchen. Not in the mood for cooking on vacation? Check out Pure Food and Wine or the famous Union Square Cafe, both of which incorporate produce purchased from Greenmarket farmers into dishes on their menus.

The Splurge: A Private Course From a Legendary Chef If you're looking to spend a small fortune to satisfy your hunger for culinary knowledge and for celebrity chef interaction, consider the Trump International Hotel and Tower's Jean-Georges Culinary Master Course Package.Included is a private two-hour cooking demo by Chef Jean-Georges himself, a three-night stay in an Executive Park View Suite at the hotel (check out photos of the Executive City View Suite to get an idea of the space), a three-course dinner for two at Jean-Georges restaurant (a bottle of "premier Champagne" is included), breakfast at Nougatine each day of your stay, and a signed copy of a Jean-Georges cookbook to take home and show your friends. The price for this fancy little foodie fun-time? $8,999 per couple.

The Dairy Delight: A Class From a Master CheesemakerIf dropping $9K isn't in your NYC plans, take a course at the famous Murray's Cheese Shop. For $60, you can sign yourself up for one of the upcoming seminars at the Bleecker Street store: a Honey and Cheese class, a glorious autumn-appropriate class called Cider, Cheese & the Pursuit of Happiness, or just get your basics from Cheese 101. Book the nearby Washington Square Hotel for a budget-friendly room to lie down in when your tummy is full of cheese.