Food & Wine Classic: Lessons from a couple of rookies

Tonight, I know what I’ll be wearing to the opening events for Food & Wine Classic.

Last year, our photographer Anna Stonehouse and I were the Food & Wine Classic newbies, and our goal was to take in everything the weekend had to offer: inside the tent and out.

After soliciting tips from our colleagues, we were ready. But as we walked up the stairs in the St. Regis courtyard for the opening event, I anxiously mumbled under my breath: I know I’m the only guy here wearing a shirt from Costco.

From that night through the Sunday brunch, we found the weekend wasn’t about pretentiousness.

The Classic is about passion and celebration … lots of celebrations.

Simmons, Zimmern, Oldman — we knew of them, but now we know them.

Colorful, vibrant food and drinks, jovial faces and an energy comparable to X Games. Between us we have covered X Games, World Cup skiing, Super Bowls. Classic weekend in Aspen, the Whites, Vonns and Mannings of their profession are together and they love it just as deeply as the athletes.

I really enjoyed helping put together this year’s Food & Wine Classic special section, which is in today’s paper and again Friday as well as around town, and part of that was getting more familiar with the subjects.

I’m still a beer guy, but my horizons are expanding.

And as for tonight’s outfit, I’ll be styled by Costco. After all, I pulled it off last year!