Allan Benton

Pork visionary Allan Benton of Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams in Madisonville, TN will select the bacon menu within the Hamageddon Experience.

Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdain, Host of No Reservations and Layover, will be selecting a few of his favorite NYC bites to be part of an area called “Tony’s Corner”.

Anthony Bourdain will visit the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House for one night only, Saturday, June 9 at 7:30pm. Get more information and buy tickets here.   Bourdain will spend the evening sharing candid, and often hysterical, insights about his life’s work and travels, including an open question and answer session with the audience.

Big Gay Ice Cream

Big Gay Ice Cream began as the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, a summer experiment by founders Douglas Quint and Bryan Petroff that began rolling the streets of New York City in June 2009. Described by The Village Voice as “a cross between Mister Softee and Mario Batali” the menu combines traditional soft-serve ice cream with imaginative toppings such as wasabi pea dust, Nilla Wafers, Dulce de Leche, olive oil and sea salt, and other rotating offerings. These are dispensed the way ice cream should be — with humor and good cheer. With this playful attitude, BGIC spins a new take on old-school soft-serve by creating fun and unique toppings that appeal to a diverse mix of clientele.

Humberto Ricardo of Third Rail Coffee

Humberto Ricardo’s relationship with coffee started at a young age from the strong cultural traditions of Cuban coffee, music and family. He walked away from a career in printing and ran straight into the world of coffee by taking a barista in training position and immersing himself in the world of high-end specialty coffee.  In July 2009, Humberto and his wife Rita opened Third Rail Coffee in Greenwich Village. In its’ brief tenure, Third Rail has established itself as one of the premiere shops on the East Coast with a sharp focus on great coffee, zero pretense and a classic New York vibe.

Eddie Huang

From the “futuristic YMCA” known as Baohaus, Eddie Huang will be selecting restaurants that show the depth of New York City’s diversity.

Just Food

Since 1995, Just Food has pioneered and championed the growth of sustainable food programs, including CSAs, community-run farmers’ markets, and farm-to-food pantry programs. Just Food serves thousands of New Yorkers by forging partnerships between local farms, neighborhood groups, and consumers, and by providing urban communities with a framework for growing, and knowing, healthy food.  To learn more about Just Food, please visit justfood.org.

Margaret Braun

Margaret Braun is a “Sugar Artist Extraordinaire” (Food and Wine) who has redefined the art of cake decorating. Internationally renowned for her boundary breaking style that fuses food and the fine arts, she has inspired design and pastry enthusiasts for years. Margaret began drawing on desks, walls, tables, jeans, & shoes, and until she found herself in a pastry kitchen where she drew on a cake. Then she discovered food coloring, sugar paste, royal icing and went on to create some of the most beautiful and delicious creations ever seen. She was a featured “Foodie Icon” in Barney’s New York holiday windows, the inspiration for Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character in the film The Great New Wonderful and her book Cakewalk – (Rizzoli) – described as “Like King Arthur on Ecstasy” is considered by many to be the best cake book ever. Margaret and her work have been featured extensively in print tv,and film, and she has judged numerous cake competitions. Her cakes and sculptures have presided over royal weddings, birthdays, concerts, food and art events and she lives and works New York City www.margaretbraun.com

Finger on the Pulse

Darin & Greg Bresnitz, collectively known as Finger on the Pulse, are pleased as whiskey punch to be part of the Great Googamooga. For the last five years this duo have championed delicious events from Brooklyn and beyond, including their annual BBQ Blow Outs featuring some of the city’s best chefs and DJs.  Darin & Greg will be bringing some of their favorite culinary cohorts to the festival to share the wares with the public and to be part of the tasty VIP experience.