Lee Schrager Spills the Tea on Celebrity Chefs and Shares How he Built the Two Best Food Festivals in the Country

By | January 9, 2025

Katie chats with Lee Schrager, the founder of both the South Beach and New York City Wine and Food Festivals, and the Chief Communications Officer of Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, the largest wine and liquor distributor in the country.  

Lee describes his fascinating career path, from studying at the famed Culinary Institute of America, to working at the original Dean and Deluca in NYC and the Hamptons, to owning and operating the first gay bar in South Beach (frequented by Gianni Versace and many supermodels), and how it lead him to develop two iconic food festivals. 

Katie prompts Lee to spill all the tea on the many celebrity chefs he’s known throughout the years. He has seen and heard it all, and he is naming names. Lee tells the story of a very popular Food Network host who mistakenly emailed him a rather embarrassing message meant for her agent and he shares a jaw-dropping recount of a disastrous dinner for the Queen and King of Spain. 

When it comes to restaurant dining, Lee is the best in the business when it comes to restaurant recommendations. He shares his current top picks in New York City, like Corner Store and Cha Cha Tang, and some of the openings he’s looking forward to.

This is an episode you won’t want to miss! Tune in for all the laughs and insider gossip with Katie and Lee.

Follow Lee at @leeschrager

Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits https://www.southernglazers.com/

Kind of Wild Wines www.kindofwildwines.com

This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.

Look for Wonderful Seedless Lemons at your local retailer or visit wonderfulseedlesslemons.com

Produced by Dear Media

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