Q & A with Lee Schrager

How do you convince the King and Queen of Spain, Michelle Obama, and Bill Clinton to show up at a food event? Ask Lee Schrager. Schrager is a force to be reckoned with in the food world. He not only launched the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, but also a second festival in New York City. And next week, on October 8th, he'll host his second annual NYC festival. Highlights include Rachael Ray's Burger Bash, Giada DeLaurentiis' Meatball Madness, and dinner with Alain Ducasse.

To think, his first job in food was working at a Chinese take-out counter. Schrager studied at the CIA, oversaw room service, and owned a nightclub. But the pivotal turn in his career was when he became director of media relations and special events at Southern Wine & Spirits. He threw his first one-day festival in South Beach in 2002 and the rest is history.

Single/Married/Divorced

In a long-term relationship.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Jacqueline Kennedy’s assistant.

What was your first job in food? What did you learn?
Take-out counter at a Chinese place in Massapequa – it’s not about where you start out, it’s where you finish.

You studied at both the CIA and the School for Hospitality Management at Florida Int’l University. In the end, what drew you to the business end of the culinary world? Had you ever considered becoming a chef?
I’m a chef by trade, having gone to CIA. I knew I didn’t want to work in the kitchen, but wanted the background that graduating from CIA offered. The Festival(s) allow me to work in all of the areas I enjoy – wine, food, and event planning.

While you were working at InterContinental hotels, how would you describe your ascension from room service manager to Vice President of Food & Beverage?
Calculated.

What are you most looking forward to at 2009’s New York City Food & Wine Festival?
Seeing so many friends that I haven’t gotten a chance to be with in a while.

How did you go from owning a nightclub in South Beach to running not only the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, but New York’s as well?
The nightclub was only an investment while I was working for InterContinental Hotels. The Festival was something that I created in my position at Southern Wine & Spirits of America.

If you could do last year’s again, what wouldn’t you do?
Not have our opening night party on Rosh Hashanah.

What are you doing different this year?
There are plenty of new events, and we have tweaked events from last year to make them even more exciting.

How do you go from a one day festival in South Beach to a four day festival in South Beach and New York? Did you forsee that or did it evolve naturally?
We expanded cautiously! While we’re not shocked at the great response, we’re always happy to see the rise in ticket sales – seeing as both SoBe and NYC Festival’s have beneficiaries.

How in the world did you get Ferran Adria aboard? Alain Ducasse? What’s your secret?

When you first started out, was it difficult to attract such famous chefs and winemakers?
My good friend Jeffrey Chodorow helped me with Alain Ducasse, and Dan Halpern at Harper Collins gave me the intro to Ferran Adria when his first book was coming out – it was all about the timing. Getting started, it took a lot of tap dancing.

Do you party hop from one event to another for four consecutive days straight? If not, how do you pick and choose events to attend?
I try to go to as many events as I can without stressing myself out – too much. But it’s a goal of mine to try and say hello at least once to every chef/personality.

What event are you most excited about? (Yes, you must answer.)

Meatball Madness hosted by Giada – it’s brand new and very New York City. It has proven to be as popular as I knew it would be.

What event are you least excited for? (See above.)
Weighing in for the Chefs Lose for Good campaign with Weight Watchers – only because I’m afraid I haven’t lost as much weight as I hoped to.

What’s the newest addition to the festival this year that you’re most looking forward to?
The amazing panel discussion at Fun and Fit in the City – Rachael Ray, Dr. Mehmet Oz, moderated by Tara Parker-Pope, with a special introduction from President Bill Clinton.

A considerable number of festival events will be taking place in the Meatpacking District, including the kick-off event “Chelsea Market After Dark.”   What was is about that area that attracted you in the first place?
It’s the home of our title sponsor – Food Network.

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival originally started out as the one-day “Florida Extravaganza.”   How did you blossom and become one of the most anticipated and important culinary events of the year?
It really happened on its own. For both Festivals, NYC & SoBe, it’s all about the location. Location. Location. Location. Amazing talent and great sponsors don’t hurt either.

Once upon a time, you opened a health food restaurant in South Beach called Chow.   How did that present itself and are you still involved, or, is it even still in business?
It was the idea of my partner from the nightclub, Torpedo, John Jacobus – he was really into fitness and health. The timing wasn’t right – if we had done it a year later, we’d still be open.

You’ve met everyone, including Britney Spears. But you actually teamed up with Mickey Rourke to open a dinner club called Spot.   Is that still in business and are you still in contact with Mickey?
It’s not in business – we sold the real estate. I saw Mickey last November at the opening of the Fontainebleau on South Beach. That was the first time in many years. We reconnected – had dinner together recently in New York.

Your first book Sizzlin’ Hot: Celebrating 10 Years of the South Beach Food and Wine Festival is due out next year! What can we expect? Can you give us a preview perhaps…?
Lots of behind the scenes stories about the making of the Festival – great photos and great memories.

Tell us some of your favorite personalities featured at the festival ever and why.
They are all favorites – my most memorable was probably the King & Queen of Spain at South Beach in 2009.

In 2008 you expanded the festival to New York City. What was the impetus behind that decision? Do you, from a culinary standpoint, prefer one city over the other?
It has a lot to do with Southern Wine & Spirits entering the market there – as the Director of Media Relations and Special Events for Southern Wine & Spirits of America, it was a natural expansion. Also, it was a nice challenge – I wanted people to know I wasn’t just a one trick pony.

Do you predict any culinary trends on the horizon?
I predict there will be more, I just can’t predict what they are!

Are there any current trends you wish would just die already?
YES! Restaurants that don’t have telephone numbers to make reservations.

Who would you love to see at next year’s New York or South Beach Festival? Anyone you can’t woo? If so, why?
I would love to see Michelle Obama take part in our family-oriented events – in South Beach it’s called Fun and Fit as a Family, in NYC it’s called Fun and Fit in the City.