'Taste the Greats' culinary gala at Oheka Castle is canceled

Taste the Greats, billed as the “ultimate Long Island food and drink event” has been canceled. The $100 ticketed gala, scheduled for Saturday night at Oheka Castle in Huntington, has been rescheduled for Sept. 24.

The decision was made around the same time as Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that, starting on Friday at 5 p.m., New York State was banning all gatherings with 500 people or more in an effort to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

A spokesman said that the organizers had “reached out to all attendees and chefs. Tickets will be transferred to the new event. If the ticket buyer cannot make the new date, we will provide a refund.”

As late as noon on Thursday, the show was to go on. But, guest of honor Lidia Bastianiach and other chefs (at least four that Newsday knew of) were dropping out and other gatherings, from national NBA games to various local St. Patrick's Day parades, were being canceled.

Among the chefs who planned to attend the original event were Guy Reuge (Mirabelle, Stony Brook, and Sandbar, Cold Spring Harbor), Tom Schaudel (Kingfish, Westbury), Stephan Bogardus (The Halyard, Greenport), Andrew Minitelli (Osteria Morini, Roosevelt Field), Francis Derby (Prime, Huntington) and Marco Pellegrini (formerly of Caci, Southold).

We’ll update you on plans for the rescheduled gala closer to the date of the event in September.