Celebrity Chef Chris Santos Announced as Ambassador of The New York Best Wings Festival in Westbury, NY on June 7th; Chef Chris Santos of NYC’s Stanton Social and Beauty and Essex Will Serve Up Specialty Wings and Showcase-Wing his new Rattler BBQ Sauce

“We are so proud to have Chef Chris Santos, a true Celebrity Chef, as a Best Wings Ambassador of the New York Best Wings Festival,” says festival co-founder Matt Kourie. “People are coming from all over to taste championship level wings and we knew we needed a top chef that could greatly add to the spirit of the event and raise the bar on flavor and experience with his love of wings.”

With an expected crowd of 5,000, the inaugural New York Best Wings Festival will take place on Sunday, June 7, 2015 from 11:00am – 7:00pm at the NYCB Theater at Westbury. The New York Best Wings Festival, geared for the entire family to enjoy, will feature some of the premier restaurants in the New York Metropolitan Area whose wings have gained acclaim. In addition to wing-eating and other food-oriented competitions, including the College Wing Olympics, there will be amusements, face-painting, craft brewery tastings and more.

All leading up to the main event, the championship bout, where the most notable “Wing Men of NY” will serve as seasoned judges. That includes BestWingsLI’s Matthew Kourie and Robert Wittman, Matt Reynolds, director and star of The Great Chicken Wing Hunt; Ryan Hohman, known as the Ultimate Wingman, FOX News’ Eric Spinato, AAA’s Robert Sinclair, National Wing Hunter Brian Dempsey from BringtheWing.com and Christine Gerani from SpotOn Magazine.

Other judges will also include Dave “Rev” Ciancio of “Burger Conquest” and host of the New York City Wing-Off; Adam Poch– who you may know from CBS’ “Big Brother”, the Travel Channel’s “Bacon Paradise”, or also as part of the New York City Wing-Off (that is when he’s not spreading Bacon Love worldwide!); Chef Plum, winner of “Guys Grocery Games”, “Chopped” open your basket and featured on ABC’s, “The Taste”, The Food Network, and Jamie Oliver’s, “Foodtube”. Derrick Prince from Season 2 of the FOX Network’s “MasterChef”, and Chip “The King Of Wings” Hearn– Master Wing and Ice Cream Champion, food guru, and Founder of Peppers.com!

Two top culinary celebrity kid chefs who appeared on Food Network’s Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off, Season 2 will battle it out with their best chicken wing recipes to compete in the Lil’ Wing Challenge. The defending champ is 12-year-old Gibson Borelli from New Jersey who edged out, then, 11-year-old Madison Grant from Chicago. Gibson wowed the judges with his famed Messy Wild and Wacky Chicken Wings while Madison whipped up her masterpiece, Little Italy Wings with Blue Cheese Sauce. With thousands watching and cheering on their favorite wing maker, in the end there will only be one NY Best Wings Festival Lil’ Wing King or Queen!

From the fans of extreme heat to those who prefer mild and sweet, a wing festival wouldn’t be complete without the beer. Coney Island Brewing Company is the official sponsor and will be on-site with a full lineup of beer to satisfy the thirsts of wing-eating masses. Beers available will include the flagship Mermaid Pilsner, old school favorite Coney Island Lager, and brand new styles, 1609 Amber Ale and Overpass IPA.

Some of the Festival’s sponsors will include Coney Island Brewing Company, Wing Zone, Apple & Eve, Croxley’s Ale House & Eatery, SwingBellys BBQ, High River Sauces, Long Island Radio’s WBAB, Naked Chicken Co., The Wander Inn, The Great Chicken Wing Hunt, BringTheWing.com, Bounce House Entertainment, SYM Magazine, Old Westbury Web Radio, 7Rose Productions, Step Out Buffalo, People of Distinction Humanitarian Awards, Chicken Wing Lovers, Buffalo Wing Wear, and Best Wings In America.

Advance tickets and custom packages to The New York Best Wings Festival at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury, 960 Brush Hollow Road, Westbury, NY can be purchased HERE.

About BestWingsLI:
Festival founders Matt Kourie and Rob Wittman are best friends who share the love for a spectacular chicken wing. They were on a singular quest to find the very best wings and to tell the world about those discoveries. The two launched their wing review website, BestWingsLI.com, publishing critiques on the best wing joints on Long Island and extended the search into Brooklyn, Queens and New York City. This quest has turned the two pals into full blown bona fide “Wing Hunters” who are turning their vast wealth of knowledge for one of America’s favorite finger foods into a major festival that will feature everything chicken wing and a whole lot more. The pair started small, with their popular seasonal bash, Wings and Beer Fest, which also featured craft breweries, and worked their way up to their forthcoming event the New York Best Wings Festival.

About Chef Chris Santos:
Chef Chris Santos introduced the world to his unique brand of communal dining with his debut restaurant, The Stanton Social known for it’s multi-cultural menu, and experiential dining with cuisine as delicious as it is entertaining. Soon after, he welcomed Beauty & Essex to the Lower East Side, which boasts breathtaking design and a sophisticated menu.

Throughout his career, Santos has appeared as guest chef on NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s Early Show, The Martha Stewart Show, and The Rachael Ray Show. Most famously, he is a resident judge on the Food Network’s most popular hit series Chopped and recently became a City Harvest board member.

Santos’ distinctive career has been synonymous with unparalleled success and he’ll continue by expanding his brand on both coasts, the introduction of his personalized line of new and exciting sauces and a highly anticipated first cookbook due out in the spring of 2016.