Those of you who've been to your fair share of tasting events know that they're a lot of fun, giving you access to some of the City's crem della crem restaurants that aren't always the easiest to get into and aren't always the most wallet friendly. I really love New York Taste in particular, as it's a great conglomeration of New York's best, often giving me ideas of where to go throughout the year and really judging for myself whether the hype of a certain new restaurant is worth it.
This year's event on Monday, November 5th (from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.) is particularly exciting, as it's being hosted in a new venue the historic Waterfront, which was built in 1891, providing a blend of history and modernity.
I was also excited to see the impressive list of restaurants that will be featured at this year's event. Here's a sampling, but you can check them all out on NY Taste's site.
* A Voce * Aldea * Benoit * Bistro La Promenade * BLT Fish * Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns * Bobo * Booker and Dax at Momofuku Ssam * Brushstroke * Clover Club * Corton * Crave Fishbar * Ed’s Chowder House * FP Patisserie * Hill Country * La Silhouette * Le Bernardin * Le Cirque * Lincoln * Morimoto * NoMad Restaurant * Osteria Morini * Porter House New York * Recette * Red Rooster Harlem * Rouge Tomate * SHO Shaun Hergatt * Telepan * Tertulia * William Greenberg Desserts * Wong *
I hope this little preview, as well as my pictures from past events have whet your appetite.
You can purchase your tickets here, for which a portion of the proceeds go to City Harvest, to help fight hunger.
New York Taste is back again this year, with another rich offering of culinary pleasures all under one roof. I gladly attended and covered the event last year, and this year I'm psyched to do it again. An impressive tasting event, showcasing some of the best culinary talent in NYC and the opportunity to mix and mingle with the chefs themselves, it's really special. But before you immerse yourself in this food fantasy, I'd like to offer you my top 10 personal tips for making your night at New York Taste a tad more successful:
Foodista's top 10 tips for getting the most out of New York Taste:
1. Arrive early and beat all the hungry crowds - that means, arrive as soon as you are allowed to.2. Do a quick walk through of the entire room before you grab food - that way, you'll know what's out there and what you want most.
3. Avoid desserts until the end - there will be plenty left and they're best enjoyed if not mixed with savory dishes.4. Try more unusual restaurants you've never heard of. Chances are they'll be less crowded and the food just as (if not more) delicious than some of the hyped up all-stars.
5. Strike up a conversation with the head chef who's often at his/her table. When else will you get that chance? Ask for their personal food favorites and recommendations.
6. Take lots of pics. Don't be shy to take pics of the food and your favorite chefs. They love the attention.
7. Don't forget to drink - mostly water to keep yourself hydrated and to cleanse your palate after all the different food combos you'll have that night.
8. Make new friends - mix and mingle with your fellow attendees. Chances are you'll have a lot in common since they're all foodies, like you.
9. Eat Slow - although it'll be hard not to eat each dish quickly in order to move on to the next best thing, don't be tempted and enjoy your food slowly, savoring each bite.
10. Stop when it's time - when your belly has had enough, you'll know. Don't be afraid to take a break (the food will still be there when you come back) or to stop altogether. You don't want to walk out of feeling stuffed like a sausage.
And here are all the important details you'll need to know about this event:
New York Taste
Monday, November 1st from 6:00 (VIP) to 9:00 p.m.
Skylight Studios - 275 Hudson Street (at Dominick Street)
Chefs Attending: Andrew Carmellini (Locanda Verde), Anita Lo (Annisa), George Mendes (Aldea), Marcus Samuelsson (Red Rooster), Masaharu Morimoto (Morimoto)
Tastings By: Aldea, Annisa, Aquavit, August, BLT Fish, Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Buddakan NYC, Colicchio & Sons, Convivio, DANIEL, Dovetail, EN Japanese Brasserie, Fulton, Graffiti, Hill Country Chicken, I Trulli, james, Kefi, Kittichai, La Biblioteca, La Fonda del Sol, Lani Kai, Le Bernadin, Locanda Verde, Millesime, Morimoto, Park Avenue Autumn Pegu Club, Porter House New York, Quattro Gastronomia Italiana, Recette, Red Rooster Harlem, Riverpark, SHO Shaun Hergatt, Telepan Restaurant, The Meatball Shop, Wallsé, Zengo
A portion of the evening's proceeds will be donated to City Harvest, to help fight hunger.
Get your tickets here.
This past Monday, I had the great pleasure of attending the 11th Annual New York Taste event, which proved to be a delicious and impressive amalgamation of New York's top culinary talent. Held at the spacious loft venue, Skylight Studios, the event boasted 47 cream of the crop restaurants, bars and upscale food suppliers.
Atmosphere:
The atmosphere was fabulous and literally buzzing, as most people seemed truly impressed by the abundance of culinary prowess in the simple yet chic hall, designed by the Rockwell Group who have an impressive portfolio of restaurant clients such as Nobu, Bar Americain, Adour Alain Ducasse, Wildwood Barbecue and more.
A few decor elements stood out to me, including a huge plate compilation fixture, hung strategically above the main bar. The plates displayed projected images of the yummy food featured that night.
Another cool touch was the wall of individual wooden cutting boards, carved with each chef's name and his or her fresh spice of choice. Positioned in front of the main tasting room, it was a nice--and fragrant--way to survey the talent that stood just a few feet away.
Food Stand-Outs:
Overall, the food was impressive but my stance holds true when I say it's hard to judge a chef's talent by a miniature dish, prepared ahead of time and finished off in a massive room without proper cooking equipment. With that said, here are some of my favorites:
Rouge Tomate - Chefs Jeremy Bearman and James Distefano prepared a Long Island duck with a side of farro with pomegranate and pumpkin seed. I loved how all ingredients were seasonal and local, complimenting the philosophy of this restaurant. The duck was exquisite with tender consistency and not too much fat, and the farro was earthy, exploding with flavor from the pomegranate.
They also served a great dessert of mini fall squash s'mores, which looked like little parfaits. Each layer was prepared carefully and I loved that this dessert wasn't excessively sweet. My favorite part included the slightly charred marshmallow topping and the crunchy bites of pumpkin seeds.
Public - Nolita's "Australasian" restaurant was quite the popular ticket on Monday night, with their fried fanny bay oysters, wrapped in shiso and dressed with sansho pepper and a wasabi-yuzu dipping sauce. One bite of it and I realized why people were swarming this booth--the oyster was crispy and bready on the outside and tender and squishy on the inside. I loved the quality of the oyster (no fishiness) and the shisho blanket left you with a fresh taste in your mouth.
Market Table - I love visiting this comfort-food restaurant, and Monday's event further confirmed my preference. Chef Mikey Price served a simple yet highly memorable roasted beet salad with hazelnuts, horseradish cream and goat cheese fritters. The flavors worked together beautifully, the earthiness of the veggies and nuts rounding out the sharp flavors of the goat cheese balls. The dish is featured on Market Table's lunch and dinner menu so if you'd like to try it, you can. I'm anticipating a visit myself.
Boqueria- As soon as I saw the oversized pot of paella, I was overcome with excitement. Dubbed "Paella de Cordero" it incorporated bomba rice, lamb, wild mushrooms and squash--an unusual combination, especially for paella but it worked. The lamb was the piece-de-resistance--it was juicy and fell apart easily, flavoring the rice and making it almost stew-like. The squash added nice color and a touch of seasonality to this dish. YUM!
Bobo - A dessert that captured my attention was Bobo's mini pumpkin, filled with creamy butterscotch and chocolate pudding. Wow! Not only was the presentation whimsical and fun, the pudding was as silky and decadent as they come. Topped with crunchy pumpkin seeds, they tied the contents of the dish together with its outward appearance. What a treat - and again, not too sweet. I just loved it.
The event was a lot of fun, and the big crowds proved just how highly-anticipated it was. Partial proceeds went to City Harvest, to help fight hunger--just another reason to attend this year, and hopefully in future years to come.
