Have you ever been to New York City but wished that you had the time to allow your taste buds to explore every borough? While it is a seemingly impossible task, New York Magazine’s 21st annual edition of its signature culinary event, New York Taste, comes pretty close. The event, which will be held on Monday, Oct. 21, is curated by New York and Grub Street editors, and will feature more than 40 celebrated chefs and rising stars on the New York restaurant scene. More importantly, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to exclusive charity partner City Harvest, to help feed New Yorkers in need. In addition, Adam Platt, New York Magazine’s chief restaurant critic will be signing copies of his new memoir, The Book of Eating.
According to New York Media’s events director, Tara Reilly, New York Taste began 21 years ago as New York’s preeminent culinary event.
“At the time, the event was curated by New York Magazine’s culinary editor, Gillian Duffy, and in tandem with a print issue dedicated to food and drink. The event became a pillar in New York’s dining and restaurant scene with a combination of classics, culinary all-stars and the new and next,” she said.
This year, Reilly and her team expanded their curation process to include all of the culinary experts and critics across the company to round up their picks from New York Magazine and Grub Street columns including the Absolute Best, The 1,000 Best, Where to Eat, Grub Street Power Rankings, etc., as well as a curated wish list of a well-rounded representation of all cuisines and dining styles across the New York City restaurant landscape.
“I think of it as the most incredible tasting menu you can find. We work closely with the restaurants and editors to ensure that we have a balanced menu and that the progression of the ‘meal’ from the beginning of the event to the end where we feature desserts is complementary, balanced and progressive,” said Reilly. “We try to avoid repetitive flavors or items and encourage each restaurant to feature a signature item so they can really showcase what they do best.”
Many chefs work with City Harvest as it continues to grow from year to year, with last year’s event feeding 31,000 New Yorkers for a day.
The event will include tastings from the following: Adda Indian Canteen, Alta Calidad Taqueria, Breads Bakery, Café Altro Paradiso, Chama Mama, Crown Shy, Don Angie, East Wind Snack Shop, Emmy Squared, Gramercy Tavern, Golden Diner, Hanoi Soup Shop, HaSalon, High Street on Hudson, Hunky Dory, Jungle Bird, Kopitiam, Levain Bakery, Maison Yaki, MeMe’s Diner, Mifune, Nur, Oxalis, Pegu Club, Republic of Booza, Rezdôra, Saint Julivert, Silk Cakes, Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie, The Aviary NYC, The Beatrice Inn, Undercote, Wayan and Wayla.
Hungry yet? New York Taste will host more than 1,000 guests at The Waterfront New York, located at 269 11th Ave., with general admission tickets for $130 and VIP tickets for $230. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.nymag.com/taste.
