I do believe that 2011 is the year of the food festival. It seems like every week I am reading about or attending a new event highlighting local produce or restaurant fare. Yes, it's a great time to be a foodie in New York, and I was very excited to check out the second annual "Taste of Sunnyside" on October 18th in Sunnyside, Queens. The event was hosted by the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District and Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce. The diversity and vibrancy of Queens was well represented by over twenty restaurants from the Sunnyside and Woodside areas.
The action-packed evening was divided into two identical back-to-back 1 ½ hour tastings serving over 600 guests. Organizers passed out Guest Pass dining cards that limited each participant to one sample per restaurant. While this method seemed restrictive at first, it turned out to be a great way to keep track of what tastes the night had to offer, without overwhelming tables with repeat guests. My favorite samples of the night came from De Mole, an authentic Mexican restaurant serving up shrimp ceviche on a corn tortilla chip, Copper Kettle’s comforting deconstructed chicken pot pie (the biscuit on top served as the crust), and Salt and Fat’s beautiful shrimp, corn, and carrot puree. Other high points of the evening included Arriba Arriba’s delicious margaritas and Anise Fusion’s colorful carved watermelon sculpture (their Asian fusion food was great too). I really got the sense that attendees had a wonderful time discovering new dishes and supporting local restaurants.
Have you had a memorable experience at a local food festival? I would love to hear about it!
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