My favorite dish was not from a NY chef O_O Don't judge. There is good reason behind this…read more.. Last Friday after work, I went straight to LIC for Le Grand Fooding event. This was a very wise move because we got there half hour before doors opened (7PM for non VIP holders) and were only a few feet away from entrance. It didn't take long before the line wrapped around the block. Imagine a mass of eager, excited and hungry people lined up. Getting anxious as 7PM came closer. Tick tock tick tock. Once in awhile you get a huge whiff of freshly baked dough. Ahhhhhhh! It was the ultimate torture. So close yet so far away. Seriously. Once the line got moving, everyones spirits were on a high. I for sure was cheesin =D Upon entering we were handed 4 different colored stubs to use for the night. Yellow for Veuve Clicquot, red for a pizza with wine pairing, blue for a Belvedere cocktail from the guys of PDT and a white one for a Belvedere cocktail from Erick Castro of Rickhouse in SF. Let the awesome night begin! We were greeted by a strong smell of cheese which as if on auto-pilot, made us line up for Chef April Bloomfield's offering of braised beef and onion pie topped with a robust bleu cheese. It was a perfect way to kick off the night- a brief exchange of words with the chef and a bite of warm straight off the oven mini pie. It was reminiscent of an onion soup in pie form with braised beef as bonus. Yum!!! On to the next one...as I stuff my face with said pie, I headed straight for the next line. Now if you have read my previous reviews, you'd have noticed how much I appreciate swine. I'm kinda sorta in love with it. And now I'm kinda sorta in love with Chef Laurence Jossel and his wood grilled pork with tomato jam. Cassy: Hello chef. May I please have the fatty pieces? Chef: You're a woman after my own heart. *Swoons* Need I say more? I had a generous portion of wood grilled fatty pork with smoked tomato jam on garlic bread. It was succulent, flavorful and absolutely delicious. The jam was a nice touch. It was a little sweet and complimented the pork well. This dish made dining for a good cause 100 times better. Thank you chef for putting love into your food. He served each dish with a smile. We also got to try a number of other dishes and drinks: - 2 vegetable dishes from Chef Jeremy Fox and a memorable lavender infused sugar dusted almonds. - grilled scallops with sea salt and fennel seeds on greens from Chef Syhabout. We had second servings =D - flute of Veuve Clicquot - David Chang's beet chips with goat cheese mousse, tapioca and granola. It was light and totally unexpected. - Squid pizza and vegetable pizza paired with cote du rhone - Pickled cucumbers with shaved lamb tongue from Torrisi. - Parkside Fizz cocktail from PDT was very refreshing. All in all it was a successful night. I ate well without waiting for more than 10 minutes each dish. I'd do it again, in a heartbeat.

In this all out showdown between NY and SF to determine who has the best food, I was pleasantly…read moresurprised. $50 for a regular ticket gained you entrance into a world of unlimited food, waiting in lines with no Fast Passes, excellent espresso from Nespresso, S. Pellegrino sparkling water flavor pairings, and some of the best alcohol around. And all proceeds going to Action Against Hunger. Hi-five! The decorations were beautiful and modern and it was a relatively beautiful and warm fall night. MOMA PS1 was an excellent venue for Le Grand Fooding. The event coordinators oversold the event IMO, but after people started to leave, most of the lines weren't too bad. I didn't get to try everything, but I still had a delightful time. I won't break down every dish that I tried, but here were some of the highlights for me: NEW YORK CITY Chef Dan Barber (of Blue Hill) served up an unlisted dish. I'm unsure as to what the exact components were, but it was good, albeit it lacked some of that wow! factor. Pulino's Chef Nate Appleman offered beef cooked in beef fat over an anchovy crostone that I managed to sample two of before they ran out. Excellent! What I kept going back for and will probably crave was from db Bistro Moderne. Chef Laurent Kalkotour created hte Camemburger DB especially for Le Fooding. The ground sirloin burger slider hid a surprise in the center - a delicious camembert cheese - and when you bit into it, the burger oozed just enough to really enjoy the perfectly (rarely) cooked patty with the perfect sear. This was definitely one of the more filling dishes. They were also handing out the recipe card for this, which I shall endeavor to recreate someday when I'm feeling particularly adventurous and have guinea pi - - I mean /friends/ over. SAN FRANCISCO My favorite, and therefore the best, dish was served up by Frances from SF. For the full duration of the night, the line spiraled around the whole beach sand area for Chef Melissa Perello's suckling pig confit with summer fruit mostarda. Behind the counter area, Perello and her sous chefs visibly worked hard to maintain a high standard of quality in each dish that went out. Although just helping out his friend for the event, Christophe Hille of Northern Spy Food Co (in NYC) was gracious enough to chat for a short time while he was cooking to the side. ALCOHOL Okay. Let's get to it. Despite what some of my co-conspirators may claim, I do remember how much I had to drink. Even with the extra tickets that Jimmy C handed to me. (Thanks, Jimmy!) If I hadn't eaten my money's worth, I definitely drank my money's worth by the end of the night. And so.. more for my memory than for anyone reading this, a breakdown of the alcohol that I managed to score: - 2 flutes of excellent champagne by Veuve Clicquot - 2 Belvedere experiences with the white tickets - 1 Rhône Valley wine (& pizza pairing) - 2 Belvedere experiences with the blue tickets - 1 more Belvedere experience with another white ticket - 1 large swig from a bottle of Belvedere that the kick ass bartender at the end of the night opened. He wouldn't give me an unopened bottle to take home though. :( Boo. I should have showed more skin. (Kidding!) - 2 smaller swigs from the bottle of Belvedere Umm... holy bacon. How was I not falling over plastered?

HOLIDAY MARKET REVIEW: This place opened yesterday in the Eventi Hotel in the popup space recently…read moreoccupied by #DellVenue (a divergence from their previous Hester event which was outdoors). Unfortunately it's just a few crafts tables with no real signage (on the site nor inside the space) so enter at your own risk. Though I always walk past, what drew me was its distinction as the only market in the city to accept Bitcoins as a form of payment. The only merit to any Holiday market IMO is seasonal food and/or reasonably priced unique gifts, and this had neither. *Sorry for the yelling but added this listing 11/22/13 then Yelp had the courtesy to again botch it and amend the name to 'Hester Street Fair' which this is not. They also misplaced the business on the map to 385 (which it's mistyped as on their site) and prefaced it with Eventi rather than that being a subtitle. If you're into mutated and misplaced data, check some of the recent reviews of the Yelp app in the Play Store - people reviewing the app like it's a listing is always amusing. It'll be open until DEC 23RD this year and runs daily 11AM-7PM. We have reviewed the changes you suggested for Hester Street Fair. Your exact changes may not have been applied due to Yelp's guidelines or because we were unable to verify the changes. If you have additional feedback, please let us know by adding a note with your business update. changes submitted not sure why I bother trying to improve your service for you because you shoot yourself in the foot an undo all the changes I made. this is NOT hester street fair in a new location, it's the HOLIDAY MARKET, as indicated by the URL you also removed please also fix the address so it's correct Who: NYC's Best Artisan Gift, Jewelry, Clothing, and Vintage Vendors. When: ​December 1 - December 21 11am-7pm​ ​Where: 835 Sixth Avenue Trains - BDFMNRQ to Herald Square, 1 to 28th Street (@ Eventi Hotel) 2013 HESTER HOLIDAY MARKET STAY TUNED FOR THE ALL NEW VENDOR LINE-UP AND HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE & GIVEAWAYS!

Olive oil infused with CBD. Dried crickets integrated in granola. Micro plants harvested as salad…read more These were some of the innovative creations/wave of the now future I experienced at the Food Loves Tech expo at Industry City over the weekend. It was the 3rd annual and this bi-level exhibit was a delight to those who were in attendance. I was the fortunate guest invited by my friend who managed to snag a free pair of tickets via Yelp. There was something here for everyone. I enjoyed several albeit brief chats with the exhibitors regarding what was on tap for visitors. What about organic farmed raised Rainbow Trout? Sounds like an oxymoron since wild caught is what's suggested for seafood but these were organic and involved a detailed series of steps on how they're caught. It was also one of my favorite samples. In addition, wine (i particularly loved St. Francis Chardonnay, named after St. Francis of Assisi), yogurt, salad, beer, meat for the eager carnivore (venison, bison, pork, duck and beef. Did not try as I do not eat red meat), olive oil & other snacks. One of the coolest exhibits was a photo booth whereupon the image was applied on a latte. Talk about innovative. This was a 3 day event that seems to be gaining popularity. Attendance could vouch for it. If you didn't catch it this year, I'm sure it'll be back bigger and better next year. A few tips---no coat check, some exhibitors' products wasn't available for purchase, very few sample give-a-ways and last--no bottled water available in sight. After a good amount of sampling, we felt like two camels in a desert--in need of water. Despite these few hiccups, this was an enjoyable expo held at the perfect space/location. Real nice.

Thanks to Katey & Yelp for providing me with 2 tickets to this expo!…read more Food Loves Tech hosted a number of businesses that value sustainability and innovation in the food and drink space. From rainbow trout to wine and ice cream, this expo had a little bit of it all, and we were happy to sample. With 2 floors packed full of cool innovators, there's something for everyone. We spent about 2 hours here talking with business owners and trying out some cool bites. The only caveat, I would say, was that we were parched after taste testing everything and there was not a single bottle of water in sight. Just be sure to bring your own if you're coming here! We got some free goodies - tote bags, samples of Annie's cookies, peanuts, etc. Very cool! For those who are interested in purchasing tickets for next year, check out the website or Eventbrite. Tickets start at $55, I believe.

I waited on line for the BBQ for exactly 1 hour when "Karen" appeared out of nowhere and decided…read morethat myself and the 12 ppl behind me were shit out of luck and should go kick rocks somewhere. She rudely roped us out of the line; l was that next to last person shut out, a few ppl quickly ran under the rope successfully, however when i tried "Karen" yelled at me like she was yelling at a child, full blast over and over. Then she pulled out her walkie talkie and called security. .that's what "Karen's" do they call the police on Black people. As she ran off to find the police to get me escorted off the line, a couple more slid under the rope. We all made it to the front for food; and Karen explaining to the police fell on deaf ears. 30 bucks for pulled pork on a mini-bun, and a baby portion of Mac and Cheese. They should be thankful.. but yeah that was a nightmare.

Saturday, August 18, 2018, starting at 2pm, at West 59th Street & The Hudson River. Finished about…read more8pm. Except, it ran longer perhaps due to rain delay in evening, but it was GREAT!! Enjoyed delicious ribs and beans from Dinosaur BarBQ--wow!!! There were several food vendor tents, tables & chairs to sit & enjoy food, and great FREE MUSIC! There was also Ben & Jerry Ice Cream, and MELT ICE CREAM SANDWICHES. So, you pay for the food, but the music is FREE & GREAT! I look forward to attending next year! If it's the same location ...seems like it's possible it can change year-to-year... you can take crosstown bus at 57th and just walk from 10th, 11th, or 12th Ave, over to the River & 59th Street. Depends which crosstown bus you take, as to which Ave you'd walk from. Ask bus driver . M31, vs M57 bus, each bring you close. The M57 will bring you about one Avenue & a block or two away. M31, you may walk a little bit more, but still close. See my video & photos

fun, free event annually in coney island to celebrate the summer! I highly recommend coming in…read moreadvance and trying to view the parade from the boardwalk side, which is less crowded. bring water as it's usually sweltering and the parade runs several hours long. once you're there, you're also right by the amusement parks and the carnival games are fun and plentiful. I also recommend packing a bathing suit so you can hit the beach after the parade :)

Good times and good vibes at the Mermaid Parade! Had a great time with great friends at the peak of…read moresummer in the city. It was a fun prequel to Pride weekend festivities.

Enjoy a stroll in the cherry esplanade and enjoy the cherry blossoms after hours with music and…read moreactivities. Always love attending this event for the 4th year in a row

If you have but a half hour in Chelsea, you should spend it on W. 20th between 7th and 8th avenues…read more There you can indulge in a fresh brewed cup of coffee at Cafe Grumpy, and stop in for a glimpse of artwork at Merge Gallery. Merge is a small, intimate space, featuring just a few pieces by a single artist. Currently they are exhibiting their second solo show of Clara Fialho... a snazzy show entitled "The Intolerable White Sun" that is up until June 21st. The artwork was fun and spunky, conceptual but beautiful...and the gallery attendant, well, he attended to us! (This is a small miracle among galleries, to be not ignored...) The young man was very friendly- greeted us instantly, showed us the artist's statement and told us a little about her and the gallery, and even joined in our discussion of the work. He alone deserves five stars, and I'll definitely be stopping back to this little nook. We caught them on a Monday even--- normally their hours are Tuesday- Saturday, 11-6:00. It was a perk to find them open while en route to Cafe Grumpy on a Monday! Their website is www.mergegallery.com (though they didn't have future exhibitions posted when I checked...).

Had a lot of fun running Summer Streets with my run club on Saturday. Was nice that they extended…read moreit a mile into East Harlem at 109th Street. Terrific way to experience Park Avenue with no vehicular traffic 7am to 1pm all the way down to Brooklyn Bridge. It's great that there are water stations, entertainment, water sprinklers, and hydration sample area set up. Was an awesome training run for 14 miles and we ran across Brooklyn Bridge over to Manhattan Bridge then back on to Summer Streets. The only thing that would make this better would be to have porta potties set up along the course as there are no bathrooms along the way unless you find a Starbucks to jump into. Still, it's a fun way to spend a Saturday morning with a run, bicycle ride, or walk in fresh air.

If I had it my way Manhattan wouldn't have cars and very few trucks. Leave the supplies at the…read moreborder. In the mean time I enjoy Saturdays in the month of August. I head out early and go as far as I like down Park Avenue. When it gets crowded I head East and find an Avenue to walk home. My favorite part of the trip is around Grand Central. I love the view of the historic building up close. I have the best photos! If you live here, or you are visiting, experience the streets. So much fun, free events and interesting sights. I highly recommend!