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?

This was a great time! My only complaints / reason I'm giving it 4 stars and not 5 are that 1. why…read morethe heck is this event on a Monday night?, 2. Love their commitment to not canceling an event but would have loved if there was a rain date rather than rain or shine, and 3. I wish they let you buy individual tickets (not in increments of 5). Yes it was rainy and yes it was crowded (c'mon, it's times square after all) but still worth the trip on a work night into the city for a good time with friends and good eats (Lolz @ my friend holding my umbrella while I scarfed down food). They sell in increments of 5, so I got 10 tickets for $10 which is what they advertised for and later went back for another 5 tickets. Most foods cost between 2-3 tickets each... to me, 10 was too few tickets and 15 was too much (thus why I would have liked to buy 10 and then get single tickets from there). If you really want to make the trip worthwhile and sample enough, go for 15. Restaurant vendors I sampled from: 1. Patzeria Perfect Pizza - Tortellini with prosciuutto in the sauce (3 tickets) 2. Schnipper's - Mac 'n Joe (3 tickets) 3. Carmine's - meatball (2 tickets) 4. The View - Swiss chard Ravioli with truffle sauce (3 tickets) 5. Crossroads - Pretzel with "gooey cheese" (3 tickets) 6. Bubba Gump Shrimp - Birthday cake dessert (1 ticket) Of all of them, I was most excited for the ravioli based on presentation but somehow ended up being my least favorite... too creamy (though I'd still want to visit that restaurant as it looks gorgeous, just would order something else). My friend and I thought the mac n joe was amazing (mac n cheese with sloppy joe) and that the pretzel w/ cheese was a great snack (mmm warm pretzel). Tortellini is one of my favorite foods in general so knew I'd like that especially with that sauce. Glad I got to finally try Carmine's- I've never made it there due to it being pricey but at least this event let me have a sample for a grand total of only 2 tickets! Hope to return next year, on a sunnier day!!

Finally came to the taste of Times Square and had a good time. I purchased 15 coupons for $15 and…read morewas able to taste a variety of dishes. The place was jam packed and I was supposed to meet some friends and was never ever to catch up with them. It's best to get their early because it was so crowded we could hardly walk in the narrow street to check out what each vendor had to offer. Since I didn't wait to catch up with my friends I just checked out the longest lines and figured the samples had to be good. I was able to sample some tacos, chicken wings, sliders and water for $15. The food was good but hard to manipulate and eat with the crowds. I wound up standing in a corner to eat my food or sitting on the sidewalk to devour my chicken wings. There were different areas of live entertainment and New Yorkers and tourists seemed to be having a great time. Next time I will come prepared and wear a small bag and get there early to check out more vendors and get more food items..

Old firehouse No. 3, converted to a museum. Not sure what their hours are, but great old firehouse…read moreand the town periodically holds events for the locals centered here, often with a focusing on the kids which is great.

I have been wanting to attend Village Voice Choice Eats for a long time, but was always put off by…read morethe high price of the tickets (I never seem to be fast enough to nab those $70 general admission tickets). For their first ever Brunch Eats event, GA tickets were $60 and who can turn down an all you can eat brunch at 8pm? After going to a few different food events I really have to say the Voice seems to know what they're doing, and I feel much more confident shelling out the money for Choice. The event was extremely well organized. They picked a great venue (the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum), which was always kept clean, had adequate bathroom accommodations, space for both vendors and attendees, containers to hold your food samples, plastic ware, and garbage cans. I know that sounds like it would be common sense but I can't tell you how often these simple things are over looked at festivals and events. They even seemed able to book the right amount of vendors in proportion to attendees, so lines moved quickly even if they looked long. And the vendors they chose were great! Ess-a-Bagel was there with delicious smoked salmon and whitefish spreads on their fresh bagels. There was a fantastic Cuban pork sandwich with a red mojo sauce that I've forgotten the vendor of. There was ceviche, poached eggs, BLT's, french toast, tons of donuts. My favorite vendor by far though was Nha Minh, who made Duck Eggs and Vietnamese Ham in a Crepe Pinwheel with a chili oil made with dried seafood. WOW. It sounds as amazing and multi-faceted as it was. The booze selection was also excellent. There was a large beer station, as well a one for mimosas, Bloody Mary's and other vodka based cocktails (Eddy's Vodka), and Rose (Angel Whispers!). There were also a ton of freebies being given out by Haagen Dazs, Bark Thins, Uber Eats, Frames Bowling Alley. They had a live jazz band playing- such a nice backdrop! Plus we got to explore the museum a bit, and go up on deck at night and see the beautiful skyline views. I had a great time, left full, a little tipsy, with a tote full of goodies. The quality of the vendors as well as the organization of the event itself (not to mention that it's all you can eat and drink for three hours), made this a really good value. I'll definitely be attending more Voice events :)

The total Duration of the show is 2 hours, after the 1st hour, there is a 20 minute break before…read morethe start of the 2nd half! They are usually here from November to the first week of December. Onsite parking $10 & Porta Potties located on the side of the tent... lines are crazy during the break, get out there fast or HOLD it! Such mix feelings I been coming here for almost a decade! I feel as the show has definitely, gone through a transformation for the worse. The show was just lacking, I would of been more entertained watching YouTube. It reminded me of a bootleg circus. Don't get it twisted the acts were ok & that's the problem there was no WOW factor! The only animal acts were dogs doing some mediocre tricks & Horses running around in circles. The all men clowns were spraying the audience w/ water & groping each other. There was a segment, where one clown was softly touching another clowns private parts! Then there was a dance act, where the female dancer was in a thong..doing all kinds of naughty splits with her vagina all up in her partner face. I don't mind these things, but this is a kid friendly show. My Daugther's eyes popped out of her head & she asked me "Why did she put her Totiko(Vagina) in his face?LMAO!

Love the staff they are great. Especially one person which name i dont remember, shes been an…read moreamazing teacher to my child. She's motivating and pushes their boundaries while prioritizing safety

My family and I have been celebrating since 2003. We watch the parade then head over to one of the…read morepubs, just follow the pipes and drums. Last year we went to Stout NYC. We had such a wonderful time, Belhaven and Skullsplitters for us and 2 music sets by the Red Hot Chili Pipers. The first set was a bit tame but by the second one (11pm-ish) people were jumping around and singing. :) Definitely check this out.

Best festival i've ever been too. Music & drag talent is stellar... Worth going just for the…read moreecstatic atmosphere! People say NYC is dead... Go. to. this.

Amazing amazing annual festival upper west side. Great for kids, families and dates…read more This is one of our annual traditions to attend this incredible upper west side festival which is usually held on the first Monday in December, to kick off the holiday season. The festival is over a handful of blocks around Columbus Circle. The festivities start with a tree lighting, and include: - streets and various covered / inside locations peppered with musicians, small bands and entertainers - festive entertainers at various stations and walking the streets - one or two ice sculptures being sculpted live - giant, lit up and puppeteers strolling thru the neighborhood - performances put on by Barnum and baileys circus artists and Broadway show performers. One year my son was called on stage; great memories. - stations set up with crafts for kids - face painting, balloon twisting and other activities for kids... - 2-3 Santas in different locations - stores holding promotions - Food! There are three clusters of food tents with about 30 different restaurants offering one or two delicious food samples for $2-$5 each. Make sure to bring cash, since cards are not accepted. This year, my son and I went to the festival hungry and had an amazing food tasting experience. We strolled from tent to tent buying various samples; and between the two of us we had soup, Chili con carne, gnocchi with truffle oil, pork belly bun, tuna (sushi) rolls, gourmet mushroom tarts, beef brisket, a mini chocolate brownie, blueberry muffin and chocolate mousse. Restaurants whose samples we tried included: The Smith, Porter House, Cafe Fiorello, Bluebird, The Empire Rooftop, Bouchon Bakery, Momofuku Noodle Bar, Arturo Bakery, BONMI, Mandarin Oriental (our favorite). I love seeing my son try new foods, and he enjoyed almost everything. Highly recommend ! Truly great festival. Great memories. We look forward every year. Amazing for families and kids but would also be a fantastic experience with friends or a date!

What an absolutely wonderful event, full of music, cultural inclusion ,dance, and delicious food…read more This was the first time we have attended the annual event although, it has been in existence for 20 years. Go figure ‍‍ We sampled food from so many great restaurants and watched many live dance & musical performances. There was salsa, African dance, New Orleans Jazz.... just to name a few The food items were so kindly priced between $1-$4 so, can you say indulge!? We had lobster bisque, pasta, hot chocolate, meatballs, pastries, mousse, beef Wellington donuts and chocolate dipping sauce and everythingwas absolute delicious! All hits, no misses! Lincoln Center was so live yesterday and everyone partied in the slushy wet snow and it was totally worth it. ...