New York City welcomes several charitable food festivals as the weather gets warmer, with local restaurants and chefs gearing up to raise money and awareness for their favorite charities. Here, the big-name chefs and organizers behind five summer food festivals tell us why we can’t miss out.
Chefs Anne Burrell & Marc Murphy Talk This Year's New Taste of the Upper West Side
A starry soirée in Theodore Roosevelt Park kicks off this year’s New Taste of the Upper West Side, the annual food festival that celebrates recently opened restaurants in the area. From May 27 to 30, 40 restaurants will showcase their best home-style fare and compete for the title of Best Comfort Food Dish (May 27, 7-10 p.m.). The next day, Best of the West (May 30, from 7:30-10 p.m.) will see hosts and celebrity chefs Anne Burrell and Marc Murphy oversee a high-caliber tasting event, featuring culinary institutions like Dovetail, Tavern on the Green, and Boulud Sud, among many others. Comfort Classics and Best of the West will take place at Columbus Avenue between W. 76 and W. 77, 212-877-2678
WHY TO GO…
Sample Chef’s Favorites
ANNE BURRELL: “I am looking forward to tasting all the yummy offerings from chefs like Cesare Casella from Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto and Rich Torrisi from Parm.”
Support Local Restaurants
MARC MURPHY: “It’s great to support the community and work with other local restaurants and chefs showcasing their food,”
Rub Elbows with Renowned Chefs/Authors
AB: On her book Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire & Empower (Clarkson Potter): “I wanted to inspire and empower people to be their best, so they can own their kitchens,”
MM: On his recently released book Season with Authority: Confident Home Cooking (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt): “Many of the recipes originated from my childhood living in Italy and France, and I definitely had to include my great aunt’s chestnut jam, which is amazing.”
Chef Robert Lesley of Pershing Square Tells Us Why We Should Experience Grand Gourmet: The Flavor of Midtown
Grand Central Partnership will host its annual tasting event, Grand Gourmet: The Flavor of Midtown, in Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall on May 7 (7-9:30 p.m.; tickets on eventbrite.com). More than 40 of Midtown’s top restaurants, bars, and taste purveyors, including The Four Seasons Restaurant and Jacques Torres Chocolate will fill the historic halls. Pershing Square owner Michael “Buzzy” O’Keeffe, and chef Robert Lesley, will serve as event chair and captain, respectively. Proceeds from the event will benefit Grand Central Neighborhood Social Services Corporation, one of the largest homeless service providers in Midtown. Vanderbilt Hall, Grand Central Terminal, 89 E. 42nd St., 212-340-3404
WHY TO GO…
Support a Landmark
ROBERT LESLEY: “Grand Gourmet is great for New York because it shows that the Grand Central Terminal area is not only where to go to catch a train or go to work, it is also an area filled with some of the best bars and restaurants in the world. To do this while raising money to help the homeless is a win-win.”
Explore a 1913 Architectural Masterpiece
RL:“ You can’t beat Vanderbilt Hall as a spot for any event. The history and scale of that room are amazing. Doing an event in the community you work in that promotes and helps to improve that same community is special.”
Experience Chefs Pulling Out All the Stops
RL: “I will be presenting Roast Long Island duck breast with mushroom risotto and black cherry sauce.”
Chef Mario Maccioni of the Maccioni Restaurant Group on Checking Out Central Park Conservancy’s Taste of Summer
As one of the city’s most stylish culinary events, Central Park Conservancy’s Taste of Summer event in the iconic Bethesda Terrace on June 10 (7-11 p.m.; tickets on centralparknyc.org) draws over 900 guests every year. Delicious tastings by distinguished Maccioni Restaurants and other celebrated area eateries, like A Voce Columbus, Kappo Masa, and the park’s own The Loeb Boathouse, will be featured alongside a luxury-filled silent auction and music by DJ Kiss. Proceeds will benefit the Central Park Conservancy, which restores, manages, and enhances Central Park for the enjoyment of the public. Bethesda Terrace, Terrace Dr., Central Park, 212-446-2242
WHY TO GO…
Save the Park (and the Planet)
MARIO MACCIONI: “Central Park is one of the most beloved and visited landmarks in Manhattan and an event supporting such an iconic destination is significant for both New Yorkers and tourists alike. The event serves as a spotlight on Central Park by Central Park Conservancy, continuing to remind New Yorkers of the wealth and beauty it brings to 40 million annual visitors.”
Experience a Once-in-a-Lifetime Event
MM: “Bringing 900 guests together under the stars to kick off the summer in the middle of Central Park with great food and music is a really special night that can’t be recreated anywhere else.”
See and Be Seen
MM: “I always love seeing people enjoy our food and in such a beautiful setting—it can’t get any better!”
Chris Santos of Beauty & Essex and The Stanton Social Tells Us Why We Should Attend City Harvest's Summer in the City Tasting Event
Angie Mar of Beatrice Inn, Franklin Becker of Little Beet Table, and Anita Lo of Annisa are just a few of the buzzy names that will participate in this year’s City Harvest Summer in the City event. Join culinary chair Chris Santos, chef/owner of Beauty & Essex and The Stanton Social, at Metropolitan Pavilion on June 17 (6:30-10 p.m.). Last year’s event saw over 750 guests enjoying specialty treats and live entertainment, all while raising $335,000 to support City Harvest, a nonprofit that helps feed more than 1.4 million New Yorkers facing hunger each year. 125 W.18th St., 212-463-0200
GO TO…
Help Feed NYC's Hungry
CHRIS SANTOS: “I make my living feeding people and food to me is all about nurture and care and taking care of people. To have the idea that there are people in the city struggling to get their next meal is a horrific hardship that I can't turn my back on.”
Make Friends
CS: “It's cool that you're going to run into a bunch of chefs that you're either buddies with or chefs you want to meet and it's really great going around peeping everyone else's dishes. For me, it's the event I get most excited about.”
Sample Local Ingredients
CS: “It's just such a cool group of restaurants, very eclectic, all kinds of genres of food and design. Since this is Summer in the City, I like to do things with local heirloom tomatoes or summer corn. We try to bring dishes that are very whimsical, something that can be eaten with your hands.”
Chef Marcus Samuelsson on What to Expect From His First Harlem EatUp! Festival
When chef Marcus Samuelsson announced his plans to host Harlem EatUp!, a festival in and for Harlem, foodies across the city rejoiced. The area has long been a hotbed for diverse and ethnic cuisine, but has yet to receive the spotlight it deserves. Samuelsson has been a driving force in Harlem’s culinary renaissance since opening Streetbird Rotisserie, Red Rooster, and sister venue Ginny’s Supper Club, so it’s fitting that he’s behind the inaugural Harlem EatUp! Festival. From May 14 to 17, local chefs, restaurants, and artists, along with people across the country with a passion for the area, will host a variety of programs. Dine In Harlem, a ticketed dinner series, will boast dishes from culinary all-stars like Bobby Flay, Joseph “JJ” Johnson of The Cecil, and Gustavo Lopez of Vinateria, while The Stroll, a can’t-miss afternoon at Morningside Park, will feature tasting tents, culinary demonstrations, and meet and greets. Proceeds will be donated to Harlem Park to Park and Citymeals-on-Wheels.
WHY TO GO…
Experience Samuelsson’s Passion Project
MARCUS SAMUELSSON: “Harlem EatUp! is a great cause to support because it is a celebration of Harlem, an area that has so much history and so much to offer. It is my hope that this event will have a huge impact on Harlem. I am hoping to bring people up to Harlem and show them all that I love about the area.”
Discover an Eclectic Spread
MS:“ I am really looking forward to ‘A Sunday Afternoon in Harlem’ and I would love to stop by the dinner at Jin Ramen (3183 Broadway, 646-559-2862), which is one of my favorite places in Harlem, before dinner at Red Rooster (310 Malcolm X Blvd., 212-792-9001).”
Taste Cultural Diversity
MS: “I am very excited about the mix of dishes that will be served. I am sure it will all be great!”