New York Taste.

New York Taste put on a benefit last night to help fight childhood hunger.  Great cause.  The event is called Taste of the Nation.  They money they raise goes to a variety of organizations that are dedicated to this cause such as Share our Strength, City Harvest, Food Bank for NYC to name a few. 

The only oxymoron here is that a bunch of people, I mean a bunch, the place was packed, get together to taste food from all the top restaurants in NYC.  It is fun and filling.  I guess the food thing makes sense as we are getting stuffed, the kids are getting funded through our dollars.

There were a variety of liquor vendors.  Wine, alcohol etc.  Lots of colorful mixed drinks.  There was also savory and sweet food.  I began with the savory.  I tried very hard to taste everything.  The toughest thing was the place so packed that the flow didn’t work so well.  I don’t think they anticipated that many people.  The plates started piling up everywhere.  It was like the end of a successful cocktail party where no one has come to clean up yet.

We got to taste from all of Danny Meyer’s restaurants, Savoy, Nobu, Rickshaw Dumpling Bar, Colors, Tamarind, Devi and Cru just to name a few.  But hands down the best taste of the night was the Kobe beef from Craft Steak.  Wow.  They had a side of a cow that they were slicing.  It was delicious.  I am making reservations today.  The second place winner, in my book, was Urena.  A Spanish restaurant in the Flatiron area.  I will also go and try that out.  That is it for the savory.

The sweets were all over the place but the winner in my book were the cookies at Fleur de Sel.  I went there when it first opened and was disappointed but I am now going back. 

I talked to Peter Hoffman of Savoy when I was there.  Wondered the benefits for the restaurateurs for doing this.  He said that it is great to be part of the Community and support the cause.  Also, he sometimes gets some new patrons who have never been because of the taste of the night.  He is right on all accounts.  It appears like they raised a lot of money for the cause.  I have also added 3 places to my list to patron.