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Get ready, because this Saturday – once again! – it’s time for the annual Taste of TriBeCa. Back for the 23rd time, this year’s Culinary Festival will take place on Saturday, May 20th and feature dishes from 60 plus neighborhood restaurants.
The best part of it though, is the great taste attending this event leaves you with. Not only from the flavorful food concoctions, but the beneficial component of the event. Taste of TriBeCa is the oldest fundraiser that benefits the arts and enrichment programs at two neighborhood public schools, PS 150 and PS 234.
“We have a couple of new things going on this year, including a raffle for a Vespa, which is very exciting and fun. We also have a demo for kids that is being done by Eataly on pasta making and that’s a new event for us,” said Keith Klein, co-chair of Taste of TriBeCa about this year’s new additions.
It really is worth noting that this is a true neighborhood event, for both adults and the children of this area. Each year, they make great effort to ensure children are entertained too.
“In addition to the Eataly demo, we have the Kid’s and Sports Zones, each of which has a wide range of activities and performances,” said Klein.
There will be face painting, a custom balloon, Minecraft with Pixel Academy, and a photo booth hosted by Tribeca Journal.
“The Sports Zone, produced by our friends at Manhattan Youth, features clay-making and sports-themed carnival games for young athletes,” explained Klein.
But – let’s be honest, we’re going there for the food. And with more than 60 participating restaurants, food wise this year is shaping up to be a great one. The lineup includes newer additions such as Bâtard, Two Hands and Hank’s Juicy Beef as well as restaurants that have been part of the event for the last 23 years including Bubby’s, Duane Park Patisserie and Walker’s.
Back for its second year is Two Hands, a restaurant and bar taking inspiration from Australia’s culinary scene, located on Church Street in TriBeCa.
“When I moved to New York a little over 5 years ago, one of my very good friends took me to Taste of TriBeCa and I had such a great time. It reminded a lot of the market days back in Australia with delicious food and great vibes,” said Giles Russell, co-founder of Two Hands.
Participating in the culinary festival was a chance for the restaurant to really connect with the neighborhood and get ingrained in the community in a deeper way.
“Two Hands is all about supporting the community we are in. We wanted to open a restaurant in TriBeCa for the people who live in the neighborhood. We felt like they deserved a great day to night café that could be also be a hub for locals. Being a part of Taste of TriBeCa was a natural extension of that goal as well as an opportunity to raise money for an important cause,” explained Russell.
And what do they wish guests take away from visiting Two Hands’ booth at the festival?
“A smile! We want people feel good when they eat our food. We also want to meet our neighbors and make new friendships,” stated Russell.
Also back this year, for the third consecutive time, is The Beer and Cider Tour of TriBeCa. The tour boasts beer and ciders sourced from New York breweries, including newcomer SingleCut Beersmiths from Astoria, Queens and will be hosted by establishments around the neighborhood such as Church Publick and Woodrow’s.
To ensure diversity in the food and beverage lineup, so there’s something for everyone, Taste of TriBeCa has a hardworking restaurant committee.
“We have a great roster of volunteers, truly exceptional people across the board. Our restaurant committee manages that, working with the restaurants, making suggestions to ensure that there is a balance and that each restaurant stand out,” explained Klein.
Klein’s best advice for guests? Come hungry!
“I think that all the restaurants do such a great job and really put effort into their tastes, I am excited to try all of them! Seriously, you never know who’s going to have something that’s just going to blow you away, so I find it best to come in with an open mind and hungry stomach,” he said.
Photography by Gary Petersen/Taste of Tribeca