“Where do you want to eat?” just became a loaded question.
An all-star gathering of restaurateurs combined their shared passion for food at Edible Queens magazine’s first food tasting event at the brand new L Haus condo in Long Island City on Sunday, January 24.
The event, dubbed Winter Warm-Up, touted itself as a treasure trove of samplings from restaurants all over Queens and was held in conjunction with Hour Children, a family service organization that provides a wide array of supportive services for women and their families.
While it was all for a good cause, food had the hour and held the attention of all who braved the rainy afternoon. The tasting room featured a number of restaurants and independent vendors representing Long Island City and Astoria.
Leah McLaughlin, owner and publisher of Edible Queens, said that if you want authenticity in the food you eat, there is no better place to go than Queens.
“Queens is full of tight knit communities,” said McLaughlin, clearly excited about showing off what Queens has to offer. “The people here want to preserve their heritage, and they try to do that through food.”
One of the spots offering delicious authenticity is Testaccio in Long Island City. Their table featured items from their Roman-style Italian eatery; oxtails on toast and pasta e fagioli, which were served by the restaurant’s delightful representatives.
Also on the food roster were Bareburger in Astoria, Manducatis Rustica in Long Island City, LIC Martket, coffee-mecca Sweetleaf and Pestos with Panache by Lauren.
“Queens has been under the radar for a while, but now intrepid people who live in the neighborhoods are helping others to discover the diversity of Queens dining,” said McLaughlin. “Queens is in its heyday, and we should all have borough pride.”
Also representing Queens’ cooks and eaters were authors, and Astoria residents, Zora O’Neil and Tamara Reynolds.
“There’s an incredible mélange of different groups of people all over Queens,” said Reynolds. “When these people bring their foods into Queens, they’re bringing their home.”
The event’s benefactor Hour Children was contacted by a volunteer who inquired about setting up a food drive to benefit the organization. Hour Children’s representative, Sister Tesa, jumped at the chance.
“We live here as part of the fabric of the community,” said Sister Tesa. “We’re looking to move beyond poverty by investing in the community and building support. It’s important to get together and get to know each other as people.”
Hour Children accepts all sorts of donations and can be found at www.hourchildren.org.
