Tickets And Action Benefit Theater
The eighth annual Taste of Long Island City broke records for attendance and money raised last Tuesday, June 4.
More than 1,400 people came out to try food and drinks from all over western Queens-attendance was up 200 from last year, said organizers.
Over the course of the evening, patrons got to see what’s cooking at more than 50 area restaurants. Some vendors came from as far as Brooklyn, but most were from right around the corner in LIC.
The Rockaway Brewing Company served up suds from its brewery, which recently moved form Far Rockaway to 46-01 5th St. in LIC, according to Flint Whistler.
He said the nano-brewery, which specializes in small-batch runs of saisons, English ales and stouts, is the first brewery in Queens since the prohibition.
Alobar, a restaurant and bar at 46- 42 Vernon Blvd., served ginger pulled pork with coleslaw and doled out its signature maple-bacon popcorn balls.
Owner Jeff Blath said he considers the occasion a dry run for the LIC Flea, a new flea market starting June 15 and running every weekend this summer, he said.
M. Wells Dinette, which serves as the “cafeteria” at MoMa’s PS1, came highly recommended by several attendees, who said the oysters were amazing.
Apparently so-the eatery couldn’t keep up with demand and ran out of the mollusk about halfway through the event.
“We though we brought too many,” said Aiden O’Neal, a chef at the restaurant. “At one point we were shucking them and handing them straight to customers.”
The Dinette is the second offering from husband-and-wife team Hugue Dufour and Sarah Obraitis. The two are working on opening a steakhouse in Long Island City, as well.
Dufour, a Quebec native, said there’s nowhere he’d rather be than LIC.
He said the area matches Manhattan’s pace and glitz while maintaining the community and diversity of Queens, which he called “the best borough.”
“I don’t want to be in Manhattan,” he said. “I never want to be in Manhattan.”
The Taste of Long Island City began in 2005 at the Chocolate Factory Theater and featured just 12 vendors, in the years since, it has expanded to include more than 50 restaurants and 100 local businesses.
Proceeds from the event, which exceeded $120,000, benefitted The Chocolate Factory’s 2013-2014 season, according to organizers.
William Garret, a resident who serves on Community Board 2, said he was amazed at how the event has grown over the years and he was happy with the pitch its reached.
“The Chocolate Factory is one of the neighborhood’s greatest institutions,” he said.
It was Benjamin Freidman’s first time at the Taste of Long Island City. He said the event offered a “good mix” of things to try.
“It’s good to try food from places you’ve seen but never tried before,” he said.
Freidman said his favorite vendor at Taste of LIC was Cavo, a Greek restaurant in Astoria.
“Actually, I’m going back there right now,” he said.
Capt. Brian Hennessey, who recently took command of the 108th Precinct-which presides over portions of Long Island City, Sunnyside and Woodside-said he was glad to be at the Taste of LIC event after a “busy first month.”
Aparecida Teixera has attended the festival before, and she said this time around, it was more organized than previous years.
She said she also enjoyed the chance for culinary adventure and even tried bacon lollipop, which she admitted, she did not like.
“Still, it’s good to try new things,” she said.
