The Long Island City waterfront will be transformed into one of the hottest eateries in town on June 13 when dozens of local restaurants and brewing companies set up shop along Gantry Plaza State Park for the 11th annual Taste of LIC.
Hosted by nonprofit arts organization The Chocolate Factory, the event allows patrons to sample food and drinks from businesses that call Long Island City home.
Sheila Lewandowski, executive director for the organization, said offerings will include a wide range of foods including Mexican, Greek, Peruvian, Brazilian, comfort food, pub food and local brews and coffee.
She said many of the participating chefs are preparing meals based on what they find at markets on the weekend.
“A lot of the chefs, and I’ve talked to them all, they say they don’t know and they won’t know [what they’ll offer] until they go to the market,” Lewandowski said. “They really do shop for it. I also prefer the fact that they’re looking at what’s fresh and what they can turn into something fantastic.”
Restaurants including Michelen star-rated Casa Enrique, Mundo New York and Alobar; other restaurants such as The Pie Lady, Tutti Matti and Woodbines; and brewing companies such as Rockaway Brewing Company, Big Alice Brewing Company and Manhattan Beer Distributors will be present. The coffee roaster White Coffee, which was established in the neighborhood in 1939, will also be featured.
The Chocolate Factory is also offering raffle tickets, both to those who attend Taste of LIC and those interested in winning big prizes. For $50, one will be entered to win one of several packages that include a pair of JetBlue travel vouchers, tickets to a Broadway show, spa treatments at Sacred Waters, a class at NY Kids Club LIC and more.
Lewandowski said half of the 200 raffle tickets are already sold out and there will be about five to 10 prize packages available.
Tickets for a second raffle will also be exclusively sold at the Taste of LIC in bundles including 10 tickets for $25 or 20 tickets for $40. Winners will choose from more than 60 prizes to take home including gift certificates to local restaurants, artwork, four passes to the Bronx Zoo and Mets and Yankees tickets.
Lewandowski said the event is critical in supporting local business and nonprofit arts organizations like The Chocolate Factory. The proceeds will also go to the Gantry Parent Association, an organization that advocates for more schools in the area.
“When you support a local business you also support children getting dance lessons or jerseys for their team, parents putting food on the table,” Lewandowski said. “I see [these business owners] at 6 a.m. and I see them at 11 p.m. running to their business with their families and how important and vital we are to support a healthy community.”
There are fewer restaurants participating than last year because the previous Taste of LIC “felt too big,” Lewandowski said.
“We made a conscious choice to have a few less than last year,” Lewandowski said. “It almost felt too big and I think about how we work at The Chocolate Factory and we give [artists] as much as we can. We give them rehearsal space, tech support … we kind of wanted to cap it [at 50 tables] based on what [the vendors] might need.
A pair of the JetBlue vouchers will be given to one of the restaurant owners participating in the event.
“We wanted to figure out how do we recognize their contributions?” she said. “They invest everything they have including time and resources.”
To purchase raffles, click here.
For more information about Taste of LIC, click here.
Tickets start at $65 and The Chocolate Factory is also offering bundles that include a T-shirt and live performance by Yackez for $150. A bundle featuring two T-shirts and two tickets to the performance cost $400. Yackez will perform at 5:30 p.m. and the sampling portion of the event starts at 6:30 p.m.
Take a look at some photos from last year:
