If you weren’t at Village Voice Choice Eats 8th Annual Tasting Event then you missed out on some great food. 68 restaurants from all the five boroughs participated at the Metropolitan Pavillion. It was a night for this foodie to remember and something my taste buds and full belly will never forget.
The Blue Stove, Brucie, Bustan, Butter Lane, Carlo’s Bakery, Coppelia, Delaware and Hudson, Doughnut Plant, Edi & The Wolf, Egg, El Atoradero, Fay Da Bakery, Fort Defiance, Genuine, Grandaisy Bakery, Juliette, Los Tacos No 1, Luca & Bosco Ice Cream, Papa’s Kitchen, Pickle Shack, Recette, Rubirosa, Sigmund’s Pretzels, Sugar Couture, Venturo Osteria, Veselka Restaurant, Wilma Jean, and Xe May Sandwich Shop.
2 Duck Goose, 606 R&D, Ample Hills Creamery, Applewood, Awadh, Baz Bagel & Restaurant, Bobwhite Lunch & Supper Counter, BOOMwich, Box Kite NYC, Brooklyn Kolache Co., Butter & Scotch, Calle Dao, Casa del Chef, Casa Mono and Bar Jamon, Commerce Restaurant, The East Pole, Fletcher’s Brooklyn Barbecue, Gloria’s Carribean Cuisine, The Gorbals, Huertas, John Brown Smokehouse, King Bee, Kuma Inn, Littleneck, Luke’s Lobster, Mable’s Smokehouse, MAX, The Meatball Shop, Mexico Lindo, No. 7, The NoMad, Queens Comfort, The Queens Kickshaw, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Robicelli’s, SCRATCHbread, Spicy Pot,Tabata Noodle Restaurant, Thai Rock, and Tuome.
As we walked in we were given a shot glass for drinks and a tray to carry samples of food on. I didn’t know where to begin. I know I had my hear set on a few that I was dying to try. My tray eventually was overstuffed that I had to contain myself and breathe. I didn’t want to get too full too fast. It smelled amazing like when you’re sitting at home watching the Food Network and wish you had smell-o vision. Well I was live!! It eventually got packed but I memorized my favorites and maneuvered my way through the crowd and got my seconds, thirds and fourths.
Here were a few of my favorites:
Fletcher’s Brooklyn Barbecue made a killer Tri-Tip Pastrami
The Meatball Shop had their awesome Pizza Balls
Luke’s Lobster served wonderful Chowder and Maine Shrimp Rolls on buttery buns
Juliette Spicy Florida Rock Shrimp Slider OMG
Los Tacos No. 7 Double Decker Brocolli Tacos very good
John Brown Smokehouse excellent Pecan Smoked Pastrami Reuben Sliders
Mable’s Smokehouse BBQ Smoked Pulled Pork with Jalepeno Corn Cake & Collard Greens yum kept going back
Queens Comfort Steak au Poivre Mac & Cheese mouth watering
Desserts were also part of the event but by the time I found them upstairs I was so stuffed. I forced myself to try some and take the rest home. My kids were very happy.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Carlo’s Bakery Cake Bites moist and fluffy
Ample Hills Creamery Chocolate Milk & Cookies Ice Cream heaven
Sugar Couture Banana Pudding Pie delightful
Butter & Scotch Mini S’mores Bars the liquor infused bars hit me
Butter Lane Vanilla Mini Cupcakes with Sea Salt tasty
Robicelli’s Nutelasagna amazing
Doughnut Plant Chocolate Hazlenut Doughseed love them
Fay Da Bakery Japanese Cheesecake very good
Coppelia Bread Pudding beyond delicious
To avoid running back and forth to the restroom I saved the beer for last. I grew up on ginger beer and when I saw they had alcoholic ginger beer I knew I had to try. Crabbie’s Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer was in the house with their original and spiced orange flavors. Both were amazing. I’m hooked. Rums of Puerto Rico drinks were on point too.
We also were able to keep Stella Artois wine glasses, whole foods shot glass and other beer mugs.
I had a wonderful time and glad I got to cover this event and stuff my face. I have new favorite dishes and restaurants to check out. Can’t wait to do this again.
Five Little Words 
Gooooooodnessss! This looked so good I feel stuffed! Great article! I truly felt I was there! http://www.JoseesVoice.com
Thank you so much. So glad you enjoyed it. I was just as stuffed as you felt.