Tribeca just doesn’t rest. Without even a brief reprieve from the Film Festival, this bustling neighborhood geared up this past Saturday for the Taste of Tribeca, a culinary street fair created to raise money to support P.S. 150 and P.S. 234. In its 12th year, this festival has gained popularity with over 70 top local restaurants showcasing a flavor of what they offer – Bouley, Megu and Nobu just to name drop a few.
Tickets to the event cost $40 (but went to a good cause) and included 6 tastings at any of the 70 plus tables – although, the more ambitious eaters could purchase more. There were also wine tastings at local stops around the event – the perfect way to cleanse the palate between meals. With only 6 places to choose, we knew that we had to select wisely. Before making any selection we stopped to review, scratch that, drool over the menu. Kobe beef croquette and okaki asparagus from Megu, porcini mushroom ravioli with truffle cream sauce from Scalini Fedeli, surf and turf from Dylan Prime and Magic Cupcakes from Duane Park Patisserie – and that was just in the first row. With our stomachs beginning to growl we threw strategy to the wind and followed our nose.
Our favorites of the day were the BBQ brisket sandwich with coleslaw and lemonade from Bubby’s Pie Company and the rhubarb consommé over honey and yogurt crème at Chanterelle. The brisket sandwich was so tender that it melted in your mouth and the soft roll made sure every last piece of meat was escorted in fresh baked love. The Rhubarb dessert was the perfect ending of the day. It was light and refreshing but finished with a rich, intense crème that reminded you how indulgent it truly was.
Our favorite stop along the wine trail was Vino Vino, located at 211 West Broadway. The wines reflected a nice cross section of Italy – ranging from a Garganega from Soave to a to a Nebbiolo from Alba. Our favorite wine of the tasting was the Monte Tondo Amarone from Valpolicella (around $50). This wine had intense notes of black cherries, plums and spices with a lush, rich texture. Rumor has it, that the winemaker from Monte Tondo has been recruited by Quintarelli to take over the reins because this wine is so good.
The two disappointments of the day were that Megu ran out of Kobe beef before the festival was half way through and that we didn’t get our Magic Cupcake - they ran out as well, but in all fairness it was 15 minutes before the end. Why did we wait? We must learn never to wait when you hear the words "magic cupcakes."
We left the festival so full that we promised that we would never eat again. We managed to fit 6 mini meals into a 3 hour time period, we tasted 12 wines and had an egg cream from The Soda shop. However, as we started walking home something caught our eye gleaming behind the glass at the Bouley Bakery. It was a perfect little square of white chocolate with a beautiful swirl of violet cream on top. And then the dubious last words were spoken… “maybe we’ll just pop in to take a look.”
