Taste of the Upper West Side 2019

Finding the best restaurants and cocktail venues in NYC may seem overwhelming with over 30,000 options to choose from in Manhattan alone. Perhaps, the Taste of the Upper West Side (“TasteUWS”) can help you narrow that search by showcasing over 80 incredible restaurant and wine vendors to participate in their 12th annual fundraiser.

The two-day festival to returned on May 17 with its "Summer in the City" event and its "Best of the West" event the following night. To keep the bottles flowing, spirit and beer lovers enjoyed two nights of signature cocktails created by mixologists from nine restaurants and bars based in the Upper West Side and Harlem in addition to separate handmade Vodka drinks from Tito’s, White Claw and more.

This year, the Columbus Avenue BID, a 501c3, honored another non-profit organization rooted in the community, West Side Campaign Against Hunger(WSCAH). The acclaimed food pantry, which has been based on the Upper West Side for more than 40 years, is recognized for its “supermarket-style” model, providing fresh vegetables, fruits and proteins to the community, free of charge. Beyond its sustenance-with-dignity credo, WSCAH offers many complementary social services, along with culinary training and nutritional guidance. At TasteUWS, WSCAH will serve tastings prepared by students of its “Culinary Pathways” program, as it has for several years.

Summer in the city kicked off with two nights of festivities including highly-anticipated debuts of popular restaurants and bars included some of the following; Fish on the Fly, Friedmans Restaurant, Melba’s Restaurant, Big Gay Ice Cream, Miznon, Mokum, Mojo Desserts, Solomon & Kuff, and Tacombi Upper West Side. They joined crowd-pleasing favorites such as 5 Napkin Burger, Bodrum, Gabriela’s Restaurant & Tequila Bar, Playa Betty’s, Sarabeth’s Kitchen, Shake Shack, Olma Restaurant & Bar, Jing Fong, Pappardella, and Swagat, among others. Several of the neighborhood’s most popular bars and lounges were introducing signature TasteUWS cocktails as well, including Da Capo, Jake’s Dilemma, and Prohibition. As always, there was the ultimate confectioners’ corner, along with unlimited wine, spirits and music centered around innovative seasonal fare. Music was provided throughout the night by DJ Svetlana Voice, who promised to be a riveting new attraction.

Back by demand, this year’s Best of the WestPresented by Park West Village Apartments had a dedicated mixology section with one-of-a-kind craft cocktails. Among those participating will be 67 Orange Street, Da Capo, Manhattan Cricket Club, Maison Pickle, Nobody Told Me Cocktail Club, Tiki Chick and distinguished spirit sponsors, including Tito’s Vodka.  Elevated cuisine is the Saturday night focus with Elea, Lincoln Center Kitchen, Nice Matin, RedFarm, Cesca, Crave Fishbar, The Leopard at des Artistes, The Loeb Central Park Boathouse, The Milling Room, Shake Shack, The Ribbon, The Smith, Tessa Restaurant, Burke & Wills, Calle Ocho, Salumeria Rosi, Carmine’s, Storico, Tavern on the Green, The Mermaid Inn, and Awadh. 

 They were joined by TasteUWS newcomers 8th Hill Inspired Mediterranean Restaurant, Boulevard Seafood Company, The Flying Fisherman, Lido, Leyla and Oxbow Tavern. The sweet side of the evening was bolstered by such favorites as Magnolia Bakery, Insomnia Cookies, Mille-feuille Bakery Café and Orwashers Bakery, along with other bold name confectioners. In addition, the super sounds of Project Orange Musicmade their debut this year as well, set the stage and ambiance for the Upper West Side’s most anticipated event of the year.

Spread Love, it's the Brooklyn Way!

Think about your New York City bucket list. One thing that should definitely be on that list is the Brooklyn Chop House.

The Brooklyn Chop House recently opened its doors in Manhattan at 150 Nasseau Street. Honoring Brooklyn rapper Biggie Smalls, the restaurant is decorated with his lyrics as great respect and honor.

Everything about this restaurant is spectacular, especially its Asian-steakhouse fusion – a unique label which includes steakhouse fare such as steaks and burgers as well as the Chinese dumplings and entrees.

The Brooklyn Chop house offers three kinds of menus: brunch, lunch, and dinner. I got to experience their dinner menu, and had a bit of everything. For starters, I had the Pacman dumplings, the French onion soup dumpling, the crispy steamed pork dumpling, and the chicken satay. The packman dumplings were artfully arranged, photogenic, and of course, delicious! As for the French onion soup dumpling, it was my first time tasting it, and I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was.

For the main dish, I had the NY prime dry aged strips, and it was the star of the show; the way to go for tender, flavorful, marbled, overly well-presented pieces of delicious beef. I ate way more than I needed to, but I could hardly help myself.

Brooklyn chop house is for everybody, and you can see that as soon as you look around at the crowd. It’s a multi-level hip and sports that can seat 150 people excluding bar space, themed with plenty of TV screens throughout the restaurant.

Service is the real winner. It’s as courteous and professional as can be expected. I am definitely going back to try new things.

This summer, Brooklyn Chop House will return to Southampton from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend at The Capri Hotel. They will be offering their guests a vacation destination to dine in that serves Pat LaFrieda steaks alongside Asian fares like Peking Duck and a variety of unique dumplings.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be offered on their menus along with unique tropical cocktails.