New York’s Best Eating Events For May-June 2014

There are all manner of fun, food events taking place in New York on a daily basis — from lavish, charity-driven galas to crowded, walk-around tastings and an endless array of pop-ups.  But unless you have the time and money to party seven days a week, you’ll have to be somewhat discerning about what goes onto your calendar.  So here are just a few worthy food celebrations we recommend getting tickets for now!

STREETS International 7th Annual Tasting Event (May 28th): A feast of global street eats cooked by heavyweight chefs the likes of Daniel Boulud and Anita Lo?  I’m game. Part hospitality school and part restaurant, STREETS has supported disadvantaged youth in Hoi An, Vietnam, since 2007, by enrolling them in an 18-month culinary program.  General admission tickets to their annual fundraiser and tasting are $100, featuring riffs on Southeast Asian street foods from prominent chefs, like James Beard winner Jamie Bissonnette of Toro, Anita Lo from Annisa, Daniel Boulud from DBGB, Michael Chernow and Daniel Holzman from The Meatball Shop, and Jean-Paul Bourgeois from Blue Smoke.

Brooklyn Uncorked (May 29th): Edible Brooklyn’s annual vino blowout showcases bottles from 29 terrific New York wineries.  $65 will get you unlimited pours from producers, like Brooklyn Oenology, Channing Daughters, Bedell Cellars and One Woman Wines, as well as tastes from top borough restaurants, like Nightingale 9 (Vietnamese Tacos), Benchmark (Marinated Lobster), Emily (Korean Fried Pigs Ears), and La Vara (Squid and Black Eyed Pea Salad).

New Taste of the Upper West Side (May 30th): As part of this three night celebration hosted by the Columbus Avenue BID, 40 restaurants will showcase innovative takes on comfort food classics in hopes of winning the prized “Best Comfort Dish” award.  Is Momofuku Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi destined for a repeat, or will it be Parm’s Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone, Sarabeth’s Sarabeth Levine, or the team from Genuine Roadside in the Gotham West Market? Snag one of the $105 tickets and help determine the outcome!

Caviar in the Park (June 1st): Okay, so you won’t actually find Beluga or Osetra available (no idea why they teased us like that!), but the spread will still be worth a ticket to this community picnic and outdoor concert, held in sprawling, sunny Central Park.  For $25, select a sandwich from either Café Habana (we’d go for the Classic Cuban), or quirky No. 7 Sub (try the Tuna Toastie topped with mozzarella, pickled onions, Thai basil and wasabi grape-nuts), accompanied by craveworthy cookies from Momofuku Milk Bar (wonder if Tosi will include a few of her New Taste award-winning Cake Pops?)

Taste of Times Square (June 2nd): Admission to this outdoor food and music festival is actually free, but you’ll want to bring along plenty of dollar bills in order to try nibbles from over 40 restaurants (dishes range from $1-6 each).  Offerings run the gamut from all-American to French to Italian to Mexican and more, from Le Rivage to Bareburger and  Toloache.

Lobster Rumble NYC (June 5): We don’t know about you, but we can never get enough lobster come summer.  Which is why we’re not flinching at the $180 price tag for Tasting Table’s annual crustacean carnival, with proceeds benefiting Share Our Strength.  Besides, think of how much it would actually cost you to purchase 23 different rolls from places like the Red Hook Lobster Pound, Ditch Plains, Lobster Place, and last year’s People’s Choice Favorite, The Clam Shack from Kennebunkport, Maine, not to mention access to all-you-can eat sides, sweets, and an open bar with beer, cocktails and wine!