NYC Tastes

It was an absolutely gorgeous day to be on the Brooklyn waterfront celebrating the third year of Taste Talks and the All Star BBQ Sunday.  The grills were smoking hot as chefs and celebs alike showcased some fantastic food collaborations.  There were 16 different food/drink stations and I manged to hit them all.  Here are a few of my favorites. My very first stop was at Blue Smoke for Chef Jean Paul's juicy Chicken Wings tossed in Alabama white sauce... ...followed by an incredible Grilled Pizza with pulled pork, creamy ranch slaw and crispy onions from the Brooklyn powerhouse team of Emily Loves Pizza and Hometown BBQ. I was really excited to check out the Chicken Thigh sandwich from MOMO Sushi since it incorporated yuzu kosho; an amazing spicy sweet condiment of yuzu peel and chilies from Japan that I love. Not only was this Chicken Thigh one of the best bites from the afternoon but it was served to me by none other than Chef Jarobi ...

It was the 8th year for the Star Chef's International Congress and a big one, as the four day event moved to a new space at Pier 57 and introduced a hard core theme: Guts and Glory, Leaving It All on the Line. The buzz in the building was incredible.  There was so much to see and do...check out the main stage where chefs like Francois Payard and Bryan Voltaggio were presenting, peek in on a round of the pastry competition and Somm Slam or maybe have a private tasting at one of the various pop up sessions.  I did a little bit of everything over the course of the event...let's check out some of the best of the savory dishes. This was an international event but I have to say some of my favorites food on display were from NYC like this Smoked Yukon Potato Puree with Brussels Sprout, Carrots and Country Ham from Maysville... ...and the decadent Poutine from Mile End draped in some of the best gravy I've ever had in my life. Another favorite was from Leah ...