3/23/11

New Taste UWS


Fourth Annual Whole Foods Market New Taste of the Upper West Side returns with an exciting new line-up! Friday, May 20th-Saturday, May 21st.
.
Adam Richman and Dylan Lauren to co-host Singha Beer Comfort Classics!.

New Taste Event Chair Don Evans and Barbara Adler, Executive Director of the Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District (BID), are pleased to announce the return of the annual Whole Foods Market New Taste of the Upper West Side. Now in its fourth year, the weekend is dedicated to some of the finest culinary talent from this neighborhood. The weekend kicks off Friday, May 20th, and runs through Saturday, May 21st, with proceeds benefitting The Columbus Avenue BID’s Beautification Project.

“The Upper West Side has such a diverse and robust food and restaurant culture. When we established the weekend our goal was to showcase this tremendous energy and to celebrate the creativity and culinary camaraderie of our chefs,” says event founder, restaurateur, and BID board member Don Evans.

The last weekend before Memorial Day, the best Upper West Side chefs and restaurants come together to showcase their biggest flavors and innovations. The weekend begins Friday night when Adam Richman of Travel Channel's "Man v Food" and Dylan Lauren of Dylan’s Candy Bar co-host the Singha Beer Comfort Classics presented by Columbus Square. With the goal of reinterpreting American favorites, 35 chefs including John Fraser of Dovetail, Ed Brown of Ed’s Chowder House, Ellie Krieger of The Food Network, Magnolia Bakery and Shake Shack turn the classics on their heads with mouth watering twists on comfort food. Rounding out the evening will be wine and spirits provided by Southern Wine and Spirits.

Saturday night Dana Cowin, Editor in Chief of Food & Wine Magazine, Upper West Side resident and renowned taste arbiter, will be honored at the star studded "Best of the West presented by ZAGAT" and VIP reception presented by First Republic Bank. With an emphasis on using locally sourced ingredients, this evening will feature 40 of the Upper West Side’s premier chefs encouraged to use the freshest foods from within 100 miles of New York City. Chefs rising to meet this challenge include Daniel Boulud of Bar Boulud, Missy Robbins of A Voce, Michael Psilakis of Kefi, Jonathan Benno of Lincoln, Bill Telepan of Telepan, Rosa Mexicano and Jacques Torres of Jacques Torres Chocolate among many others. Accompanying their creations will be local wines from the vineyards of the Long Island Wine council along with spirits and wine from Southern Wine and Spirits portfolio.

In all some 80 chefs and restaurants will convene to celebrate the culinary diversity of this vital neighborhood. Event sponsors include Whole Foods Market, New York Post, Southern Wine & Spirits, Columbus Square, First Republic Bank, Ford, Gilt City, Rosa Mexicano, Singha Beer, Zagat., 67 Wine, Brusco Group, IN NY & Where Magazines, Manhattan Magazine, The West Side Spirit, Argo Residential, Cascal, Euphoria Olive Oil and Yelp. Proceeds raised from the weekend festivities will go into the Columbus Avenue BID’s dedicated fund for neighborhood beautification.
The exciting roster of events include:


Co-hosted by Adam Richman, of the Travel Channel’s Man v. Food and Dylan Lauren of Dylan’s Candy Bar, features the Upper West Side’s most innovative chefs on a mission to reinvent the classics. An evening of your favorite foods brought to you by over 35 wonderful chefs, including live music and wines and spirits from the Southern Wine & Spirits portfolio.

Best of the West presented by Zagat: $125 General Admission 7PM-9:30PM

Celebrating the vibrant culinary culture of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, this year Best of the West presented by Zagat is going local. Some of the best and brightest chefs in NYC will be presenting signature dishes drawing on the freshest ingredients sourced from within 100 miles of the city. Over 40 of the Upper West Side’s most celebrated chefs, as well as a few special guest chefs will be serving seasonal dishes certain to captivate your taste buds and set your palate ablaze.

Tickets for the 2011 Whole Food’s Markets New Taste of the Upper West Side go on sale March 9, 2011 www.newtasteuws.com or call 212-721-5048 for information.
Updates on Twitter @NewTasteUWS  and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/NewTaste
The Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, represents merchants and property owners along Columbus Avenue from West 67th Street to 82nd Street. Formed in 1999 in a landmark district, its membership includes a diverse range of retailers, restaurateurs and commercial and mixed-use property owners, comprising all of the commercial establishments. In addition, the Columbus Avenue BID’s district includes the American Museum of Natural History, Theodore Roosevelt Park, The New-York Historical Society and the Rose Center for Earth and Space.