If you can eat and drink your way through $40 like it’s nothing (guilty!) and you like surrounding yourself with lushes of a similar persuasion (uh, people who won’t judge you for being “disgusting–” pshh) then it’s probably not a bad idea to get tickets to the 2nd annual Taste of Bushwick, an annual food fest to benefit local theater and dance venue, the Bushwick Starr. According to the #TBT photos, everyone was smiling at last year’s incarnation so, indisputably, things went well. And if you thought there were enough great restaurants participating last year to sink a ship, then whoa buddy check out the lineup this time around and try not to drool.
This year, the event will be held at the Boar’s Head plant (say what?!), which is totally weird for several reasons, the most glaring being the possibility that everything will smell and taste like your corner deli after a tragic meat case explosion. Though some things will stay the same. Once again, patrons can throw in an extra $40 for a swag bag full of awesome Bushwick-made stuff. Most of last year’s lineup is returning, including Tchoup Shop, Cafe Ghia, and the Bodega. But this year, there will also be several newcomers offering up “taste”-sized bits of either their big hits or some new things they’re working on.
Among others, UMi Bushwick (the Shanghai/Tokyo/Hanoi-inspired sandwich purveyors popping up late nights at Sweet & Shiny all summer long) is contributing mini versions of its bun-wiches including the Vietnam Bun-Mi with “caramel pulled heritage pork, Vietnamese pickles, crushed peanuts, fried shallot, and fresh herbs.” For vegetarians, they’ll be serving their new Hong Kong Char-Siu-Bun with “Cantonese-style BBQ ‘duck,’ pickled pineapple, watercress, scallions, and hot mustard aioli.”
Bushwick’s sort-of neighborhood brewery, Braven (the beer’s actually brewed upstate, but the two founders have an office in Bushwick, at least) will be providing (surprise!) beers – most likely the new Bushwick Pilsner they’ve been pimping all over town these last few weeks. As for other ways to get liquored up, The Noble Experiment, Bushwick’s fancy distillery, will be contributing their own Owney’s Rum.
The cured-meat specialists at Hops & Hocks will have a “good old Tennessee country ham” carved off the bone from the hog at their ham bar along with “Wisconsin or Iowa cheddar and a pickle.” And their contribution to the extra grab bag is what the restaurant describes as a “smoky, salty snack–” their own maple bacon peanuts.
And Dear Bushwick, the hood’s cozy, gin-loving British restaurant, is sharing their “chilled strawberry, carrot, and caraway soup shooters.” Owner Julian Mohamed is behind a new bar in the neighborhood, Yours Sincerely. Though they’re still several months away from opening, Mohamed says the future-bar is contributing a tap cocktail to Taste of Bushwick made with local Owney’s Rum, coconut water, strawberry, mint, and a salt-lime cordial. Stay tuned for more details about Yours Sincerely as it gets close to opening time.
There are a slew of other establishments participating in Taste of Bushwick including Montana’s Trail House, Mominette Bistro, Champs Bakery, and the Sampler — you can find the complete lineup over here.
Taste of Bushwick II will be held on Tuesday, June 16 from 6:30 to 9 pm at the Boar’s Head Plant, 24 Rock Street in Bushwick, tickets: $40
Update:
Northeast Kingdom will be serving “duck confit with pickled ramps” and a mysterious “seasonal punch.” And handmade pasta restaurant Faro will be serving house milled almond polenta cake with sweetened crème fraiche and strawberries.
Correction: A previous post misstated that Kevin Adey was the owner of Northeast Kingdom, Adey was formerly chef at Northeast Kingdom but left to open Faro.
