This year’s Taste of Tribeca food event this Saturday will once again be supporting arts and music programs at P.S 150 and P.S 234.
“When people think about what they’re going to spend, this is something that is still important to them. They live here, they work here, and their kids go to school here so really, they are supporting them,” said Taste co-chairperson Wendy Chapman.
The $45 entrance fee has not changed from last year, but the funding had a slight shake up. With corporate sponsors such as CitiGroup and other financial institutions having to pull out of donations, Downtown parents got involved to bring the event to its 15th year. Without high-level sponsors, which usually drive the tasting to success, Chapman said that it will be a lot more difficult to raise as much money.
“Parents have stepped up to make sure we are not cutting back so that we can offer more than before” Chapman stated of some parents paying out-of-pocket for the events entertainment. “We have much more this year, we are just paying for it in a different way.”
In addition to ten more restaurants offering tastings than last year, there will be a new “Chef Challenge” where two Tribeca chefs will create their own lamb recipe. Kurt Gutenbrunner from Blaue Gans and Amanda Freitag from The Harrison will battle in a contest to be judged by Gale Simmons from Bravo’s “Top Chef,” among others.
John Sierp, a New York City firefighter and the chef at M1-5, will be offering Ladder 8’s popular “Fireman’s Jambalaya.” Sierp is famously known for bringing the truck, and the noise, to the outdoor event.
Taste of Tribeca will be at Duane and Greenwich Sts. on Sat., May 16th at 11:30 a.m. -3:30 p.m., rain or shine. Taste tickets are available at $45 for six tastes, during the week before and after school at P.S. 234 from May 5th to May 15th. Advance tickets are being sold online for $40. For more information, visit www.tasteoftribeca.org.
— Candida L. Figueroa
