A Weekend (And Then Some) of Food Events

It's the time of year NYC's epicureans have been waiting for. The sun is out on a semi-consistent basis, event permits obtained, all that's left for some of the summer's best food events are the hungry people! Here's a list of four awesome events coming up in the next week:

Big Apple Block Party

Saturday 6/9-Sunday 6/10, 11am-6pm, Madison Square Park

You'll recall I attended this event last year, and I definitely have plans to at least stroll through and smell the bbq again this year. Oh, who am I kidding. I'm definitely going to partake in some 'cue. Admission is free, but go early because it get's really crowded and the lines all run into each other. Prices depend on what you buy, but I'd highly recommend staying local and trying the Blue Smoke Salt and Pepper ribs.

Egg Rolls and Egg Creams Party

Sunday 6/10, 12pm-4pm, Museum at Eldridge Street

Celebrate the combined history of Jewish and Chinese cultures in the Lower East Side at this free event sponsored by the Museum at Eldridge Street. Among the excitement you'll find Chinese opera and acrobatics, klezmer music, Yiddish and Chinese language lessons, mah jongg, scribal arts, food and folk art demos, crafts, synagogue tours, and more! Don't forget to get some egg rolls and egg creams as well!

Taste of Time's Square

Monday 6/11, 5pm-9pm, 46th Street between Broadway and 9th Avenue

As a card carrying member of the Times Square Alliance's Crossroads program (thank you former job), I am privy to lots of perks in that exciting yet godforsaken part of town everyone loves to hate. With that said, The Taste of Times Square is a great event. This year they will feature $2-$6 bites from the likes of Bourbon Street Bar & Grille, Carmine's Italian Restaurant, Junior's Restaurant, Meson Sevilla, and Toloache. Buy your taste tickets in advance or get them day of, but make sure to show your Crossroads card if you have one for 2 extra tickets with every 10 you buy.

People's Pop's Book Launch

Wednesday 6/13, 7pm-9pm, powerHouse Arena

People's Pops popped up on the NYC food scene a few years when they opened a shop in Chelsea Market  and sold their pops at city greenmarkets. All concoctions they create are made from locally sourced ingredients, and let me tell you, they are delicious. So delicious in fact, that they wrote a cookbook! Join the authors at this free event as they discuss their journey from homemade experiment to ice treat empire. Boozy pops will be served.

Kalí óreksi!

About 2 years ago, I was supposed to take a trip to Greece. Unfortunately because of personal reasons and the economic situation there, the trip had to be canceled, but there's something about Greek culture, especially food, that continues to call to me. So when Faros, a Greek restaurant in Park Slope, invited me for a tasting, I obviously said yes.

As a blogger, I go to a lot of tastings and they are usually all pretty good. The waiters are polite, the wine is delicious and the food never seems to stop coming. But at Faros, the ante was upped. We were greeted by one of the most friendly waitresses I've ever encountered (and not in a creepy way but in a "welcome to my grandma's house, make yourself comfortable" kind of way).

We were seated right in the front of the rather large restaurant (it has 2 stories!), which was nice because we could people watch out the window. The host/manager brought us a nice bottle of 2006 Greek wine from the Moraitis Winery in Paros, and it perfectly complemented just about everything we ordered. Also, to whet our appetite, they brought us delicious fresh bread with olives and a fava bean puree.

Then it was on to the real appetizers. Let me just say that Faros will not short you on food. We ordered two appetizers to get a feel for the menu, but I would definitely not recommend ordering more than one for your party of two. The cold appetizer we ordered was Taramosalata ($5), fish roe mousse with lemon and onions. It reminded me a lot of lox spread but it was served with delicious pita. The hot appetizer we got was Saganaki ($8), which they claim is classic baked Kefalograriera cheese, but who are they kidding? It's pan fried and comes to the table with flames as high as the waiter. A pretty amazing sight to see, but to be honest, I only could eat a few bites of this. It's a giant platter of fried cheese, and while it was delicious and gluttonous, more than a few bites would have done me in.

Taramosalata 

Saganaki 

Next it was time for the mains. Because I can't resist a good branzino, we ordered the fish special for the night ($20-$25) served whole with garlic, lemon, and capers. There's something about good olive oil that makes all the difference. We also went with a classic Greek comfort food, Spitikos Mousakas ($15), layered with potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, ground sirloin and luscious béchamel sauce. If you want to go for a traditional, amazing, yet very filling dish, this is it my friend.

Branzino

Spitikos Mousakas

At this point, we were stuffed to the brink. However, in the way that only your Greek family would, our waitress insisted that we at least try dessert. And you can't get more Greek than baklava. Sticky and sweet like it should be, this was the perfect way to cap of a perfect meal.

Baklava

So though I'm still longing to hop on a plane and visit the whitewashed, sea cliff villages where this cuisine originated myself, I'm content hopping on the 2/3 to Grand Army Plaza and getting my fix at Faros.

Faros is offering a special menu just in time for Father's Day! Come in Saturday June 16, 2012 - Sunday June 17, 2012 and celebrate dad with their $50 per person, three-course, prix fixe menu which includes a bottle of wine per 2 adults. Kids are only $10 each! I promise he'll love it!

Smorgasburg on a Boat

What do you get when you mix food from amazing NYC vendors, Brooklyn Brewery beer, a charity event and a boat? A damn good time is what you get!

For the truly unbelievable price of $45, you can find yourself upon the Smorgasboat where you can eat, drink and be ferry (haha, ferry, get it?) until your heart's content. Departing from North Williamsburg East River Ferry Terminal at 6:30 pm on Wednesday June 13, Smorgasboat will donate all proceeds to City Harvest, and you'll get a special sunset stop right in front of the Statue of Liberty! The boat returns at 8:45, but the fun continues until 11pm at King and Grove Williamsburg Rooftop Bar. Click here to buy tickets - I'm sure this event will sell out!

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to Old Jews Telling Jokes

Everyone loves an old Jew, especially when he tells jokes. Well, at least that's what the producers of the new Off-Broadway show Old Jews Telling Jokes want you to think. But come on, isn't everything funnier coming from your hard-of-hearing grandpa, especially when it's least expected?

The new show was created by Peter Gethers and Daniel Okrent, and showcases five actors in a revue that pays tribute to and reinvents classic jokes of the past and present. You've never heard these jokes this way before. The show also features comic songs—brand-new and satisfyingly old—as well as tributes to some of the giants of the comedy world and to the Old Jews Telling Jokes website, which inspired the show. Basically, you'll laugh 'til you plotz.

All my readers are in luck! I'm giving away a pair of tickets to Old Jews Telling Jokes! There are 4 easy ways to win, and each comment counts as an entry. Be sure to leave your email in each comment so that I can contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment with your favorite joke ever.

3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Tweet about this contest "I just entered to win 2 tix to Old Jews Telling Jokes on Awesome In New York! http://bit.ly/L4F2F5" and let me know with a link to your tweet.

Winners will be chosen using Random.org on Wednesday 6/6. You have until Wednesday 6/6 at 12 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

A winner has been chosen! Congratulations Elizabeth! You've won 2 tickets to Old Jews Telling Jokes! Thanks to everyone who entered and stay awesome!

The show is now playing at The Westside Theater (407 W. 43rd Street).

Penn and Teller and a Bit of Luck

From the amazing Mariah Carey concert I covered to the Seven Stars Cookbook giveaway I promoted, you may have noticed a little hint-hinting for you to check out Caesar's Entertainment and their Total Rewards Program over the past few months. Well, it's been an absolute pleasure working with them, and I hope you learned a thing or two about how to optimize your next Atlantic City or Las Vegas vacation. As a final word, I'd like to leave you with a few words from the famous magicians Penn and Teller.

May the chips fall ever in your favor and may you register for Total Rewards!

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: 2 Tickets to Closer than Ever

There's something about Off-Broadway theaters I love. Whether it be the intimate setting, the encouragement of success swirling about, or the mere opportunity to be able to see a show not many others get to see, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway theaters produce some of the best shows around.

The York Theatre Company is one of my favorites. Boasting 175 seats and having produced hits like Yank! in 2010 and Sweeney Todd, it serves the community well by offering $20 tickets to all shows for both students and seniors. The latest mainstage production is a revival of 1989's Closer Than Ever, an intimate musical about love, friendship, security, happiness – and holding onto those essentials in a world that pulls us in a hundred directions at once. The musical promises to be a refreshing treat for audiences, old and new, filled with insights you’ve never heard expressed, except in your own heart. The limited engagement starts June 5.

All my readers are in luck! I'm giving away a pair of tickets to Closer Than Ever! There are 4 easy ways to win, and each comment counts as an entry. Be sure to leave your email in each comment so that I can contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - Follow this blog by clicking on the button on the right panel and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

2) REQUIRED - Leave a comment letting me know what your favorite Off-Broadway experience has been. If you don't have any Off-Broadway experiences, let me know why you'd most like to have one.

3) Follow me on Twitter @yaelleah and leave a comment below letting me know you did so.

4) Tweet about this contest "I just entered to win 2 tix to Closer Than Ever at the York Theatre on Awesome In New York! http://bit.ly/KAZkKV" and let me know with a link to your tweet.

Winners will be chosen using Random.org on Tuesday 6/5. You have until Tuesday 6/5 at 12 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!

A winner has been chosen! Congratulations Evie! You've won 2 tickets to Closer than Ever! Thanks to everyone who entered and stay awesome!

AWESOME DEAL: 13-Month Subscription to NY Mag

Having been a subscriber to New York Magazine for almost 2 years now, I can tell you it's a must read for any New Yorker. It's full of interesting feature stories all somehow relating to your life in the Big Apple and the culture section fills you in with all you need to know about what's going on around you in the coming week. However it's not so long ***cough, New Yorker, cough*** that you can manage to get through it on your weekly commute and still have time to read other things that interest you.

Rue La La (one of my favorite deal/shopping sites) is currently offering a 13-month subscription to New York Magazine for only $17, which is a steal especially considering it's a weekly publication. Normal subscriptions sell for over $30. The deal ends in 6 days, but why wait?

Click here to get the deal!