Taste of Bushwick – 3rd Annual Culinary Celebration
By Laura Denby – Photos by Francisco Bravo
Taste of Bushwick, a culinary celebration highlighting the gastronomic merriments of Bushwick, is coming to the Frank Brunckhorst (aka Boar’s Head) iconic distribution plant Tuesday, June 14th to benefit the Bushwick Starr. The third annual event will promote an incredible array of over 40 Bushwick restaurants, bars, shops, and businesses that will gather on Rock Street at the iconic Boar’s Head distribution plant to celebrate the neighborhood’s vibrant culinary life.
The event represents a wide array of Bushwick’s culinary and cocktail scene, both new and established, proving that Brooklyn’s gastro-culture rivals that of the mighty Manhattan.
All proceeds from the event benefit the neighborhood’s OBIE Award-winning non-profit theater The Bushwick Starr, which Time Out New York called “one of New York’s best-curated off-off venues and Brooklyn’s hottest incubator,” which included their 2016-17 Season of theater, dance, puppetry, and educational programs.
This year’s Taste of Bushwick event stands in stark contrast to the humble beginnings of the first event in June 2014, which featured 12 vendors and 200 people in attendance. The 3rd annual Taste of Bushwick is the biggest yet and has nearly tripled in size since the first, anticipating an attendance of over 1,000 people.
Confirmed food and drink purveyors at The 3rd Annual Taste of Bushwick (with more to be announced) include:
● Deep dish pizza from late-night fave Archie’s Bar + Pizza
● Pakistani BBQ from BK JANI, hailed as a Critic’s Pick by The New York Times
● Taste of Bushwick’s event sponsor and host, Boars Head Provisions
● Hip, charming wine bar The Bodega
● Bushwick’s very own Braven Brewing Company
● Vegan baked goods from the newly-opened Brooklyn Whiskers Bakery
● All-natural drinks from Bruce Cost Ginger Beer
● The inspired all-vegan Ethiopian cuisine from Bunna Cafe
● Locally-sourced and organic foods from the Bushwick Food Coop
● All-natural, loose-leaf cold-brewed teas from Costa Brava Tea
● Brand new “urban tiki bar” Dromedary Bar
● Fresh-brewed coffee and espresso drinks by Express Yourself Barista Bar
● New American Cuisine from Chef John Creger of Fair Weather Bushwick
● Chef Kevin Adey’s hit handmade pasta emporium Faro
● Handmade treats from the neighborhood’s very own FINE & RAW chocolate Factory
● Middle-Eastern inspirations from Forrest Point
● Murray’s Cheese veteran Aaron Foster’s new Knickerbocker Ave market Foster Sundry
● Natural, biodynamic, and organic selections from Henry’s Wine & Spirit
● Specialty provisions and beer shop Hops & Hocks
● Soon-to- open wine and spirits purveyors Irving Bottle
● Sustainable coffee kings Lofted Coffee Roasters
● Maite, Chef Ella Schmidt’s farm-driven Basque-Colombian restaurant
● Classic French bistro favorites from Mominette Bistro
● “A sliver of the backwoods” from roadhouse Montana’s Trail House
● Brigadeiros, a Brazilian sweet made with condensed milk, cocoa and butter, by My Sweet
● The Japanese Izakaya, Okiway, specializing in okonomiyaki and eclectic small plates
● Owney’s Rum by The Noble Experiment NYC
● Fresh, all-natural popsicles to benefit animal protection from Pawpsicle
● Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare from Queen of Falafel at House of Yes
● British-West Indian inspired elevated pub food by The Rookery
● Sunrise/Sunset from Henry’s Wine & Spirits owner Henry Glucroft
● Bushwick’s new restaurant-bar- movie theater, Syndicated Bar • Theater • Kitchen
● New Orleans-style BBQ from Simon Glenn’s Tchoup Shop @ Heavy Woods
● Southern-inspired newcomer Terra Firma
● Craft beer from The Sampler
● Classic Bushwick Mexican Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos
● Retro grocery and deli Twin Suns Deli
• A classic burger restaurant debuting their new burger centric menu – Sincerely Burger
• A cocktail laboratory by the producers of Sincerely Burger, Yours Sincerely