Wines, Ales, Veggies, and Meats at the Fourth Annual Choice Eats!
By Francesca Bartolomey 
April 27, 2011 
7 Comments
In early April, the 69th Armory on Lexington Avenue played host to The Village Voice’s fourth annual tasting event, Choice Eats. For three hours, guests cheerily milled about sampling the offerings laid out by the city’s finest culinary establishments. This year’s charitable partner was Slow Food NYC, the local branch of the larger Slow Food USA, an organization devoted to bringing back the traditional ways of eating and educating about the dangers of the industrialization and standardization of our food supply. With more than 170 chapters in North America, Slow Food USA offers educational events and participates in events like The Village Voice’s Choice Eats to spread the gospel of taste education, sustainability, and biodiversity.
And speaking of biodiversity, with more than 100 restaurants present, the range of flavors was almost overwhelming. The evening kicked off with a special VIP hour featuring samples from Jimmy’s No. 43, Kuma Inn, Mercadito, Red Hook Lobster Pound, SCRATCHbread, and The Vanderbilt.
But the main event was really something else. If you haven’t been to the 69th Armory on Lexington, it’s a historical building in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan. In 1965, it was declared a National Historic Landmark and it was the site of the first public showcase of modern art in 1913 as well as the first-ever televised roller derby matches! Currently, the Armory houses the 69th Infantry Regiment of the New York Army National Guard.
Early on I hit The Meatball Shop. That the reuben meatball was to-die-for was evident by the line of guests that got longer as time passed. Sure enough, my wait was well rewarded. It was elegant and simple and delicious.
Later, I ambled on over to Sunburnt Calf, the classier, upper west side cousin of one of my personal favorites: the Sunburnt Cow. The Australian-owned and staffed group of restaurants (also including Bondi Road) has locations in Alphabet City, the Upper West Side, and the Lower East Side. I tasted pulled lamb sliders with mint yogurt on a brioche bun. The combination of the savory, lightly-spiced lamb with the cooling effect of the mint yogurt made for a perfectly complementary burst of flavors. To wash down the sliders, Sunburnt Calf had served their famous (or should it be infamous?) Moo Juice Cocktails. This dangerously-delicious mix of passion fruit-infused tequila disguised by orange juice and topped with fresh strawberries is the perfect summer drink.
Soon I found myself wandering outside my culinary comfort zone and eyeing the authentic Nigerian fare of BUKA. Located in Brooklyn, BUKA boasts food that is “spicy, flavorful, and unequivocally African.†They doled out a generous helping of lightly seared spinach with onions and the (inaptly-named, I hope) locust beans alongside one of their signature appetizers called Suya, which is thinly-sliced grilled beef rubbed with Nigerian spices.
Next, I tried Brooklyn-based Vietnamese restaurant Nhà Tôi’s take on shrimp nachos with all natural ingredients from Vietnam and their house-made chicken liver pate. I know it isn’t politically correct but I just LOVE pate! And the Nhà Tôi version did not disappoint. I also tried their delightfully cool and summery version of mint pesto with pickled carrots and daikon.
To round out my international experience, I stopped by Cascabel Taqueria and tried the pollo chipotle taco featuring Amish chicken (I didn’t know that chickens could be Amish either!), avocado, green onion, and chicken chicharrón enveloped in a soft corn tortilla. Topped with the house salsa, the chicken taco was exactly what a taco should be: a kaleidoscope of south-of-the-border flavors.
One of my favorite stops was the Fay Da Bakery, a Chinese bakery with nine locations throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and New Jersey. I quickly knocked back a cool, sweet milk bubble tea and helped myself to the chocolate torte, marble cheese cake, and the mango mousse.
But I wouldn’t truly satisfy my sweet tooth until the end of the evening when the Choice Sweets VIP private tasting room opened up downstairs. I was beyond full, but when I saw what awaited me there, I never would’ve forgiven myself if I hadn’t tried some of the desserts.
I had to seriously reevaluate my opinion of Williamsburg, for this hipster ‘hood boasts the creator of the most amazing pies I ever tasted (insert-obvious-grandmother-exception) and I’m not even a pie person! The Blue Stove handed out adorably-packaged servings of pie: bacon apple cheddar, plum crumble, and my new absolute favorite—strawberry rhubarb. They were all topped with creamy dollops of homemade whipped cream topping. Utterly amazing.
Most surprising, though, were the offerings of Babycakes. I was unaware that a dessert could be both gluten-free and vegan and yet still taste utterly sinful. The brownie bites were lush and moist and full of sugary (unrefined, at that!) heaven.
All in all, the event was a major success in my book. If you missed the event this year, be sure to check it out next year. And be sure to fast for a few days beforehand. 
Photos by Francesca Bartolomey for Appetite for Good.
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Wow. All of those look amazing. Looks like a lot of fun. The desserts and pastries are my favorite.
Oh man, mine too!
I am overwhelmed by all of the delicious- looking and sounding offerings in this article. But reuben meatballs? Is there anything better than a meatball? Maybe a reuben? Or a meatball? Or a reuben? I am stumped. What a remarkable combination!
I love it when chefs innovate by bringing two classics together and it just works!
These look so yummy. mmmmm meatball shop- that is at the top of my list to try! ps nice photo taking Francesca
Thanks, Karine!!
So jealous! everything looks so delicious and various selections seem endless! Sounds like this really was one of the best events in the city!