The Art of Taco

Tequila Patron’s The Art of Taco
Hosted by Bobby Flay

As many of you all know already, 100% of the net proceeds from the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength® fight hunger. Since 2007, Festival events have raised over $1,800,000 for Share Our Strength! This year alone the the Festival raised over $1,200,000!

This Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival event was definitely heaven for anyone who loves tacos & tequila!

A total of 57 vendors showcased their savory and sweet version of tacos along with some wineries, drinks, and of course, tequila. I must confess, I did not even make it through half of the vendors however my colleague, Patrick Chang, nearly finished everything [Note to anyone who plans attend this event next year: Skip lunch that day!].

This year the taco offerings were heavily skewed toward meats, primarily beef and pork with a few lamb, chicken, and duck even thrown in. Given the carnivorous offerings, after my 6th meat taco, the rest started to blur and only a handful really stood out, mostly the seafood tacos.

Here are our top 5 favorites, ranked in order of preference:

1. South Gate
Piquillo Pepper & Crabmeat Taco

Chef Kerry Heffernan’s taco was an asian interpretation with his crabmeat taco wrapped in rice paper and a side of green market chili oil. His goal was to create a fresh taco and I will definitely say that he succeeded! In a sea of corn/ flour tortilla tacos filled to the rim with meat, Chef Kerry’s taco was refreshingly light and well balanced in spice and flavor. Even though I was superbly stuffed, I went back for a round two.

2. Suenos
Coconut-Habanero Wild Salmon Taco *Note I think I had the shrimp version

Now these guys were all over the twitter feed so I made it a point to check out what all the buzz about. When I first stopped by, Suenos was out and waiting for backup to arrive. By the time I got my taste, I finally understood what that buzz was about. This tropical flavored taco with its spiced coconut flavor was simply delicious. I would have definitely gone back for second round if I had any room in my stomach.

3. Dos Caminos
Chino Latino Tuna Ceviche Taco

All right, I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for anything with ceviche. Dos Caminos offered the most petite sized taco with a punch of flavor. The citrus flavored tuna was so delicious (and small) that I had to get another one. I’m pretty sure if I didn’t have 50 more vendors to taste, I would have just stood there and keep popping their tacos in my mouth.

4. B&B (Burger and Barrel)
Asian BBQ Taco with Kimchi

B&B’s taco was delicious and displayed in a delightful manner. The crisp taco shell offered a nice contrast in texture and the taco was not heavy at all. I loved their touch of kimchi on top.

5. Nuela
Beef Tongue Taco (I had mine with some habanero peppers)

Now this was the one taco that set my mouth on FIRE. My friends all know I love chili peppers but little did I know that this one taco topped with habanero peppers would send me running for a drink to put the fire out. The reason why it made it to my top 5 was because before my mouth started burning, I can recall the delicious taste of the taco and it was honestly the first time I ever tried Beef Tongue. Sadly 2 minutes after eating this taco, my taste buds required a cooling drink and a 15 minute break to recover any sensation.
[Note to anyone who plans on trying Nuela’s taco – when they say its REALLY spicy, it really IS spicy.]

Other notable tacos were:
- Gotham Bar & Grill
Wild Mushroom Taco

This was a pleasant surprise, simple yet flavorful and delicious without being too heavy at all.

- Ed’s Chowder House
Grilled Spiced Shrimp & Double Smoked Bacon Taco

These guys were causing a traffic jam with the time it took to grill their shrimps, but I have to say they were worth the wait.

River Park
Oyster Taco
Now if I loved fried oysters, this would be on my top 5 list. River Park was the only one to offer an oyster taco and it was well fried, not too salty and not too heavy.

The Standard Grill
Rock Shrimp, Cactus & Queso Taco

Now these guys ran out of tacos before we could even make it there (somewhere around one and a half hour into the event). Apparently they were very among the top two favorites (Suenos being the other) but they were ill prepared for the overwhelming demand for their tacos. Maybe next time they’ll bring more or send for a backup second round which is what Suenos did.

- Make my Cake Bakery & Café
Sweet Potato Rice Pudding

I must admit that I was beyond stuff by this point but their pudding was so delicious that I had just had to have a bite and more.

Check out what you missed you and remember to get your tickets early for next year’s event!

Photos by Karen Ko for Appetite for Good.

100% of the proceeds benefit the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength®

About the Food Bank For New York City
Food Bank For New York City recognizes 28 years as the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs. As the city’s hub for integrated food poverty assistance, the Food Bank tackles the hunger issue on three fronts — food distribution, income support and nutrition education — all strategically guided by its research. Through its network of approximately 1,000 community-based member programs citywide, the Food Bank helps provide 400,000 free meals a day for New Yorkers in need. The Food Bank’s hands-on nutrition education program in the public schools reaches thousands of children, teens and adults. Income support services including food stamps, free tax assistance for the working poor and the Earned Income Tax Credit put millions of dollars back in the pockets of low-income New Yorkers, helping them to achieve greater dignity and independence. 94% of donations go directly toward food distribution, acquisition and programs in all five boroughs of New York City. Learn how you can help at foodbanknyc.org.

About Share Our Strength®
Share Our Strength® , a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. Through its No Kid Hungry® Campaign—a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015—Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs; invests in community organizations fighting hunger; teaches families how to cook healthy, affordable meals; and builds public-private partnerships to end childhood hunger, at the state and city level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry. Visit Strength.org to get involved.

Related Posts

• Guy’s Garage Party Closes NYC Wine & Food Festival
• A Perfect Balance at the NYC Food and Wine Festival
• A Golden Ticket to the New York City Wine and Food Festival