Kaufman Astoria Studios (iStock)
May 22, 2019 By Shane O’Brien
The 14th annual Taste of Long Island City will take place on June 12 on the backlot of the Kaufman Astoria Studios, the organizers announced yesterday.
The Chocolate Factory, a local non-profit that offers space to experimental artists, is holding the event at the 36-12 36th St. studios for the third consecutive year.
This year, more than 40 restaurants will be offering food and beverage tastings, and more than 100 local businesses will be supplying raffle prizes.
The event will include Michelin Star chefs Luis Aguilar of Casa Enrique and Hugue Dufour of M. Wells Steakhouse, along with many new and returning favorites including Beebe’s, Bellwether, Zenon Taverna and Kurry Qulture.
The Taste of LIC is among the largest of its kind in Western Queens and emphasizes the district’s constantly evolving culinary scene.
The event, which was one of the first major tasting events in New York City, will also feature a special performance from acclaimed dancer Neil Greenberg. Several elected officials will be in attendance, with Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer being the MC.
All proceeds from the Taste of LIC will go toward the Chocolate Factory’s 2019/2020 season of dance, theater, music and multimedia performances.
The Taste began in 2005 with just 12 vendors inside the Chocolate Factory theater on 49th Avenue. The event grew quickly and was later held at Gantry Plaza State Park, prior to moving to Kaufman Astoria Studios.
Tickets are set at varying prices, with general admission costing $65 in advance or $75 at the door. General admission provides attendees with 2 hours of sampling from 6:30 p.m. through 8:30 p.m.
The next option is a $150 ticket, which comes with an event T-shirt and three hours of sampling, with admission beginning at 5:30 p.m.
For more information regarding tickets, visit chocolatefactorytheater.org
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8 Comments
What exactly is The Chocolate Factory? Someone is making a lot of money from this event. I have lived in LIC for 30 years. I go to the theatre twice a week. I have never seen a production at The Chocolate Factory. I have never seen one advertised. Why do they have this massive fundraiser, which I cannot afford to attend? Who are they! Something doesn’t seem right to me. Someone is getting rich from this.
This theater seems to always have its hand in taxpayer cookie jar. They received $3.8 million to fund their expansion and seem to always be top on the list whenever JVB doles out city funding for arts. I also don’t understand how this quasi-invisible organization is always vacuuming up money. How n=many people in LIC are benefiting from their programs?
Also, the NYT brutally bashed Bezos up one side and down the other after he announced his goal to move to LIC. Along with their articles showing Queens as a dangerous slug pit. I am convinced this paper is a major reason why he pulled out.
You can be sure the NYT won’t be covering this.
They only cover slug events in Queens. The paper is anxious (being paid off) to herd the middle class into Brooklyn/Manhattan, by pumping out “Queens is low class” articles on a near weekly basis. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/nyregion/arverne-rockaway-beach.html
Too bad that Jimmy Ban Brammer will be there. After he let The Hunters Point neighbor hopd down by adding to Amazon canceling it’s move to LIC. The neighborhood really needs large business to help it grow. Instead we ate left with abandoned warehouses and closed restaurants
if van bramer is there, mad cow won’t be
Ditto, but van bramer usually is so count us out of taste of LIC this year too!
Because JVB might be there? Lol. Then again your party got offended by Starbucks cups…