It surely has been a long cold winter. Now that Spring is here and summer is just around the corner NYC comes alive with many terrific activities, fairs, and festivals to enjoy. One thing we can all attest to is our love of eating! Food, oh glorious food! Does not matter our backgrounds, ages, sex, or where we live – food is the one thing that binds us all together. We all love a good bite that’s for sure! Whether it be a celebrity chef joint or a small local bistro everyone comes together over a tasty meal. A wonderful experience that summons in the start of summer is the New Taste of the Upper West Side. Three days of food, drink, fun, and frolic which brings the city together over gastronomic delight!

8th Annual New Taste of the Upper West Side Features Over 80 Restaurants and Star-Studded Talent

Three Nights of Celebrations: Wednesday, May 27th, Friday, May 29th and Saturday, May 30th

NBC’s Adam Richman

Food Network’s Anne Burrell and Marc Murphy Host Best of the West and First-ever Exclusive VIP Experience

The 2015 New Taste of the Upper West Side kicks off again this May with an exciting lineup of new and returning restaurants, world-class chefs and celebrity hosts for an unforgettable three-night culinary celebration. The annual event, which was created by the Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District (“BID”), a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit, donates all net proceeds to the local community for neighborhood improvement and beautification projects such as the Columbus Avenue BID’s Sustainable Streetscape project, and other beneficiaries as the Wellness in the Schools program, Greenhouse Classroom, Citymeals-on-Wheels and Theodore Roosevelt Park.

“This amazing three-day event has enabled our BID to give back to the community in so many important ways,” says Barbara Adler, Executive Director of the Columbus Avenue BID. “Now in its eighth year, it has been crowned New York’s top neighborhood food festival and continues to be a boon to our local restaurants and businesses.”

The participating list of restaurants/chefs reads like a highlight reel of big time names and well known eateries. Highlights include Momofuku Milk Bar, Bar Boulud, Boulud Sud, Parm, RedFarm, The Meatball Shop, Sarabeth’s, The Mermaid Inn, Luke’s Lobster, Gotham West Market’s Genuine Roadside, Magnolia Bakery, Shake Shack, Rosa Mexicano, Tavern on the Green, Dovetail, The Ribbon and many more!

The festivities begin with Soirée in the Park on Wednesday, May 27th, an outdoor cocktail event that celebrates and raises funds for New York City’s beautiful Theodore Roosevelt Park, surrounding the American Museum of Natural History. Guests enjoy live chamber music under the stars with champagne and hors d’oeuvres provided by a host of local restaurants including Sarabeth’s and Luke’s Lobster. All net proceeds from the evening are donated for park enhancements.

Soirée in the Park Where: Theodore Roosevelt Park When: Wednesday, May 27th, 2015 at 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM (Rain Date: Thursday, May 28th, 2015 at 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM) Cost: $150 per person

New Taste of the Upper West Side brings the community together yearly through a culinary celebration that continues under an elegant, block-long tent with Comfort Classics presented by Sysco on Friday, May 29th, where 40 Upper West Side restaurants will display their most innovative and creative “homestyle” fare, while competing to win the title of “Best Comfort Food Dish.” NBC’s Adam Richman, host of Food Fighters and author of “Straight Up Tasty” (released May 2015) is hosting this event. There will also be a special guest appearance by Food Network’s talented Katie Lee, who will be autographing a limited number of copies of her new book, “Endless Summer Cookbook.” Returning to the main stage is Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar along with a bevy of noteworthy participants including Shake Shack, Sarabeth’s and The Meatball Shop. The excitement of the evening will be further highlighted by sensational international wine selections, creative cocktails and live music provided by the Silver Arrow Band.

Comfort Classics presented by Sysco Where: Columbus Avenue between West 76th and 77th Streets When: Friday, May 29th, 2015 at 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM Cost: $105 per person or 2 for $185

The culmination of this star-packed three-day food festival is Best of the West on Saturday, May 30th, where many of the Upper West Side’s most famous restaurants and celebrity chefs are the focus of an evening centered around spectacular cuisine, world-class wines and enticing cocktails, buoyed by the 16-piece rhythms of Joe Battaglia & The New York Big Band. The celebratory event will be hosted this year by Anne Burrell, host of Food Network’s Worst Cooks in America, and Marc Murphy, owner and executive chef of Benchmarc Restaurants (Landmarc and Ditch Plains), executive chef of Kingside and popular judge of Food Network’s Chopped. With 40 New York City restaurants, including Boulud Sud, RedFarm and Dovetail, it is a celebration of fine cuisine under the grand white tent that spans Columbus Avenue between West 76th and 77th Streets.

Best of the West Where: Columbus Avenue between West 76th and 77th Streets When: Saturday, May 30th, 2015 at 7:30 PM – 10 PM Cost: $135 per person or 2 for $250

For the first time ever, New Taste of the Upper West Side is offering Best of the West VIP, an enhanced experience that includes exclusive access to a private lounge to enjoy unlimited champagne. VIP guests will receive gift bags from Upper West Side shops and our sponsors, and participate in private book signings with complimentary cookbooks from Anne Burrell, author of “Own Your Kitchen” and Marc Murphy, author of “Season with Authority,” (released April 28, 2015). This special event precedes Best of the West, starting at 6:30 PM, and brings guests directly to the star chefs an hour before general admission.

Best of the West VIP Where: Columbus Avenue between West 76th and 77th Streets When: Saturday, May 30th, 2015 at 6:30 PM – 10 PM Cost: $225 per person

This year’s sponsors include of Ford, New York Post, Palm Bay International, Sysco Foods, Manhattan Beer, Argo Real Estate, Brusco Group, Celebrity Cruises, Diamond Kosher Salt, Rosa Mexicano, The Westsider, The Spirit, Alan Garten & Friends, Barritt’s Ginger Beer, Beacon, Belvedere Capital, doNYC, Five Star Catering, Flowers on the Park, Jana Water, Polar Beverages, Richard Bloch Architect, Tito’s Vodka, West Side Rag and White Plains Linen.

About the Columbus Avenue BID: The Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, representing merchants and property owners along Columbus Avenue from West 67th Street to West 82nd Street. Formed in 1999 in a landmark district, its membership includes a diverse range of retailers, restaurateurs and commercial and mixed-use property owners, comprising all of the commercial establishments. In addition, the Columbus Avenue BID’s district includes the American Museum of Natural History, Theodore Roosevelt Park, The New-York Historical Society and the Rose Center for Earth and Space.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit –

http://www.newtasteuws.com/