The Best Bites From the Fourth Annual Taste of Bushwick
How many notable local food and drink businesses can you pack into a Boar’s Head distribution facility? According to the Fourth Annual Taste of Bushwick festival, four dozen and counting.
Once again, by showcasing the area’s small batch bakers, microbrewers and, yes, Michelin-starred chefs, the event convincingly chronicled the neighborhood’s steady culinary rise. And through a series of standout dishes, the following participants definitely did the ‘Wick proud.
Guadalupe Inn: The Knickerbocker newcomer didn’t require individual spits of trompo al pastor to draw a crowd, since Ivan Garcia’s ruffled tostadas—generously mounded with orange-marinated cochinita de pibil—more than did the trick.
Montana’s Trail House: As the closest vendor to the entrance, all-American Montana’s set the bar high straight out of the gate, with hot chicken and waffle sandwiches embellished with pickles and maple butter.
The Wheelhouse: Needless to say, flawless mac n’cheese is already in this dairy purveyor’s wheelhouse. So they went for broke during Taste of Bushwick with a triple-loaded “White Dragon” variation, combining smoked gouda, white cheddar and shaved parmesan, layered with roasted red peppers, jalapenos, and a cheddar popcorn crust.
Lucy’s Vietnamese Kitchen: Considering their signature pho could in no way withstand a 90-degree evening, Lucy’s went with this light and bright bite instead: shrimp chips cupped around pickled veg and wads of 14-hour smoked brisket.
Forrest Point: The arcadian backyard-blessed bar showed off their best-selling, clarified milk punch, crafted from a 7-day process involving infusing alcohol with fresh fruits, spices and herbs, and adding and straining out milk curds.
The Rookery: Thank goodness for the event’s strategically positioned bottles of Purell—which facilitated a proper takedown of The Rookery’s oxtail ragu sloppy joe (paired with a bonus offering: curried goat shepherd’s pie).
King’s County Brewing Collective: Their “Beach Zombie” strawberry guava sour cut through the sweltering fug way better than any cocktail, compelling us to seek out growlers for all future seaside jaunts.
Maite: Providing the perfect segue between sweet and savory vendors, the South American/European-influenced eatery offered lush dulce de leche crème caramel, finished with jamon iberico salt and a splash of aguardiente liquor.