Taste of the Nation 2017: Eating and Drinking Aplenty So Our Little Ones May Simply Have Enough to Eat and Drink

Parade of strawberry-and-cream Underwest Donuts. Photo by Neil Wolfson.

BY NEIL WOLFSON and JOEL LEVIN

WE arrive at the 2017 edition of the NYC Taste of the Nation (TOTN) a couple of days ago, auspiciously beating the rainstorms.

Immediately, we are elated to discover Walter's Hot Dogs team members serving from their truck at the entrance of the TOTN venue at 180 Maiden Lane. Its venerable art-deco pagoda in Mamaroneck has been a regular culinary destination for Westchesterites and travelers since 1919.

Aerial view of Taste of the Nation's colorful party for No Kid Hungry. Photo by Joel Levin.

While waiting for a signature snappy and succulent dog, we chat with the always-personable Danny Meyer, honorary chair of the benefit for the worthy No Kid Hungry,

the program administered by Share Our Strength.

The restaurateur, head of the Union Square Hospitality Group and the Shake Shack empire, is pleased with the turnout here and mentions that he is awaiting upcoming reviews of his newly relocated flagship Union Square Cafe.

Massoni's savory caponata cannoli are cheesy and crunchy. Photo by Joel Levin.

Inside the multi-level space, we feast on offerings from more than 50 purveyors of food and drink arrayed temptingly in the high-ceilinged lobby. Standout dishes:
*Freek's Mill: delicious gnochetti with rabbit ragout and guanciale
*Bessou: smoked soy-pickled eggs with shiitake "bacon" in karashi cram
*Massoni: addictively crunchy eggplant caponata with mozzarella and cocoa nibs in cannoli wrappers
*Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill: (coming soon) gingery crudo
*Pig Bleecker: toothsome "eggs and ham": deviled eggs with prosciutto di Parma

Equally kaleidoscopic are the creations of NYC's inventive corps of mixologists, working with the likes of Monkey 47 gin from Germany, New York Honey Rye Whiskey (from Catskill Provisions), Fords London Dry Gin formulated by four New York City bartenders, as well as Virgil Kaine Ginger-Infused Bourbon.

New York Honey Whiskey from Catskill Provisions. Photo by Joel Levin.

Among the many desserts are amazing strawberry-and-cream donuts from Underwest Donuts and pb&j ice cream from Oddfellows Ice Cream. No one should leave this splendid event hungry or thirsty.

Upstairs, we encounter more culinary environments, including a grouping of sweets: Mexican ice pops, cotton candy, chocolate, a row of corporate hospitality cabanas. Also here is a game-equipped casino where Empire Casino's restaurant is serving buttery lobster-and-crab ravioli and prime-beef sliders.

Freek's Mill's creative preparation of rabbit ragu with guanciale. Photo by Joel Levin.

Since the mission of No Kid Hungry is to end childhood hunger, depending on how one views it, TOTN shows either poetic irony or poetic justice, in that it takes a bounteous feast to enable the fulfillment of basic needs for underserved youngsters.

Still, last year’s TOTN raised enough dough to help feed needy children more than one million healthful meals through City Harvest, Hunger Solutions NY, Food Bank for New York City and Hunger Free America.

Visit http://www.bit.ly/2nbKoxr to learn more about Taste of the Nation 2017 and https://www.nokidhungry.org/ to learn more about NO Kid Hungry.

2015 Slow Living Summit Considers 'Food, Mindfully' ... For Second Year, Winner of 'Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic' Is City Harvest

The 5th Slow Living Summit turns the conversation to food. Photo from Slow Living Summit Web site.

WHAT'S Eating You? Funny and Entertaining Musings About Food. It has to be a gourmand and gourmet's delight.

An open mic for foodies! It is also one of the highlights of Day 1 of the three-day 2015 Slow Living Summit. It opens this afternoon (through Friday, 5 June) in Brattleboro, Vermont. Here's a venue where stories about how lemonade was made out of lemons in the context of food will have a captive audience.

Titled “Food, Mindfully,” the 2015 summit is a series of speeches, breakout sessions and food demos.

This year it revolves around five major themes: Food Entrepreneurship; Food Systems; Nourishment and Wellness; Food Justice and Access, as well as Food Policies (Register at http://www.slowlivingsummit.org/2015-summit-registration/).

In a moment in time when the family farm is an endangered species, Bunker Farm: Preserving a farm with community connections (Friday) is a Food Justice and Access breakout session that merits attention.

Bunker Hill farm vice president Noah Hoskins-Forsythe and Joan Weir (Vermont Land Trust) lead a discussion about the various stakeholders, including community fundraisers, involved in making out of this new farm a viable operation.

A breakout session under the Nourishment and Wellness rubric with some interesting possibilities is “The Happiness Walk: Happiness is Soul Food” (Thursday). Summiteers should get a delightful earful from Linda Wheatley and Paula Francis about their experiences on The Happiness Walk (http://www.happinesswalk.com/).

Linda Wheatley and Paula Francis have been walking the country, asking some meaty questions. Photo from The Happiness Walk Web site.

These uber walkathons / reconnaissance missions undertaken by the two women, a project of Gross National Happiness and embarked upon to ascertain from their fellow Americans what matters and how we can create more of that, started in 2012. This maiden trek took LW and PF from Stowe, Vermont to Washington, DC.

The most recent was completed earlier this month from Savannah, Georgia to Jacksonville, Florida. Joining the ladies in the discussion is dancer Cyndal Ellis of SoBo Studio. (http://www.gnhusa.org/, http://www.sobodance.com/)

Essentially, the Slow Living movement and summit are a cross section of individuals who coalesce around an imperative to slow down. To take the necessary quality time to smell the roses in every aspect of life.

In short, the way we interact with our environment, our earth, each other; how we practice art; the way we govern, seek justice. How we treat our land. And the food we grow and eat, hence the theme of summit No. 5: Food, Mindfully.

“The Healthy Gluten Free Diet" is further evidence that those who have problems digesting wheat can eat good and well.

Quinoa Risotto with Shitake Mushrooms and Arugula could be one of the dishes on the menu during a demo (Friday) presided over by Abigail Gehring. She is the author of “The Healthy Gluten Free Diet: Nutritious and Delicious Recipes for a Gluten-Free Lifestyle.

AG will be joined by Tim Lawrence (“Classic Candy”) and Chef Ismail Samad (The Gleanery, http://www.thegleanery.com/).

It seems there is much to chew on and mull here.

Visit http://www.slowlivingsummit.org/ to learn more about the 2015 Slow Living Summit.

50 Cents and A Lot More at the 8th Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic

50 Cents at the 8th Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

WHY is 50 Cent looking so chill? Any number of reasons.

Among them, he has a couple of films coming out over the next month or so. He's a very cool fellow. And he turned out for the 8th Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic over the weekend at New Jersey's Liberty State Park.

The shindig is fast becoming a must-attend event on the greater New York social scene. It's not all fun and games, though. The sporting event raises funds for City Harvest ... More shortly.