Ridgefood Everything We Ate at the Taste of Ridgewood POST E D ON APRIL 19 , 2013 BY MOLLIE Last week we attended the Taste of Ridgewood, the first-ever food fest benefiting the Ridgewood YMCA‘s  Strong  Kids  Campaign.  We  

ate,  we  drank,  we  chatted  with  local  Ridgefolk.  Here’s  our  photo  recap:

Clockwise from top left: Vietnamese iced coffee over crushed ice, coconut tapioca pudding, and a summer roll from Bunker (we

forgot peanut sauce – oops); vegetable samosa and cilantro dipping sauce from Nepalese Indian; and foufou & okra (foufou are like

dumplings) and grilled fish &attieke (fermented cassava that resembles couscous) from Bed-Stuy’s Abidjan.

Stripped-down pljekavica (aka  “Bosna  Burger”)  from Bosna-Express, sausage & sauerkraut medley from Zum Stammtisch, and ravioli

fromTrattoria Cerbone

Cheeseburger with special sauce and Mexican salad from Bare Burger in Park Slope, jalapeno-cheddar scone and a cranberry cookie

from Norma’s

Final gluttonous plate: Chicken tikka masala, another samosa (they were both halves!), a wedge of naan, and cilantro & tamarind

sauces from Nepalese Indian

Plus: a doggy bag from Roy and Shea, the cool dudes at Bunker! Thanks!

District 37 Assemblywoman and honoree (AND RIDGEFOOD FAN — SHE TOLD US HERSELF!) Catherine Nolan gave a rousing,

inspiring speech praising the event and all the diverse restaurants that participated. She predicted that the Taste of Ridgewood will

be  on  Ridgewood’s  “permanent  landscape.”

We loved this sandwich platter from renowned German restaurant Zum Stammtisch.

See you next year!

Brownstoner Queens Food And Drink

03/01/13 11:00am

Taste of Ridgewood will be here in April 2013 by Meg Cotner

We just learned about Taste of Ridgewood, a brand spanking new food festival in Queens. It’s also serving as a fundraiser for the Ridgewood YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign. More details:

With over 20 restaurants in attendance representing the beauty of Queens – the borough that is ethnically the most diverse in the city and country. We’re expecting 100 of the neighborhood’s most philanthropic donors to attend this night of food, live music, fun and fundraising providing the best food that Queens has to offer.

And about the Ridgewood YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign

The Ridgewood YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign ensures that no child or family is ever turned away from life-enhancing YMCA programs because of the inability to pay. Each year, the Ridgewood YMCA provides financial assistance to hundreds of local youth and families in need.

The event takes place on Thursday, April 11th, 2013 from 6:30-1pm, at the Ridgewood YMCA, 69-02 64th Street (GMAP). To attend, RSVP to TOR@ymcanyc.org by March 20. The participating restaurants are not public yet, but we will fill you in once we learn more.

The Glendale Register YMCA hosts first Taste of Ridgewood event byAlexandra Torres

Apr 18, 2013 | 976 views | 0 | 3 | |

(left to right) Ridgewood Savings Bank representative who accepted the award in place of Peter Boger, Lakeisha Harris, Catherine Nolan and Vincent Arcuri, Jr.

Cristina Nastasi, baker from Rudy's Three community leaders were honored at the first annual Taste of Ridgewood event at the Ridgwood YMCA located at 69-02 64th Street. A fundraiser for the Y's Strong Kids Campaign, the April 11th event honored Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, Community Board 5 chairman Vicent Arcuri Jr., and Peter Boger, president/CEO of Ridgewood Savings Bank. "We in Ridgewood don't always toot our own horn, and yet we have so much to be proud of as a community and one of the things we have to be proud of is this spectacular YMCA," said Nolan. She spoke of the Y's founding and how politicians and local leaders came together a few years ago to save it from closure and have it renovated. "It's one thing to get a beautiful building, it's another thing to run it well. Lakeisha Harris has done that and I salute you and thank you," Nolan said of Y's executive director. "We haven't been able to reach the young kids, we're relying on the old-timers," said Arcuri. "We all need help [on] how to reach the kids, get them involved in their community and love it as much as we do, and I thank you for [this] tremendous pleasure." The night began with guests mingling, having drinks and sampling the foods from 16 neighborhood restaurants and bakeries. Samples included European foods such as rice balls with ground beef and peas from Coratos Pizza II, assorted meats and sauerkraut from Zum Stammtisch, and rainbow cookies from Rudy's Pastry Shop. There was also Asian food such as curry chicken from Nepalese Indian Restaurant and shrimp summer rolls from Bunker Vietnamese, as well as more traditional American fare like burgers from Bare Burgers and bisquits and cookies from Norma's Cafe. There was also a silent auction on items such as gift cards, a Bosch coffee maker, an electric stove, gift baskets and, most notably, a signed NY Knicks basketball. Harris expressed her gratitude for how well the fundraiser went. "I'm really excited about the turnout," she said. "It's been amazing. The fact that Cathy Nolan was talking about this being an ongoing program and her really wanting to help us next year was really exciting."

Timesnewsweekly

YMCA  Event  Offers  A  ‘Taste  Of Ridgewood’

Community Leaders To Be Honored by Robert Pozarycki

Some  of  the  finest  cuisine  offered  by  local  restaurants  and  assorted  entertainment  are  on  the  menu  at  the  inaugural  “Taste  of Ridgewood”  event  hosted  by  the  Ridgewood  Y  at  its  campus  on  Thursday  night,  Apr.  11.

As announced, the festivities will take place from 6:30 to 10 p.m. on Apr. 11 at the Ridgewood Y, located at 69-02 64th St., at the corner of Catalpa Ave.

Over 20 restaurants in Ridgewood and surrounding communities have been invited to take part in the event and dish out their best meals to guests. Some of the invitees include Zum Stammtisch restaurant in Glen- dale,  London  Lennie’s  restaurant  in Rego Park and  Norma’s  Cafe  in  Ridgewood.

The Ridgewood Y will also honor three individuals who have long supported the branch over the years. They include Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, Community Board 5 Chairperson Vincent Arcuri and Ridgewood Savings Bank President Peter Boger.

All  of  the  proceeds  from  the  “Taste  of Ridgewood”  event  will  go  to  the  Ridgewood  Y’s  Strong  Kids  Campaign,  which helps keep the various programs at the branch affordable to guests of all ages.

According to the Y, the goal of the campaign is to ensure that no child or family is ever denied participation in events due to an inability to pay.

For more information on the event, you can, visit www.ymcanyc.org/ridgewood or contact Lakeshia Harris at lharris@ymcanyc.org.

TIMES LEDGER: SERVING QUEENS SINCE 1919

APRIL 9, 2013 / Q GUIDE: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT / QUEENS RESTAURANTS /RIDGEWOOD

Sample all the flavors of Ridgewood BY Tammy Scileppi

The Taste of Ridgewood is scheduled for April 11.

What do James Cagney, Harry Houdini and Rosie Perez have in common? Well, at one time they all lived in Ridgewood.

Next week, 20 restaurants will set up temporary homes in this corner of Queens for the first Taste of Ridgewood. The event serves as a fund-raiser for the Ridgewood YMCA, 69-02 64th St., and takes place on all three floors of its brand new state-of-the-art facility.

Residents  can  join  their  neighbors,  community  leaders  and  100  of  the  nabe’s  top  philanthropic  donors  for  this  amazing  event.

It promises to be a festive evening filled with live music, lots of mingling and schmoozing and a mouth-watering selection of ethnic cuisine — from Bosnian to Indian.

“We  were  purposeful  about  selecting  diverse  restaurants  to  showcase  the  multiculturalism  of  Queens,”  said  YMCA  Executive  Director Lakeisha Harris, who believes in strengthening the community by working together with their neighbors to ensure everyone has an opportunity to enjoy everything the Y has to offer.

According to Harris, this campaign allows the Ridgewood Y to provide financial assistance, so families can send their children to camp, to preschool, or attain a family  membership.  It’s  all  about  parents  and  children  being  able  to  spend  quality  time  together, involved in physical activity.

To purchase tickets RSVP LaKeisha Harris at Lharris@ymcanyc.org.

IF YOU GO:

Taste of Ridgewood

Thursday, April 11

6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Ridgewood YMCA

69-02 64th St.