Great food, nice weather, and people coming together for a charitable cause, were the perfect ingredients to make a great event! The NYC Lab School and downtown’s finest restaurants partnered for this fifth annual culinary extravaganza.

From Chelsea to the Meatpacking District, dozens of the city’s top chefs graced Gansevoort Street and its cobblestoned plaza for a good cause – all proceeds went to benefit the Lab School for Collaborative Studies, a high-performing public school in Chelsea for middle and high school age students.  The New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies, on West 17th Street, is the one of the most sought-after public school in the city. Lab has twice been named by New York Magazine as one of the top high schools in the city.

Tastes NYC offered samples from the “Who’s who” of the neighborhood’s restaurants: Abe & Arthur’s, Buddakan, Dos Caminos, Fatty Crab, Frankie’s 570, Spasso, Pastis, and Spice Market were among the participants. Proceeds from the event went to Friends of NYC Lab School, which raises money to expand academic enrichment and extracurricular activities for the 1,200 students such as chess, stock market, and robotics teams, Model UN, chorus, musical productions and sports teams.

I took a friend with me and we got to enjoy Lamb Meatballs (courtesy of The Meatball Shop) and Thai food from Chelsea Thai (Pangang Beef Curry with Jasmine rice).  We also feasted on chips and guacamole from Dos Caminos and the best BBQ burgers from Bill’s Bar & Burger. Tuna tar tar tacos and sausage pizza, just so many great foods I believe we tried all the vendors!  Wonderful food for a great cause!

– Tranika