Taste of Bayside

It was a perfect opportunity to drive out to Bayside so even if I was late, I dropped by Adria Hotel to check out Taste of Bayside and respond to Jando’s invitation to us. I even invited Yifang L., a Unilocaler from Bayside so she can meet others in the Unilocal Community but although she tried to make it, the student’s Regent exams finished late.
When I arrived, Jando was already busy signing up guests for the Unilocal newsletter, chatting them up and listening to their experience with the Unilocal phone app and just attending to others who were spinning the wheel to get one of the Unilocal freebies. Mike B. and I even had a chance to talk about Unilocal to those who approached the table. It’s just easy to talk about something you like and are already using. At one point, a grandmother approached the table and said she wanted one of those fingerless gloves. Of course, she got ‘em! It was fun to meet Bayside residents, talk about Unilocal and discover that the fingerless gloves are being rocked out on the street even by grannies!
The party was already in full swing by the time I got there. Most of the participating restaurants have ran out of food (and alcoholic drinks) but I was able to get a taste of food from:
~~Papazzio — Medallions of veal sauteed in mushroom and marsala — Unbelievably tasty and even if the portion was tiny it was very flavorful and satisfying.
“Tequila Sunrise — Churrasco Steak — Seasoned perfectly and tender. They were also serving margarita but they ran out of it quickly.
Just as I a found the Boylan drink stand, Monique and her friend increased the visibility of the Unilocal table. More people approached the Unilocal table and as the event concluded, the power of connecting with the community and of Unilocal swag were further reinforced. Thanks, Jando!

There really is nothing better than supporting your local businesses!
After receiving a super last minute invite to the Taste of Bayside, I decided it was worth cancelling my prior committment– considering the Taste of Sheepshead Bay was such a great turnout!
Jando Gets two very enthusiastic thumbs up as does his unofficial Unilocal Ambassador Mike B. I had a bit of trouble commutting but once I made it to the event, they were in great spirits and sharing the Unilocal Love with the community.
The ballroom was filled with local eateries like Palermo’s, Strawberry bar and grill, Maggie Moo’s, and even White Castle!
Since I was late I missed out on some of the dishes but of what I tasted, I was pleased. The people of the community were extremely generous as well as friendly! I got to sit with random people and talk about the food. It was nice to see so many people getting together to love one another with food.
Kudos for the free beer and soda!
And as far as Unilocal goes, yeah, its awesome! Thanks so much for the opportunity to attend!

major props to Jando and Unilocal for letting us know about this great little event! back in November I went to the «Taste of Sheepshead Bay» event thanks to Peter D, and this was very similar: a community event to highlight some great local eateries.
a sad reality is that for the majority of Unilocalers, the only places in the outer boroughs that they will ever know are Astoria, Flushing, Williamsburg, and Park Slope. rent a Zipcar, take a bus, hop in a cab, or something like that and venture further, you lazy bums!
…ahem…
so this event was pretty sweet. a bunch of restaurants and catering companies from Bayside were on hand to give everyone a little sample. Cajun food, Italian food, BBQ, burgers, ice cream, Italian pastries, and… White Castle? sure thing, boss.
sausage crostini, chicken in mushroom sauce, gigantic rice balls, mixed veggie orzo, crab cake sliders, honey garlic wings, bourbon chicken, meatloaf sliders (with mashed potatoes and corn on top), cannoli… oh man! my stomach is gonna explode, and I didn’t even get to stop by all the stands!
beer, wine, juice, water, and soda were on hand. I had some delicious Boylan’s orange soda since I had to drive, and there were other flavored sodas.
the crowd was a good mix, mostly an older crowd of couples and families from Eastern Queens and the closer parts of Long Island. I actually sat at a table with people I didn’t even know and just started chatting away. lots of nice people, and when I explained what Unilocal was, a lot of them said it sounded really useful. if even one person signs up and becomes active, that’s good!
Jando was at the Unilocal table, plugging our favorite website and enlisting new recruits.
it was definitely a fun event and I’m glad to see these neighborhood-​specific events which cater to a different crowd than most Unilocal events.
I’m excited to see the apparently-​bigger-​in-​scope Taste of Queens event that they will be doing later this year!