BROOKLYN’S FINEST: THE SOPHOMORE EDITION OF TASTE TALKS AND FIRST FUTURE FOOD EXPO

If you say Mason jar three times in the mirror, a tattooed guy with a beard appears and tells you all his favorite things to eat in Brooklyn (or so the legend goes).more But last weekend’s Taste Talks Brooklyn, curated by everyone’s favorite Tumblr-chic chef (and winner of the prestigious JBF award) Danny Bowien, went well beyond the stereotypical Brooklyn expectations. Kinfolk 90, Wythe Hotel, and Colossal Media’s warehouse building acted as an epicurious Bermuda triangle on the corner of N 11th street in Williamsburg, bringing together some of our favorite NYC chefs including Gabrielle Hamilton (Prune), Brooks Headley (Del Posto), and Carlo Mirarchi (Roberta’s), and go-to food writers such as Sam Sifton (#NYTCooking), Kate Krader (Food & Wine), and Christine Mulke (Bon Appétit). Given this all-star lineup and the fact that the topics for the talks spanned from the future of food magazines to whether Brooklyn is becoming the next Manhattan (“It sure is,” says my rent check), the panels did not disappoint.

Over at the other end of the street, a sister organization, Future Food Expo—a fair-like look into what is next for food in the U.S.—took place. The word “food” stretches over a wide semantic territory, and “future” comes with its own weight, making the event a harder organization to put together. Even though the expo itself felt more “now” than “future” (proof, every five second, you would overhear someone asking if so-and-so were gluten-free), there were definitely some vendors that we were digging. Now without further due, here is a shortlist of our top exhibitors at Future Food Expo:

1- Aero PlantEqually reminiscent of Soderbergh’s Solaris and a medical marijuana factory set up, this kitchen appliance-sized mini garden allows you to grow herbs and small fruits and vegetables at your home, just by adding water.

2- Farm to PeopleIndependently owned, artisanal food products delivered anywhere.

3- DrizlyThis once exclusively-Boston based booze delivery app is here for you to order beer, wine, and liquor and get it delivered in the same day, mostly within an hour in NYC, Chicago, Denver, Washington D.C, and L.A. (Ed. Note: In the future, everything will be delivered and pants will be a thing of the past)

4- Empire MayoReally great tasting mayo with flavors like Rosemary, White Truffle, and Sriracha.

5- Susty PartyCompostable and pretty tableware for parties, because it’s embarrassingly harder to run all of those gross things by the water and recycle when you have a hangover.

Words: Busra Erkara

Photos: Courtesy of Taste Talks