Last weekend, the Upper West Side of Manhattan played host to a food festival all about… the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It’s so like that neighborhood to celebrate itself, right? So, of course, I jumped at the chance to walk by the Museum of Natural History, see so many people walking tiny, fluffy dogs, and taste foods from some of the neighborhood’s favorite snack purveyors. This was Comfort Classics, an event all about the casual fare that locals gobble up in between their juice cleanses and Central Park stroller jogs.
That’s how I found myself getting scolded by Marc Murphy for having a cracked iPhone, by Adam Richman for kind of being a jerk, and by myself for being in the same huge tent as Christina Tosi — the people’s choice winner of the night — and not being able to find her anywhere. Was she in disguise hanging from the ceiling drinking champagne? Was that her?
Other things that happened to me on my UWS adventure include:
- A lady from Organic Avenue shut down our conversation as soon as I told her I live in Brooklyn and would not be going to the Hamptons this summer.
- I ran around in circles excitedly looking for chefs (and drinks) and basically forgot to eat all the food laid out before me, until nearly closing time, when I snatched up two desserts from Magnolia for the road.
- I sweatily ate my dessertson a park bench halfway to the subway.
- I dropped my iPhone which was found by a guy selling subscriptions to The New York Post. He said I had to sign up for The New York Post in order to get my (yes, cracked) iPhone back. I refused.
- I un-ironically wore a wine glass strung around my neck on a lanyard. These were given to every guest so hands could be free for eating awesome UWS snacks and high-fiving awesome UWS bros.
- I never found Christina Tosi. I did find a couple birthday cake truffles which, she said, “run the world” in her victory speech.
In the slideshow below, see the sites, snacks, and awkward encounters that made up my trip to the New Taste of The Upper West Side.
RELATED:
Adam Richman On Hush-Hush New Projects, NoLa Politics, And Why Audiences Need Him
Marc Murphy Scolds His Kids’ Babysitter For Under-Seasoning Their Food
PHOTOS: At GoogaMooga, It Was Wet And Cold And We Danced With Chickens