First Rockaway Food Festival This Saturday

By Katie McFadden

Some folks might remember and miss the Taste of Rockaway, spearheaded by the late owner of Thai Rock, Robert Kaskel. But imagine a Taste of Rockaway that takes away the challenge of having to bounce from one restaurant to the another, to sample Rockaway’s good eats. The Rockaway Hotel has done just that, bringing several local restaurants under one roof for the First Annual Rockaway Food Festival, this Saturday, November 2, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

For $60 a ticket, or $30 for kids 12 and under, Rockaway locals and visitors can experience some of the best eats the community has to offer, all in the ballroom of The Rockaway Hotel at 108-10 Rockaway Beach Dr. So far, participating restaurants include Adrienne’s, Batsey’s, Bungalow Bar, Crustinos, Happy Jacks, Meat Up Grill, Margie’s, Pico, Rocco’s of Roc Beach, Smoke & Barrel, Tap That and more. Guests will get to sample some food items from each place. Plus, they’ll be greeted with a welcome drink, and a cash bar will be available for other beverages to help wash it all down. And making this a truly local event, popular party band Wine with Sue is bringing the entertainment, performing live during the festival.

For Hotel co-owner Terence Tubridy, it’s all about reminding people that Rockaway doesn’t shut down in the off season. “The idea is to promote and engage the locals, as well as all of the restaurants that stay open year-round,” Tubridy said. “The summer is the summer, but it’s more of just reminding locals that places are still open. Post-Sandy, Robert and a ton of businesses did the Taste of Rockaway, and we haven’t done that in quite a while, and this is a reminder that the businesses are still here.”

Tubridy says as soon as he floated the idea with other local restaurant owners, many were on board. “We got an overwhelming response,” he said. And for locals, he’s hoping it can put on spotlight on restaurants that people might not have visited yet, by bringing them to a central location. “We look at the Hotel like the connection between all of Rockaway. There are some places that people might not have tried because they might live downtown and haven’t gone uptown or vice versa,” he said. And for visitors, he hopes it makes them aware of all the great offerings on the peninsula, and the camaraderie among local business owners. “A lot of people don’t realize that all of us that own restaurants and bars, we’re pretty supportive of one another, so if we can come together under one roof to promote our place and remind people about them, that’s what we want to do,” Tubridy said.

One of those restaurateurs is Michael Fiore, who has opened two local restaurants on Beach 116th Street in recent years—Meat Up Grill and Crustinos. “We wanted to participate in this to help cross promote our brands, and hopefully find some new people that haven’t tried us before. Crustinos is new so we definitely want to showcase some of the new items we’re featuring here to draw in potential customers, and this is for the community, so I think it’s a great idea,” Fiore said.

As for what he’ll be serving, Fiore says for Crustinos, they’ll be showcasing one of the best sellers—sandwiches. “We’re doing our fried meatball with sweet and hot cherry petters with Calabrian chili and aioli on a slider bun, and we’re featuring our sandwiches prepared on focaccia bread in small sizes,” Fiore said. For Meat Up Grill, most known for their burgers, Fiore will be showcasing something people may not know they offer—salads. “We might feature two of our signature salads or have a chop salad where people can try our homemade dressings,” Fiore said.

To try those items and more, don’t miss Saturday’s Rockaway Food Festival. It is recommended to purchase tickets in advance at therockawayhotel.com. Find the event under the Happenings tab and Events Calendar. Tickets will also be available at the door.

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