FOOD: We went to Village Voice Choice Eats and Ate All The Things

So in my preview of the annual Village Voice Choice Eats festival, I noted that we've covered the event (and it's spinoffs) for three years. Our Food + Drink editor Lea brags about this event and now I see why. This was foodie heaven. Over the past few days I was trying to describe this event to my friends and they did not believe it. But yes, Village Voice Choice Eats is real....and I have the photos to prove it.

Here are some of the best things I ate at the festival:

Wild Mushroom Larb Salad from Pinto Garden

This was, undoubtedly the best thing I at at Choice Eats. The combination of cilantro, lime and mint produced one of the best flavor sensations my mouth has ever seen. I think I went back to this booth three times.

Sticky Rib Tips from Fletcher's Brooklyn Barbecue

As someone who grew up in the South, any BBQ joint in NYC always carries my suspicion. However, whatever Fletcher's BBQ did may change my views. Even though there was not a BBQ pit to be seen, the crew at Fletcher's managed to keep their ribs nice and juicy, and filled with amazing smoky flavor.

Sope De Calron from the Black Ant

Sorry guys, this was so good I forgot to take a picture!

Fataya from Cafe Rue Dix

I don't know why people are comparing Fataya to Empanadas. The Senegalese snack reminds me more of a Jamaican rice patty more than anything. Either way this was delicious and now added to my list.

Dr Pepper Braised Pork Taco from Javena Tex Mex

Like BBQ above, tacos are one of those things that are suspect in NYC. But again, this braised pork taco was amazing. It had the right amount of flavor and the Dr. Pepper was an amazing compliment to the sweetness of the pork (who knew!)

Focaccia Robiola Di Ciro from De Ciro Brooklyn

When my wife handed me this I was not intrigued. It just looked like bread, with cheese in the middle. A grilled cheese sandwich? But no people, this was much more. The combination of the robiola cheese and truffle oil makes the crispy (yet moist) bread stand out. This was a simple, yet delicious delight.