Taste of Sunnyside Returns Next Month, Tickets Now on Sale

The Taste of Sunnyside — an annual event that aims to showcase the diverse restaurant mix of the neighborhood — will take place next month and tickets are now on sale. (Photo: SoleLuna at last year’s event, by Kamila Harris)

Sept. 12, 2022 By Michael Dorgan

The Taste of Sunnyside, an annual event that aims to showcase the diverse restaurant mix of the neighborhood, will take place next month—and tickets are now on sale.

The event will see hundreds of attendees go door-to-door to sample food and beverages offered by more than 35 participating local bars and restaurants. The bars and restaurants will be setting up stands in front of their establishments for ticketholders to sample their cuisine.

This year’s crawl will take place on Sunday, Oct. 16 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Taste of Sunnyside aims to promote the district as a restaurant destination and is organized by the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District (BID). It is the BID’s most popular event, and last year’s event was sold out with more than 500 people taking part.

The Taste of Sunnyside was established more than 10 years ago and was typically held underneath a big tent near the 46^th Street Bliss subway station.

The event was revamped as a food crawl last year inspired, in part, by a desire to help people associate the food they sample with the brick-and-mortar establishments, according to Dirk McCall de Palomá, Executive Director of Sunnyside Shines.

“The change to a crawl format has had a huge impact because this way people actually go to the restaurant/bar itself and find out where it is located,” McCall de Palomá said. “People end up going back to the restaurant afterward, which benefits the restaurant/bar — it’s pretty exciting.”

An attendee being served at last year’s Taste of Sunnyside (Photo by Kamila Harris)

Tickets for the Taste can be purchased online, with general admission costing $50 and VIP tickets priced at $75 each.

McCall de Palomá said about 200 additional tickets will be made available this year to meet demand, given the success of last year’s crawl.

He said the crawl format also enables residents with COVID-19 concerns to safely participate — since ticketholders visit stands outside the participating establishments.

Dozens of restaurants/bars have signed up to take part in the event already, with more expected to be added in the coming days, McCall de Palomá said.

Many popular establishments will be taking part again this year, such as Senso Unico, Maggie Mae’s, Bliss 46 Bistro, Sweet Avenue, Jack’s Fire Department, and 43 Bar & Grill.

There will be many newcomers too, including the Bolivian restaurant Bolivian Llama Party, located at 44-14 48th Ave., the Indian restaurant Cardamom, located at 43-45 43rd St., the gelato shop Arcobaleno Gelateria, located at 44-09 Queens Blvd., and the bubble tea shop Mr. Buncha, located at 45-09 40th St.

“The Taste” will have a Salvadoran restaurant participating for the first time with Ricas Pupusas y Mas, located at 47-55 47th St., while the Romanian restaurant Danubiusm, located at 4757 41st St., will also make its debut.

Ticket holders will be required to check in for the event at Lowery Plaza – located at 40th Street and Queens Boulevard under the elevated 7 subway train – where they will be provided with recommended routes to follow on the crawl.

There will also be several trollies available to bus all attendees to the establishments.

Ticket-holders beginning their Taste of Sunnyside crawl at Lowery Plaza last year (Photo by Kamila Harris)

There will also be several trollies available to bus attendees to the various establishments. Trollies pictured at last year’s Taste of Sunnyside (Photo by Kamila Harris)

VIP ticket holders will be able to start the event an hour earlier—at 2 p.m. They will also be provided with a dedicated trolley and be entitled to skip lines at each stop.

A live DJ will play throughout the day at Lowery Plaza, while attendees can also capture the moment at a photo booth at the location.

Tickets can be bought online by clicking here.

There will also be a free networking event after the Oct. 16 crawl from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at QBK Sports, located at 41-20 39th St., where attendees will get a chance to mingle with other food lovers.

Organizers will also be hosting a Taste of Sunnyside launch party at Alewife Brewery, located at 41-11 39th St., on Oct. 7 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event is also free to attend and there will be drinks specials on offer and music.

A list of participating Taste of Sunnyside restaurants/bars is listed below:

43 Bar & Grill (sports bar)
Arcobaleno Gelateria (gelato shop)
Alewife Brewing Company (brewpub)
Arriba Arriba (Mexican restaurant)
Bliss 46 Bistro (French bistro)
Bolivian Llama Party (Bolivian restaurant)
Cardamom Indian Cuisine (Indian restaurant)
Danubius (Romanian restaurant)
Dazies Restaurant (Italian restaurant)
De Mole (Mexican restaurant)
Elio’s Ice Cream (ice cream shop)
Empire Shop (sandwiches, acai bowls and smoothies)
Firefly Petite Bistro & Café (Latin American & Southern European bistro and café)
Green Valley Marketplace (grocery store/deli)
Healthy as a Motha (Vegan takeout)
Jack’s Fire Department (American restaurant)
Kasbah Café (Mediterranean restaurant)
La Adelita de Woodside (Mexican restaurant)
La Catrina de Luis (Mexican restaurant)
McGuinness’s Saloon (Irish bar)
Mr. Buncha (bubble teas)
QBK Sports (beach volleyball bar)
Ricas Pupusas y Mas (Salvadorian restaurant)
Rincon Melania (Ecuadorian restaurant)
Riko Peruvian (Peruvian restaurant)
Sanger Hall (American restaurant)
Senso Unico (Italian restaurant)
The Spot Café (craft sandwiches and burgers joint)
SoleLuna (Italian restaurant)
Sotto le Stelle (Neapolitan pizza restaurant)
Sweet Avenue (bar focusing on craft beers)
The Boiis (mochi-based dessert pop-up shop)
The Globe Tavern (neighborhood bar)
The Lowery Bar & Kitchen (local bar/restaurant)
Tito Rad’s (Filipino restaurant)
To The Macs (soul food)