Around 7:00 last night, Kate, Gina, and I arrived in Long Island City for an event we’d been planning for weeks.
The NYC Food Film Festival!!!
The festival has been going all week long, and last night was the final night of it. The idea is that you get to sample the food featured in the films FOR FREE while the films are screening. Could anything be more brilliant?
What made the event even more perfect, however, were the facts that (1) the rain had stopped for the first time in what seems like a decade and (2) the festival took place at Water Taxi Beach, a man-made beach in LIC (with amazing views of the city) that I’ve always wanted to visit but never had until last night!
Sand!
We started at the Jarlsberg cheese station.
Appetizers round 2 (you can review round 1 here):
I had two slices of baguette with boursin cheese, radish, and Israeli cucumber; Jarlsberg with olives; manchego with local honey (meant to correspond with Save the Honeybees about the colony collapse epidemic) drizzled on top; grapes; and chocolates.
Gina, Kate, and I nibbled on our cheeses and admired the view … and then needed to pose in front of the view (obviously):
As we nibbled, servers came around with the next course: okra gumbo with shrimp and chorizo.
This gumbo was deeeeeeeelicious, so I had two cups. I believe this course was meant to correlate with Mr.Okra, a delightful film about an old man who delivers produce throughout the streets of New Orleans.
Next up, we had Swedish meatballs (from Ikea, no less, hahahahahahahaha!):
I had seconds of these little guys, too! So tasty. The Swedish meatballs went along with … ummm, I’m not sure? I don’t think we saw a film about Swedish people or about meatballs!
While we waited for the sun to go down so the films could start, my favorite men arrived on the scene to display the power of their hoses:
My heroes.
Back to the food vs. men debate from earlier this week … these men would win, no contest. The FDNY makes food obsolete.
We had to cool off after the water show, so it was time to make a beverage run, the only thing that cost us money the whole night.
Kate and I each ordered The Bees Knees (I think?) cocktail on the left; Gina ordered the other option that had tamarind and lime. I was excited about my drink because it supposedly had blueberry bitters, but it just tasted like a too-strong margarita. Funny how the one thing that cost money was the one thing that disappointed!
Before the films began, the festival kicked off with an awards ceremony for the films that had been screened throughout the whole week. The prize was a slotted spoon, and this little boy got his hands on one and went wild in the sand:
Finally, it was dark enough for the movies!
While we were watching, some buttermilk ice cream made the rounds.
(Sadly, the buttermilk movie was not one of the ones being screened last night.)
Finally, the moment we had all been anticipating arrived. Name that Easter candy:
Did you guess?! I can now say I was in attendance at the world premiere of The Power of the Peep.
Save your jealousy because it gets better. Not one to miss out on a colossal marketing opportunity, Peeps provided the NYC Food Film Festival people with 10,000 Peeps to hand out.
I don’t love Peeps, but they were there and they were fluffy and fresh.
I ate too many to count.
Side note: I don’t quite know how this happened, but I found all of this stuff inside my bag when I got home:
Peeps for the next century, hooray!
After the festival last night, we gawked at the view some more:
And then floated our over-sugared selves to the Water Taxi (which was, keeping with the night’s theme, operating for free until 2am!). It was my first time on the Water Taxi, and I quite enjoyed it, so I put together a little virtual tour:
Embarking:
Inside (hi Kate!):
Outside and up the steps:
On the deck!
Bye bye, Water Taxi Beach!
Helloooooooooo NYC!
I hope you enjoyed the tour as much as I did š
The taxi let us off in midtown east, so we made our way to the subway and then home. I had a complete sugar crash on the subway and passed out. Kate was worried I’d miss my stop, but I’m a professional subway sleeper, so I got home and was in bed by 1am with no drama. That was a late night for this old lady, but what a fun time! I’ve lived in New York for so long that I sometimes forget how much more there still is to explore. Having my feet in the sand last night was the best feeling, but the Peep baby in my belly today is not so much …
And now for the most seasonally appropriate question of the year: How do you feel about Peeps?
Tales of Expansion: Baby Butternut Edition 
Ahhh! I love your day!!! I’ve never been to NYC, so thankyouthankyouthankyou for awesome pics of the beauty it is. And a food festival? Does it get any better?
Blueberry bitters sounds interesing. Wait. I don’t think I’ve ever had bitters, but still. Sorry for the disappointment.
About the peeps…I’ve never liked them. Big, sugar-coated sugar puffs? No thank you. I like my sugar disguised in cookie, brownie, other food forms š And they’re so not vegan. But what can I say, people LOVE them! They are kinda cute. Have a great night, Sarah!
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What a fun night, that looks like so much fun!! And I can’t stand Peeps, way too much sugar for me!
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Ummmm, I am JEALOUS!! What an amazing festival!! I want to go. That tops every festival that I go to each summer, bar far. Was thre any peanut butter in the movies?? With chocolate?? haha, that’s awesome!
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What a great day – I’m so jealous of all the free samples! And that NYC view is amazing. I’m a fan of having just one peep (frozen is best), more than that and i’m 100% sure to get a tummy ache!
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That looks like so much fun! The NYC scenery is so pretty. I like peeps, but only in moderation! They’re too sugary to eat more than 1 or 2 at a time š
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I think Peeps are adorable but sadly they don’t taste as cute as they look!
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SO not a peep fan- but I am a fan of sand, free movies and food so that is awesome!! oh and duh- firemen!!!! yeeow
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That festival looks like so much fun!
I do not eat peeps b/c I think they are icky. I do, however, love the sites that show people having fun with peeps. I think they make great material for art projects/creativity, but I wouldn’t classify them as edible. :-0
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That picture of you and the chicas is sooo lovely! Can’t stand peeps to eat BUT they make a fabulous garnish for Spring cupcakes. They look great sitting on Kahlua Mascarpone icing!
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I’ve never heard of had peeps – but they look like fun! Do they taste like marshmellow?
Those Swedish meatballs look fantastic. Are they seriously from Ikea? In any event, Ikea rocks.
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What a great idea for an event! I would have totally dragged my hubby to that!
Peeps- Well, I love that they are gluten free… that’s about it. They kind of scare me. It must be all the sugar. I can’t really handle all of it at once! eek!
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A food film festival?? I love it!!! I wish I lived in NYC! Those skyline pics are gorgeous too.
I’ve never had peeps before. I think they may be an American phenomenon. One that has somehow not made it’s way to my part of Canada. I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing though š
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looks amazing! when you said you got to sample the food featured in the films while the films are screening, I totally pictured Big Macs being handed out whilst watching ‘Supersize Me’ š Maybe the IKEA meatballs were connected to the chairs/tables provided? š
I’ve only had peeps once and didn’t like them at ALL- I thought I would (marshmallows, sugar- what’s not to like?!) but they were kind of gross to me… Cream eggs are my easter candy of choice!
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Love the FDNY and your night pic of the skyline belongs on a postcard (you need to show me how to use my camera:)
I think the swedish meatballs were supposed to go with the Marcus Samuelsson film. I def. want to try Aquavit during the next restaurant week!
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Eh, Peeps freak me out. I’ll take a Cadbury Creme Egg over a peep any day.
But, you have plenty of Peeps, so for fun, throw one in the microwave. Have you ever nuked a Peep? Entertainment for hours š (well, maybe seconds, but still…)
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what great pictures!!!!!! this is a great recap Sarah!
i love swedish meatballs- so yummy!
OH YEA! I passed on a blogger award to you- go and snag it!! : )
Peeps? I havent eaten those in years- Im not a fan… those are probably up there with Twinkies- could survive a nuclear blast.. hahaha
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Sarah- I love your photos!! You must have had an amazing time!! š
I hope you are enjoying the rest of your weekend!
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Wow, what an amazing day! I used to take a water taxi to work every day – that was the highlight of my day!
I love peeps! Have you ever put them in the microwave for 5 seconds – they really puff up!!
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Yay, your night pics came out well! I don’t like Peeps and usually don’t eat them. I think I’m going to give my free samples away at work! And I think Kate is right about the Swedish meatballs and the Marcus Samuelsson film since Aquavit is Swedish. What a lovely night, yay!
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first peeps suck and are only good for catapulting for the dog. second-it’s official I either hate you or living in Alaska-we never get fun free stuff-SNOW DOES NOT COUNT! maybe it’s just the marketers haven’t found out that we spend incredible amounts of time indoors just looking for ANYTHING new to talk about in the winter….hmmmmm
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wow that is just a few blocks from me and I didn’t even know about it!
I am glad you had a good time!
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