I love the vibe. The music the food was awesome I am back today to enjoy the music....read more

If you really want to know the whole story, it's all laid out on their website but reading a bunch…read moreof bullet points on a screen about some big neighborhood spectacle is about the most depressing thing you can do, so I'll explain. ​Basically, the Giglio Feast is a historic 12-day Italian-American festival that happens every July at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It's been going on since 1887 when immigrants brought it over from Nola, Italy, to honor Saint Paulinus commemorating when he returned from captivity after sacrificing himself for his people and Our Lady of Mount Carmel. That part actually sounds pretty decent, if you want to know the truth, but the way spectators in attendance make a huge circus out of it just drives me crazy. Then participants are amazing. ​The main event is this thing called the "Dancing of the Giglio," where they take a giant 70-foot tower made of wood and steel weighing four whole tons and covered in lilies, angels, and religious figures and hoist it up. They've got a live brass band and a singer literally sitting right on top of the timber frame while roughly 120 guys lift, spin, and "dance" this enormous four-ton thing down North 8th Street on their bare shoulders. ​Guys in matching outfits blowing saxophones and yelling on the platform, and crowds of people crammed together in the street taking photos and cheering. There's even a statue of a saint perched at the very top against the blue sky, looking down at all these phonies sweating and carrying on in the heat. It's supposed to be this grand, sacred tradition, but looking at a hundred guys breaking their backs to carry a four-ton tower with a band riding on it just makes you feel sort of tired and thirsty. It really does.

Being in the entertainment industry I must say that I always love creative events whether it be…read morefilms, music or art. Liev Schreiber was the host this year. There were many food trucks that seemed appetizing until you realize that the prices has been jacked up. $5 for a side of french fries? Not even on the hungriest day. Where was Korilla? Where was King Falafel and Shawarma? Missed opportunities... I would estimate about a good couple of thousand people that attended this year. They also had musical guests a couple of hours leading into the film program. Picnics, dates, and curious folks all around. Drinks anyone?

Such a truly awesome event! The crowd was great, everyone was happy to be present and not rude or…read morepushy or anything negative. A super fun, relaxed kick-off to summer event. Coming from Queens, the trip is a bit of a pain in the ass, but if it's back next year, I will for sure be attending. A few things I will remember: 1. bring a sweatshirt and wear, in general, more comfortable clothes. 2. Go earlier in the day and bring more pillows because hanging out at Tropfest for the entire time would be super chill and fun, but without more pillows my butt will get sore. 3. bring more snacks and a small cooler of drinks. Even alcoholic drinks (although, being a public park, make sure to keep them covered in brown bags). 4. Get the Tropfest powers-that-be to have the event in Flushing Meadows Corona Park next time, because then I can stay for the whole event, rather than trek it out halfway through because the G train takes a million years to show up after 10 o'clock at night. Sorry Brooklyn, it's nothing personal.

It was that time of year again. It was the 8th Annual Taste of the Village. Which is a Food Event…read moreto help raise funds to remodel and maintain the Village. I was in attendance once again this year. There was unlimited beer from Brooklyn Lager and wine all over. Numerous restos and places in the Village were apart of this event: Alma 33 Amber Argo Tea Brooklyn Brewery Centro Vinoteca Citarella 8th Street Wine Cellar Fizzy Lizy Gizzi's Gusto Ristorante Jack Bistro Knickerbocker Bar & Grill La Palapa Cocina Mexicana Le Pain Quotidien Murray's North Square One If By Land Otto Enoteca Pizzeria Paumanok Wines Pellegrini ineyards Rabbit In The Moon Sushi Samba 7 Sushi Yawa The Lion The Nutbox Wolffer Estate Vineyard Great food such as Braised Veal, Lamb Sliders, Caviar Pie, Numerous Desserts, Sushi, Cheese and Soups. A very fun event for a good cause.

when my friend first told me that it was $50... I was like HECK NO. I'm a poor student trying to…read morespread $50 over a week. However... it was one of the best uses of $50 of my life. So many restaurants featured their dishes here. I won't go through and list all of them here, but as soon as I walked in, the first bite was a curried scallop and it was perfect. The night just continued with so much great food and we also got a lot of free stuff. Some foods weren't that great; however, there were like 30 different restaurants so if you don't like a few that's fine. I would definitely go again. Make sure you go when you are hungry, because you will be stuffed.

I went to this event a few years ago and had a great time. I decided to go back again this year…read moreand had a good time. I am really happy to share some pros and cons related to this event. Some pros are; the event is for charity, environmentally caring, there is a good vibe there, great view by the water, not too crowded, and you sometimes see discounted tickets. Some cons are; some samples are small, some places run out of food, limited samples (you buy ticket books) long lines, overall value. Will I go back next year? Depends on what else is happening that weekend.

Taste of Williamburg Greenpoint is a culinary benefit to build the Northside Town Hall. It was also…read morethe latest location for date day and I had so much fun. I found out about the event through Yelp (yay!) and bought tickets for 8 tastings and 4 beverages. The space was chock full of restaurants selling their best, sponsors hawking their products, and hungry hungry Brooklynites. I arrived around 2 pm and stayed just until it started raining. Lucky for me, I was able to use all my coupons in time! Staff were fantastic overall, with big smiles and enthusiastic attitudes. Now, to the eats: Brooklyn Cupcake - fantastic generous ladies who are passing out the mini chocolate, french toast, red velvet, and vanilla cupcakes like they're going out of style. Brooklyn Floss - root beer cotton candy, a lovely lady spinning the sweets, and lots of happy people in the "smile spot" as they are mystified by their growing cloud of sugar. The Brooklyn Star - winner of the longest line, The Brooklyn Star passed out cheddar cheese waffles with fried chicken, cabbage slaw, and mashed potatoes. Tasty, creative, and pretty. Dirck the Norseman passed out beef brisket and pulled pork with soft buns. Oh so meaty, rich goodness, with a good portion size. Pies and Thighs offered their fried chicken on a biscuit with hot sauce and sweet creamy mayo, which while tiny, is still rich enough to clog your arteries. Maison Premiere was giving out cocktails and oysters on the half shell for a ticket - a nice clean and crisp alternative to the nearby bar fare. Phin & Phebes had six ice cream flavors to sample - or you could get three for a ticket! The ginger cookie and Vietnamese coffee were incredible. Rosamunde Sausage Grill had the second longest line. The Andouille was really solid and they had really fun condiments like wasabi and spicy mayos and cheese sauces Teddy's Bar and Grille had AMAZING beignets. Two Door Tavern had salsa rubbed fried chicken wings - creative, well executed, and delish. Yelp offered a fun gift basket and the usual fun knick knacks- I hope I win! There are probably more that I can't remember. BUT it was such a fun day with very cool people. I reserve a star however - my ticket came with four drink tickets. I can't drink alcohol. So I got lots and lots of free sodas, but definitely not enough to justify the cost of the tickets. I am mollified in that my purchase has made the dream of building the town hall closer, buuuuut may buy one off tickets next year for the food and not drinks.

This was a dome encased space for Pepcity. It was a cool setup, there were many food taste…read morestations 8 altogether, most small bites. I was here Thursday at first but only made 4 stations, had to go back to work. The 8 stations were very different, there was David Burke townhouse and Kitchen reps here, Kefi, Michael Psilakis, Fishtail, Cheetos, Tostitos, Marc Forgione. Taste of PepsiCo was the way to go these past few days. #Pepcity was the key to document all this. Drew Brees was there on Thursday signing autographs but sadly I could not stay around. Barry Sanders also made an appearance Saturday. -There were also areas like Verizon Powerhouse to go to also, they gave free red gloves to use for texting. Pep city also had concerts at night after the food, Prince Royce and Ziggy Marley for example. Pepsi and Mountain Dew Kickstand drinks were given out. It was worth going to, kind of crowded but not unbearable. Potato chips and Cupcakes with Dorito pieces were available to sample as well.

You get a card and they punch it after each sample you receive. Samples are small but tastes great…read more Staff very helpful and keep people in order. Freebies everyday.

It was ok, I was expecting it to be larger like more vendors. I still had a good time! A few place…read morehad some really good mixes, others were just bad. Bar Chuzo had the best favor to me. But the whole experience was nice i would go again.

Unacceptable Professional Behavior…read more My family and I came for the event on Saturday and was told the hours were changed. I did not receive an email regarding changed hours that the owner said she sent out. According to her they sent out emails three weeks ago. We purchased our tickets three weeks ago meaning the same timeframe. My question is (why did you allow us to purchase tickets for an event with the VIP 3-6 if those hours were changed. Being a business owner myself, I understand what a professional attitude should be and the owner did not show it. I also understand that mistakes are made, so I get that you allowed us to get tickets for a time that was no longer viable. Professional decorum would dictate that she should have offered us a refund and an apology. Yanni showed no care or concern for the lose of money, our time or for that matter for the business she has now lost. Instead she continuously stated that they sent out several emails. She doesn't have to worry about our business ever again.

Debbie and Eric are the wonderful hosts of the Sankofa Aban Bread and Breakfast. We really enjoyed…read morethe jazz jam session and all the musicians were so professional, led by Eric Lemon. Debbie is an excellent cook and provided us with a delicious spinach omelette, with all the fixings, first thing Saturday morning. Public transportation is just down the block, along with a vast variety of wonderful ethnic foods in stores and restaurants, in the neighborhood. Oh, forgot to mention the fish fry dinner Debbie provided during intermission of that Saturday night jam session .....Delicious!!! Sent from my iPad

I came here recently and enjoyed a saturday night jazz and fish fry. I purchased my tickets for $40…read morefrom Sidetour (https://www.sidetour.com/experiences/discover-a-friday-fish-fry-and-jazzfest-at-a-brooklyn-brownstone), though it seems like they also occasionally run Groupons. We showed up promptly at 8pm, though it seemed like it more "officially" began at 9pm. They have some wine/water for purchase (outside of the cover charge) and this is not entirely made clear until you walk up and ask. I think that given the $40 charge, it would have been nice if at least the water was included but it's not a huge deal breaker. I also agree with No N. that it would have been a more homey experience if everyone wasn't on metal folding chairs -- ottomans anyone? Debbie is very friendly and welcoming and the jazz and visiting performer were quite lovely. I think the main downside is that the venue doesn't have air conditioning and it really is quite hot (even on a fairly cool day). Definitely dress down or bring a fan!

A very unique idea to get a restaurants name out there and it is a competition. The top 3…read morerestaurants will get gold, silver, and bronze ladle. I like this festival. To sample the soups: 1. $5 for 5 soups 2. $10 for 12 soups 3. $20 for 25 soups. I got the $20 for 25 soups since there was 27 restaurants to try out. I didn't try out 5 of them because they either ran out, did not participate, or the line was too long. 22 sample soups...I was so FULL when it was all said and done. I was definitely satisfied. I LOVE SOUPS!!! My favorite soups from the festival were (in no particular order) 1. Veloute de Roasted Chestnuts Celery Root & Parsnips from Bar Tabac. A good mix of everything in it. Made it sweet and very good. 2. Tripe Soup from CIBAO. Very unqiue taste, but I liked it. 3. Chestnut Soup with prunes from Shelsky's Smoked Fish. Sweet and the prunes definitely made that soup better. 4. Lamb Based Ramen Soup from Dassara. Who doesn't like ramen and it was lamb based. Definitely tasty. 5. Butternut Squash Soup from Avlee Greek Cuisine. DELICIOUS!!! All were very delicious and stood out the most to me. I hope one of those restaurants got a ladle.

I've gone to this event a couple times now and look forward to it every year…read more Last Saturday was no exception. It was a gorgeous, mild sunny day, maybe not ideal soup weather (one of the few times when it's better to be a little chilly!), but great to be out and strolling around Smith Street. As before, this is an event for charity, to raise funds for the student culinary school. I love the concept, as soup is one of my favorite foods and all in the name of a good cause! Prices have gone up slightly this year, $7 for 5 soups, $15 for 12 soups, and $25 for 25 soups. We went with the 12 soups. The portions will fill you up fast! We were so full that we didn't even use all of our tickets (most of them, though). Nonetheless, the soups were delicious and definitely more varied than they have been in previous years. Angry Wade's Frito Pie Chili is always a favorite, and Dassara's Lamb-based ramen almost doesn't count as soup, but it's delicious so who cares? Bar Tabac made a good show with the lightest, most vegetable-laden clam chowder I've ever had and a good match-up against Kittery's traditional bacon-heavy chowder. Jolie Cantina's tortilla soup was surprisingly tasty. And People's Republic of Brooklyn came out with a tomato soup with sausage and apples - soooo good! The only thing that was a little disappointing is that there is a significant decrease of restaurants participating this year. I think last year was about 27, now it's down to 18. :-( Please keep this festival going, this is such a great event!