Taste of Forest Avenue Restaurant Stroll and Street Festival is this Sunday - May 20th

Anyone who attended last years "Taste of Forest Avenue Restaurant Stroll and Street Festival" knows that the event is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. If you missed it, I strongly suggest that you get your tickets today rather than wait for the day of because check in for pre-sale Eventbrite ticket holders begins at 1 PM - giving you a full hour jump start on eating your way down Forest Avenue.  Click here for tickets.

The street festival is hosted by our friends at the Forest Avenue Business Improvement District in partnership with NYC Weekend Walks. It kicks off this Sunday, May 20th at 2PM and runs to 5 PM so make sure that you are on time to taste all the delectable treats these Staten Island restaurateurs have to offer.

The restaurant stroll runs along Forest Avenue from Hart Blvd to Broadway, Staten Island.  The street festival runs from Hart Blvd to Bard Avenue. 

One ticket buys you tastings from over 15 Forest Avenue restaurants. Entertainment for the day
will feature balloon twisters, face painters, magicians, arts and crafts, live music, performances and more! All entertainment will be free and open to the public.

Attendees can exchange their ticket for a sampler’s card at the following locations:

Near Verizon Communications: 355 Forest Ave Staten Island, New York 10301 OR Near McDonalds 803 Forest Ave, Staten Island, NY 10310.

Attendees who wish to purchase sampler’s cards on the day of the event can go to the following locations on May 20th: Café Milano 401 Forest Ave, Staten Island, NY 10310 OR North Shore True Value Hardware 647 Forest Ave, Staten Island, NY 10310.

Participating Restaurants:

Beans and Leaves
Burrito Bar
The Kettle Black
Ho’Brah
Panini Grill
Fab Cup
Mar Mar Restaurant
Mustard Seed
Bruno’s Bakery and Restaurant
Project Brunch
Liberty Tavern Grill
Jody’s Club
Philly Pretzel Factory
Casa Franco
Jean’s Fine Wines & Spirits
Pastosa (From 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM only)
Santino’s Gourmet
Cafe Milano

Free Entertainment:

Trackless Train
Face Painters
Balloon Sculptors
Magicians
Children’s Games
Family Photo Booth
Live Music
NYPD Rock Wall (Anticipated)
DJ Team

Restaurant tastings tickets can be purchased at http://forestavenuebid.com/taste-of-forest-ave/. Follow the event page on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1748185388561286/.

Craft House Downtown Staten Island - Where Foodies go to be wowed

This week Biz Buzz is featuring a restaurant that feeds your body and your soul.

Craft House, located at 60 Van Duzer Street in Downtown Staten Island, was born when Rocco DiSpirito, host of Food Network's "Restaurant Divided", came to Staten Island to issue a his challenge. 

This neighborhood eatery was formerly known as "Against Da Grill" until it was literally split down the middle so that neighborhood customers could vote on which menu and ambience they preferred - the original menu and decor created by beloved owners Vinny and Kuron, or the new fare and decor created by DiSpirito and his crew.

The decision wasn't even close. Diners preferred the new look and menu provided by DiSpirito and hence, Craft House was established.

Today, Craft House is a neighborhood attraction for anyone who appreciates great "down home" barbeque and award winning craft beer brewed right on the premises.

With 69 varieties of beer and cider to choose from, in cans, bottles and on tap, you can rest assured that you can find a libation that will keep you coming back for more.  We like the Thirsty Dog Bourbon Barrel-Aged Siberian Night which is described in Craft House's Beer Menu as: "Dark chocolate malt yields a milk chocolate flavor that blends perfectly with the vanilla flavor from the barrel. The bourbon aroma adds the finishing touch.  

The food menu is just as magnificient, featuring the "chicken & waffles" dish that swayed the neighborhood guests who appeared on the television show to make "Against Da Grill" a thing of the past.

Prices for food items hover around $12 per item, with the most costly dish being $25 for a full pound of pulled pork.  Beer prices start at $4 and climb to $27 for a 64oz mug of Left Hand Bittersweet Imperial Coffee Milk Stout Nitro.

You can choose to eat inside the well appointed brick and wood trimmed dining room/bar or in warmer months you can be served in the outside yard on one of several wooden picnic tables.  No matter where you choose to sit, you will be served by friendly, well informed staff who can answer your questions about everything on the menu including the several dipping sauces contained in the clear plastic squeeze bottles set out on every table.  

So if you thought you could only find good barbeque on the back roads of South Carolina, think again.  Craft House is the place to go if your craving down home country cooking. Best of all, it's just a short walk away from the Tompkinsville stop on the Staten Island Railroad which is only one stop away from the St. George Ferry station.

Craft House opens Tuesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. onward. The restaurant can be reached at 718-442-3433.