Join us at OZY Fest on July 21–22 in New York City’s Central Park to rock, think, laugh and eat, courtesy of Passion Pit, Hasan Minhaj, Common, Michelle Wolf, Malcolm Gladwell and Marcus Samuelsson, among many others. Find out more and get tickets at ozy.com/ozyfest.
Here at OZY we’re proud to keep you ahead of the curve in all aspects of life. That includes apprising you of the various ways to expand your waistline. From a food truck slinging West African grub in Rome to indigenous Canadian seal loin in Toronto and this dangerously delightful Chilean cocktail, our Good Sh*t section ensures no diet is safe.
This weekend, in New York City’s Central Park, a star-studded cast of thought-provoking speakers, headlining comedians and chart-topping musicians will help you think, rock and eat like no other festival in town. Yeah, count me in for “eat.” No festival is complete without exploratory culinary and beverage options that vault your taste buds toward discovery. This year, celebrity chefs Marcus Samuelsson (Red Rooster, Kitchen & Table) and Roy Choi (Kogi BBQ) will dish out interactive food demos at the Townsquare tent, and that’s only the beginning.
There will be an eclectic mix covering a variety of tastes. In the words of Yankee Doodle Dandy’s founder Josh Gatewood, the New York street food scene is “a great way for vendors to market their heritage.”
Destination Dumplings
Destination Dumplings brings a new-school twist to the tried-and-true tradition that is Chinese dumplings. Both founders — Tristan, who is Chinese-Jamaican, and Andrew, who is African-American and Jewish — grew up in the dumpling capital of New York: Flushing, Queens. Coincidentally, they both married women from the same province in China. Thus, the idea for Destination Dumplings was born. From traditional recipes to crossovers like jerk chicken with pineapple salsa and Peking duck-and-lamb gyros with yuzu tzatziki sauce, Destination Dumplings serves up shareable plates that blend innovation with tradition.
Be sure to ask for the Godfather, aka “a dessert you can’t refuse.”
Yankee Doodle Dandy’s (food truck)
Founder Josh Gatewood’s first crack at New York City didn’t go as planned. “New York kind of chewed me up and spit me out,” says Gatewood. “I ended up working in a ‘boiler room’ and quickly realized that I didn’t want to spend my life ripping people off.” With that, a new vision was born: Bring the ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of Southern-style chicken to NYC. The only problem? Gatewood had no startup capital. But soon after he moved back to his Tennessee college town, luck intervened. Gatewood became a contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? He didn’t win the million, but the $ 25,000 that he walked away with was enough for a down payment to launch the Yankee Doodle Dandy’s food truck.
“My mission is to introduce every New Yorker to my ‘Spirit of ’76’ sauce and the ‘Winner-Winner’ combo,” Gatewood says. For the uninitiated, that’s the classic four-piece tender with fries, Texas toast and potato salad.
Kotti Berliner Döner Kebab
From Berlin to Brooklyn, Kotti is spreading the good word of Döner — a Mediterranean cuisine that Turkish immigrants brought to Germany. Kotti’s kebabs are hearty and made to be eaten on the move, just as they are on the streets of Berlin.
Korilla BBQ (food truck)
One of the heavy hitters in the New York food truck scene, chef Eddie Song specializes in dynamite Korean-themed burritos, better known as ssäms. Korilla BBQ also dishes out Korean tacos. Much like chef Roy Choi did for the Los Angeles food scene, Song played a massive role in bringing accessible Korean barbecue and Asian fusion cuisine to New Yorkers. If we’re lucky, maybe a Song-Choi cook-off is in the cards.
John’s Juice
Fresh juice not only tastes great and looks cool, it’s eco-friendly too. That’s the mission at John’s Juice, whose motto is “All Juice, No Cups.” So far, they’ve skipped on more than 50,000 cups and 100,000 straws. While you enjoy fresh juice from a pineapple, coconut or another fruit, take pride in the fact that no plastic was used in its consumption.
Le Bella Torte (food truck)
After a career in the New York plumbers union, Joe Glaser and his wife, AnnMarie, decided that a passion pursuit was necessary. That passion was Italian food. From pizza and panini to cannoli and espresso, Le Bella Torte is a flavorful force that brings the taste of Italy curbside. Whatever you do, be sure to ask for the Godfather, aka “a dessert you can’t refuse.”
Noodle Lane
At Noodle Lane, chef Lane Li shares her love of food while ushering Sichuan cuisine into the mainstream consciousness. Bold, sweet, salty, sour and tongue-numbing flavors inform Noodle Lane’s menu, but the secret is Lane’s quality ingredients (and the recent import of Sichuan peppercorns). At OZY Fest, try the dandan, cold sesame or ginger scallion noodles. And don’t miss Lane’s Baonanas banana pudding.
