New Taste of the UWS will be held the evenings of June 3-4 on Columbus Ave between 76th & 77th Streets.
New Taste of the UWS will be held the evenings of June 3-4 on Columbus Ave between 76th & 77th Streets.

Every spring the Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District hosts a food festival celebrating the Upper West Side’s best and most patriotic neighborhood restaurants, which contribute their food and labor stylishly and generously for the betterment of the neighborhood. There’s no more efficient way than New Taste to learn where to eat and have fun on the UWS.

The first night, Friday, June 3, will be Summer in the City Surf and Turf, which will introduce ten not-yet-opened restaurants, such as White Gold, owned by renowned restaurateurs April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman, and Maison Pickle, the newest restaurant from the Jacob’s Pickles team, will occupy the former Ouest space on Broadway. The second night, Saturday, June 4, will be the Best of the West, introducing newcomers Crave Fishbar, Olma Caviar Boutique and Lounge, and Orwasher’s Bakery to West Siders. Untapped has covered the festival before but here are a few of this year’s restaurants and bakeries.

NEW to UWS: Playa Betty’s

Sunny, California-inspired Playa Betty's on Amsterdam Avenue just opened in December.
Sunny, California-inspired Playa Betty’s on Amsterdam Avenue just opened in December.

The idea at Playa Betty’s (320 Amsterdam; 212.712.0777) is to give you that beachside SoCal feel, and they succeed. If they eat it on the beach in Cali you’ll find it here: excellent Haas avocado Guacamole served DIY with a tray of side ingredients, every known taco, short ribs, Mexican grilled corn, Baja fish, dharma bowls, and churro ice cream.