This Week’s Six Best Food Events in NYC – 7/21/2014

Summer is flying by, and if you’re in need of a reprieve from office work, this week offers plenty of sweet deals to consider. Here’s a roundup of what’s in store.

Tour de France at Gotham West Market, Gotham West Market, 600 Eleventh Avenue, Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m.

In honor of the annual bicycle race, this food emporium is offering specials to cycling fans who want to watch the action. Guests who arrive in riding gear will receive two-for-one French beers at The Cannibal or an extra scoop upgrade at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream. Those first to arrive each morning can also score a free Choza taco and Blue Bottle coffee. Look for additional deals at the market’s bicycle shop, too.

New York City Restaurant Week, multiple locations, Monday through August 15

Here’s your annual opportunity to dine out cheaply (or at least, more cheaply than usual): New York City Restaurant Week is upon us, and a slew of eateries are offering $25 lunches or $38 dinners. Look for three-course prix fixe menus at local favorites like both Empellon outfits and recently opened Harlem restaurant Minton’s. A full lineup of restaurants and offers can be found on the New York City Restaurant Week website.

Taste of the Terminal, Grand Central Station — Vanderbilt Hall, Lexington and 42nd Street, Monday, 11 a.m.

Each Monday in July, vendors here are offering free tastings to ease the pain of your commute. Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. or 4 and 7 p.m., enjoy samples from Joe the Art of Coffee, Shiro of Japan, and other purveyors. The weekly event also includes special offers and live music.

Eat. See. Play. Dinner, The Gander, 15 West 18th Street, Monday and Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

Kicking off the Eat. See. Play dinner series, which will rove other restaurants as well, Jesse Schenker is offering a four-course menu replete with fluke crudo, poached sea trout, cauliflower ravioli, and banana parfait in the confines of his private dining room at his new Flatiron restaurant. A signature cocktail along with beer and wine is also part of the package, and attendees receive a one year subscription to Alta Editions digital cookbooks, including the recipes from Schenker’s dinner. Tickets are $150.

The Blindfold Sensory Gallery, Studio Arte, 265 West 37th Street, Tuesday, 8 p.m.

For fans of theatrical eating experiences, consider this event where the blind lead the blind on a taste, touch, and smell tour: Guests will sip cocktails and enjoy a variety of appetizers while being blindfolded. Tickets are $80 and include a VIP gift bag.

Newport Beach Party, Newport Green, 700 Washington Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ, Wednesday, 6 p.m.
Each year, Newport celebrates summer with a massive beach party and food festival along the Jersey City waterfront. Feast your way through bites from local vendors, then pull up an Adirondack chair and take in views of the Manhattan skyline.