Annual Outdoor Food Festival 'Taste Of Times Square' Returns To 46th Street 6/8

Taste of Times Square, an annual culinary event that invites New York City residents and tourists to unleash their inner foodie, returns to the Crossroads of the World on Monday, June 8. The city's most popular outdoor food festival will take over West 46th street between Broadway and Ninth Avenue, including the historic Restaurant Row, and participants are invited to sample some of the city's most iconic and diverse dishes and enjoy an equally diverse and delightful selection of musicians and street performers.

The festival, which will showcase over 50 of the city's most celebrated restaurants, will offer attendees "tastes" of the restaurants' signature fare in exchange for official Taste of Times Square tickets. Participating restaurants include the famed Bistecca Fiorentina - Tuscan Steakhouse, old-fashioned American diner fare from Schnipper's Quality Kitchen, trendy pan-Asian cuisine from Bluechili, the unique fusion of Spanish and Italian cuisine offered by Meson Sevilla, and the landmark Brasserie 1605, offering sophisticated American comfort food. The dizzying array of mouth-watering cuisine showcased at the festival will please the palates of even the pickiest eaters. An updated listing of participating eateries is available at www.TimesSquareNYC.org.

"Times Square is truly an international town square, and nothing reflects that fact more than the diversity of our restaurants," said Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins. "Taste of Times Square is an opportunity to display the sheer range of top-quality cuisine this neighborhood has to offer - and it's the only place to hear an eclectic range of international music performed live in the space of a few blocks."

Starting May 29, tickets can be purchased in advance at the Times Square Information Center on Seventh Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets. Tickets can also be purchased on the day of the event at the main ticket booth on 46th Street and Broadway beginning at 3:00 p.m, and at additional ticket counters throughout the neighborhood starting at 5:00 p.m. on June 8. Tickets can be purchased for $1 each, with individual "tastes" ranging from 1 - 5 tickets.

Street performers and local entertainment groups will perform throughout the festival, and free dancing lessons will be offered by the professionals at Times Square jazz and supper club Swing 46, making this an event the whole family can enjoy.

"This is one New York event that really does offer something for everybody," said Tompkins. "It's an affordable way for families to enjoy the best the neighborhood has to offer, and the dining and dancing continues to be popular with local residents, employees and tourists alike."

Times Square Alliance, founded in 1992, works to improve and promote Times Square. In addition to providing safety and sanitation services, the Alliance coordinates many major events in Times Square including New Year's Eve, manages an Information Center and advocates on behalf of its constituents with respect to a host of public policy, planning and quality-of-life issues.

For more information, log onto www.TimesSquareNYC.org.