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Taste of Times Square Returns

By DNAinfo Staff on June 5, 2011 9:46am  | Updated on June 6, 2011 10:42am

By Jill Colvin

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MIDTOWN — Get ready to take a Taste of Times Square.

The annual food and music fest will return to the Crossroads of the World Monday evening for its 18th year, offering "tastes" from 40 of the area's most popular eateries for $1 to $5 a pop.

Long-time participant Junior's Restaurant will be returning to serve up slices of its world-renowned cheese cake, with toppings including strawberries, cherries, blueberries and chocolate.

Staff began preparing for the event Thursday and will be working through the weekend to finish 3,000 slices of the famous cake in time for Monday, manager Miles Ellis said.

He said part of his goal is to introduce his food to locals who work in the neighborhood, but may not think to stop for dinner at a restaurant in the square.

"It kind of opens the locals' eyes," he said.

Among the new restaurants participating this year is the upscale The Palm West restaurant, which will be serving cream of spinach and sliced sirloin on toasted bread with blue cheese fondue and fried onions.

Chef James Asaro said he attended the event last year and was so impressed he wanted to take part.

"There's a lot of buzz. A lot of people are talking about it in the neighborhood," he said.

He said part of his goal is to change some people's perceptions that the eatery is out of touch.

"A lot of people are afraid," he said, thinking they’ll walk in and drop $1,000.

O'Lunney's Pub will be serving crab cakes with aioli sauce and at least 1,000 chicken pot pies with cream sauce topped with mashed potatoes.

"It’s an excellent opportunity to taste the food from over 50 restaurants," owner Hugh O'Lunney said.

Ruby Foo's Chef Darrell Raymond plans to serve plates of cold smoked organic salmon with pomelos and an avocado and jalapeno puré.

"We are planning some yummy stuff," he said.

In addition to the food, fest-goers can also sample the sounds of some of the city's best-known street performers, including the Drum Café, an interactive African drumming circle, Mariachi Real De Mexico, the Jazz Collective, and Moses Josiah playing his musical saw.

In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the Hard Rock Café will also be collecting $1 taste tickets as donations to feed the hungry.

Taste of Times Square will be held Monday, June 6 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the Broadway plazas between West 42nd and West 47th streets.

Tickets are available day-of or in advance at the Times Square Visitor Center and Mini-Museum on Seventh Avenue between West 46th and West 47th streets.