It’s no secret that Brooklyn has become a culinary Mecca in the last few years. Long gone are the days when the only Brooklyn dining destinations were Peter Luger or Grimaldi’s. So while nobody needs to celebrate Brooklyn’s dining scene (really, the lines at Pok Pok are already out of control), we still want celebrate it. And we’re not the only ones. Renowned chef April Bloomfield (the Spotted Pig, the Breslin, John Dory Oyster Bar, and Salvation Taco) has taken the lead by curating Northside Media Group’s Taste Talks, a two-day culinary extravaganza (yes, we used the word extravaganza) exploring the latest trends in food and drink, featuring events like an All-Star Cookout and panels galore on everything from chef horror stories from the likes of Dale Talde to contemporary restaurant design with AvroKO. Other very familiar names joining Bloomfield include Mario Batali, Wylie Dufresne, Dan Barber, and Alessandro Porcelli, who will all be in Williamsburg for panel discussions, the All-Star cookout, Cook It Raw Brooklyn and more. Of course, Bloomfield will be right there in the thick of the action, exploring the British culinary canon with chef Paul Liebrandt of the Elm, and grilling up beef hearts with her former chef, Nate Smith of Allswell. Sound enticing? The second you’re done reading this interview, log on to taste-talks.com, because tickets to those highly affordable events are getting snapped up fast. And seriously? We’re talking April Bloomfield plus Nate Smith plus beef hearts. This is important, people. You’ll want to be there.
[jump]