The NYC Lab School for Collaborative Studies and Manhattan’s finest restaurants are pleased to announce TASTES from the Meatpacking District through Chelsea, an unprecedented food festival on Saturday, May 30th, to raise funds for essential programs at the school.

5 Ninth, Amy's Bread, Barocco Café, Billy's Bakery, Bombay Talkie, Buddakan, Cookshop, The Green Table, Il Bordello, Klee Brasserie, Knickerbocker Bar & Grill, La Bottega, Le Gamin Mobi, Macelleria, Matsuri, Ono in Hotel Gansevoort, Pastis, The Red Cat, Rocking Horse Cafe, Smorgas Chef, Son Cubano, Spice Market, Tia Pol, Trestle on Tenth and Zampa are among the restaurants that have pledged to be part of this sensational culinary event.

Dozens of the city’s best chefs will cook on the cobblston pathways of Gansvoort Street and its new Plaza (between Hudson and 9th Avenue). Lucky TASTES ticket holders will sample their sumptuous offerings.

::: What is TASTES? :::
It’s an exciting new culinary festival that will benefit arts and enrichment programs for public school children at the NYC Lab School on 333 West 17th Street. The Lab School event is being modeled on the wildly successful Taste of Tribeca, downtown Manhattan’s pre-eminent culinary event that benefits public elementary school students in that area.

::: What’s happening? :::
Patrons will sample a broad array of specialty dishes from fine restaurants in The Meatpacking District and Chelsea.

::: Where & When? :::
The event will take place on the cobblestone pathways of Gansevoort Street and its new plaza from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday, May 30th.

::: How? :::
We are fortunate to have on our planning team advisors who helped make Taste of Tribeca such a success. With their know-how and the full and energetic support of our parent group and school leadership, we are confident that Lab’s festival will also grow into an exciting, sold-out annual event and provide a wonderful opportunity for you to promote restaurants and corporations while supporting a worthy cause.

::: Why? :::
As you may know, the New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies is one of the most sought-after public schools in the city for grades six through twelve. Although the middle and high schools have economically diverse student bodies, they are so high-performing that they do not receive federal funds or other outside monies to supplement a bare bones operating budget. The sad reality is that without private funding from parents and the larger community, Lab School students can’t have arts and enrichment experiences that we think ought to be part of their formative school years – experiences such as publishing a school newspaper, participating on a debate team or model UN, producing a school play or learning ceramics, photography and other visual arts. All proceeds from the May 30th event will be used to give Lab kids these experiences.

Volunteers will hand out prepaid tickets at will call table when you arrive on the 30th.

::: Want To Feel Extra Good? :::
Sample acupuncture treatments for relaxation and stress relief by specialists from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine.

::: Entertainment :::
There will be fun NYC-type entertainment through the festivities.

Performing at the event will be:
• Julian Ayers, incredible 8th grade crooner. Frank Sinatra,
   move over, Julian's pipes will take your breath away.
• Stew Cutler, amazing parent musician to be joined by his partner
    for life and song, Mary Jean Cutler (www.stewcutler.com)
• Adam, Ryan & Jack Metzger: the tremendous tapping, singing,    composing Lab brothers - alumnus, 9th and 6th grader 
• Jacob Gordon: Lab Alumnus who juggles - extraordinarily
    (www.jgjuggler.com)
• Phil Coad: parent guitarist, a man of the blues and soul 
• Son Cubano's samba trio, featuring soulful music from
   40's and 50's
• Lyrichord Music: samples of a world music collection from
   China, India, Japan, Indonesia,South America, Italy, Spain,
   the Middle East and Africa