Dessert Goals

When it comes to my own personal #omgdessertgoals (don’t worry, I didn’t know about that hashtag either), I’m all about the scene from Home Alone 2 with Kevin McCallister kicking it at the Plaza Hotel in a big bed surrounded by an insane spread of sweet treats and his own personal human ice cream scooper/butler gamely serving him not one, not two, but THREE scoops of ice cream. The scene is enough to make any dessert lover swoon, but let’s face it: we all don’t have access to Mr. McCallister’s credit card. And to be honest, our preferences for the sweet stuff tend to be, shall we say, a little more advanced than those of a 10-year-old from 1992. But luckily for us, Dessert Goals – NYC Dessert Fest is here to make our wildest 2016 dessert dreams come true, recommended hashtags included. The very first event of its kind, it includes a dessert photo garden, a photo booth, unlimited Intelligentsia coffee, and — oh yeah — some of the best of the best confections from NYC’s five boroughs, including sustainable ice cream sandwiches, Twinkie-inspired “cakies,” and bittles, otherwise known as cake bites infused with some of our fave breakfast cereals. Wait, what were we saying about our sophisticated adult palates…? Yeah, let’s table that convo until after the fest. October 23 in Brooklyn.

Hey Americano! You may know these as Disco Fries. Just know the best late night cheese fry and brown gravy throwdown you’ve ever had can’t hold a candle to a proper Canadian poutine. It’s all about the curds. Double that up with old town Montreal, one of the prettiest of North American city waterfronts, and you’re two goals to a hat trick. (It’s hockey country. Yes, even in the summer) That third goal can be scored in two ways. The best strip clubs north of the Dade County line (not recommended) or a post poutine cocktail crawl up Boulevard St. Laurent to the Plateau. Whatever your evening entails, be certain The Great Montréal PoutineFest will blow your taste buds into a Nova Scotian Noreaster and prime your belly for an evening of mixologist guided, gastro-debouchery. June 29th – July 3rd in Montreal.

No ideas what you’re doing in for the middle day of Memorial Day Weekend. Look no further. What’s more memorial than a hotdog show down with beer? That’s totally rhetorical. Frankly we’re not sure why you are even still reading this. Go get tickets. Now. Buy one for your friend who will inevitably call you Sunday morning, lost, asking what to do. You really are a deliberator. Fine. Craft Beer and Hot Dog Showdown tickets include unlimited eating of gourmet hot dog creations, voting rights, free entry to the food fest after party and guaranteed belly full of yummy. Sneak peek of the dogs on the tickets page. Sunday, May 29th from 12:00 to 4:30 in NYC.

We love a good Taste Festival. Next week is Sydney. Some of Australia’s greatest chefs are cooking up some of their most creative and favorite bites for you to snack on while sipping that lil’ something you best have in your other hand. By that we mean BOOZE. This event is jammed with options and, from what we can tell, really well organized. Their list of attractions hits every possible machination from tastings to lounges to learning. Wish we could get down under but hope some of you already are. March 10-13 at Centennial Park.