• by Kelly Samardak , July 9, 2009

Coca-Cola Great Tastes Of Summer, Time Warner Center, New York
July 9, 2009

As a tourist or out-of-towner, what do you think of when someone says NYC? Probably hotdogs, Broadway, the Naked Cowboy, Donald Trump, crowds, bright lights, dirt, commerce, and delicious, overpriced foods. As an NYCer... what do you think of? Probably irksome slow walkers, too close-for-comfort stander-byers, overpriced dining, crowded bars, live music around every corner, squirrels, and shopping you can no longer afford. Well then, it's almost like NYC & Company (nycgo.com)Coke -Cola, American Express and Jet Blue really had their earholes to the streets because the official restaurant week kickoff party at the shops at the Time Warner Center was the perfect spawn of both. I also like their loose interpretation of what a "week" is.

Global warming can kiss it because today is yet another cool and unseasonably comfy summer day (note to you people anal about global warming -- I'm not a fool) in my glorious current hometown of the City of New York. Is it just me, or has nycgo.com gained a burroload of visibility in 2009? Good for them, because sometimes, when we're tucked snuggly inside the beauty and the noise, we forget that it still needs to be shouted about. So... good on you. And when I arrived at the Time Warner Center, I could already hear the cacophony of hungry free-food lovers raining down from the second floor of the shops. Dear lord, this was going to be hard.

I approached the media check-in desk, where one woman glanced blankly at me and looked back at her paper and another simply plopped blue tickets and a VIP postcard-sized paper into my hand. No explanation, nothing. Not that "stand in line for food" was hard to figure out. I wandered through the constantly multiplying (like freakin' amoeba sexy time)crowd and spied db Bistro Moderne and Bice Ristorante booths, the lanky and electric-blue draped (and a tiny drape at that) Kelly Choi -- one of my NYCTV faves -- and a tangle of lines where people sipped on aluminum (icy-cold!) bottles of Diet Coke. After getting my buns rubbed accidentally or otherwise by hooligans, I escaped to the left side of the Manhattan-loving mayhem. There I found the Fresh 102.7 booth and Bridget Wilson and the gals promoting Jazz at Lincoln Center. I swear, every time I cover something in the area I promise myself to come back for something cultural. It's amazing how much there is to see on this island, but we tend to stick to our 'hoods. I PROMISE I will make it out to the freshly opened Dizzy's Club.

A little birdie told me that cast members from "Hair" would be performing at 1 p.m., which was the only thing that stopped my xenophobic rage from sending me screaming out the door. Please do not take this as snooty, because I'm not necessarily snooty so much as just, well... there's a chance I have a problem with crowds... and since this event was open to the public, I found myself on the receiving end of stroller-goosings, bag-smackings, youngster-pushings, and the infamous older lady bulldozer. Oh you know the older lady bulldozer (I plan to use it if I still live in NYC well into my '80s) -- it's the "get out of my way, you whippersnapper" plow-through. And you can't fight it. It's been phoned to perfection over the years. I escaped to Sephora where I almost dropped 62 bucks on a makeup brush set in my delirium.

When I returned to the fray I had a "this doesn't happen at the Chapel Hill Mall" moment as the cast from "Hair" hit the stage and belted out a handful of incredible songs. They were amazing. I squeezed through epidermal walls to crouch by the sound booth and get some video for you. It was inspired. The Ohio girl in me was covered in goose flesh as the entire front of the Time Warner Center was lifted by the strength of their voices. Again, only in New York can you stumble into a "mall", taste some of the best food this place has to offer, and hear the passionate voices of Broadway performers while you search for "Livin' in NYC for Dummies" at Borders. Thank yourself for sticking around. Maybe send Bloomberg some brownies.

Oh, and if you're a foodaholic like I am (and I have the increasing pants sizes to prove it), you'll be delighted to know that this summer, Restaurant Week is giving itself a three-week long hangover with over 250 restaurants participating, from July 12 to July 31. I can't wait to explore and spend money I don't have! Maybe I'll see you around, too, looking guiltily at your wallet.

There are pictures, but not with my Canon, do don't judge !

There are video snacks - from the FlipCam!

Send those invitations to kelly@mediapost.com!