Foodie Fest Provides the Perfect End to Summer
By Gabby Daniels
From pickles on a stick, unlimited ice cream for the kids and buffalo chicken mac ‘n cheese, Labor Day weekend was a food lover’s paradise at the Tanger Outlets in Deer Park.
Hosted by Foodie Fest Productions, the festival featured 15 different food trucks and 15 food artisans. Not only was the food good and plentiful, so was the music, provided by DJ Greg of Supreme Parties.
The kids also had fun at the “Giant Fun Zone,” consisting of bouncy houses, slides, obstacle courses, face painting, a caricaturist, and even unlimited ice cream. While parents relaxed and enjoyed their delectable meals and treats, their children were able to play as much as their hearts desired.
What really made the event something special, however, was the food itself and the vendors.
Photo: Sal and Jerry’s Bakery’s most popular item, prosciutto bread.
Joe Finger of Sal and Jerry’s Bakery was very excited to be a first-time vendor. He showcased his bakery’s most popular item, prosciutto bread, among other delicacies such as chocolate chip pound cake or his Italian cookies.
Sal and Jerry’s Bakery first opened its doors in the early ‘80s in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, founded by Sal Cracchioli. Most recently opening their second location in West Babylon, they were excited to attend an event that was closer to their new store.
“Our company is celebrating our 40th anniversary, and we have been around for a while, but I have been wanting to do more events on the island,” Finger said. “These types of events are important to meet new people and bring in new customers.”
On the opposite side of Sal and Jerry’s Bakery’s tent was Tommy’s Pickles, with Tommy himself in attendance.
Photo: Tommy Grimes, owner of Tommy’s Pickles, holding his most popular item, the Garlic and Dill pickles.
Tommy Grimes started his business three years ago, seeing enough growth to expand from a commercial kitchen to his own truck. With his unique pickle jar options, ranging from his most popular garlic and dill jar, to his jalapeno pineapple pickles, or even his “Spraaanch” flavor, a combination of spices and ranch, customers were lined up to get some. And his pickle on a stick was selling nicely as well.
“This is my second or third time coming to the event,” Grimes said. “When Foodie Fest started, I started with them. It is such a great opportunity to showcase my products, and I always do well here.”
Grimes credits much of his success to the way he makes his products. Different from most pickle companies, he uses a fermentation process.
“There are so many health benefits that you can get from fermented pickles,” he said. “They contain probiotics which are good for gut health, and they are also packed with antioxidants which help reduce inflammation.”
Photo: Philomenia of Huntington, 18, happily holding a “Pickle on a Stick” from Tommy’s Pickles.
At the other end of the lot, the fun continued. Off the Bone, a soul food and barbecue-themed truck, also appeared to draw in many customers. Many lined up to try their wide array of signature dishes, with the “Spicy Chick,” buffalo crispy chicken over mac and cheese, seemingly being a fan favorite.
To cool off from the summer sun, event attendees could even make a pit stop at Tlaxcalita Aguas Frescas, or in their words, “Authentic Flavor You Can’t Imitate.” They offered so many unique drink flavors, satisfying those who craved anything from an iced coffee to a pina colada. Their pineapple and guava lemonades had customers in a frenzy, with customers being able to both sample the products and purchase a cup of their own.
Typically hosting events over holidays, having hosted events near Christmas and on the Fourth of July Weekend in the past, Foodie Fest Productions have been able to capitalize on busier shopping seasons.
Gabby Daniels is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media. All photos: Gabby Daniels. Top photo: Kerry Pearson of Merrick, 22, left, and Kristina Garcia of Great Neck, 21, enjoy “Spicy Chick” from Off The Bone.
