Food, glorious food: Taste of Fifth wows in Park Slope

They call it A Taste of Fifth.

I call that an understatement.

With 50+ purveyors of food and drink arrayed around the opulent second floor of the Grand Prospect Hall, Prospect Avenue right off of Fifth Avenue, attendees could sample some of the best of the vast variety of comestibles available along Fifth Avenue in Park Slope during the  three-hour-long foodie extravaganza that took place on the evening of Tuesday, April 4.

And, even with exhibitors serving up small portions, it was ridiculously easy to overeat.

I know. I did it.

But, it was hard to resist the honey-soaked baklava in perfect little rectangles served up by Turkish restaurant Mis Grill, and equally hard to resist the spongy little macarons (some shaped and decorated to look like conversation hearts) that Du Jour Bakery kept replenishing on ample trays, in a rainbow of colors, elbowing little rounds of sweet and dense Nutella cake and other offerings. Not to mention the pretty but never prissy Key Lime Tart winking at me from the table set up by Buttermilk Bakeshop, which was as appealing to the tastebuds as it was to the eye.

I was going to save desserts for last.

That game plan had been scrapped by the time I approached my second table.

That said, I did also manage to try some of the outstanding savory food that Fifth Avenue restaurants set out, like the standout tartly sauced shrimp on a bed of polenta dished up by Loki Lounge, and the sticky, sweet and spicy hot wings from Bonnie’s Grill, which also had mild and barbecue-sauced wings available for those with timider palates.

Some themes emerged. Pork belly sliders were definitely a thing at the event. I tried those served up by Prospect Bar & Grill which featured caramelized shreds of meat drizzled with aioli on cushy, soft rolls — with or without cilantro, nibbler’s choice.

There were also several tables where pizza was being dished out, including Artichoke Basille’s signature Artichoke Pizza, whose creaminess was balanced by the slight tartness of the veg.

And, there was a plethora of Latino food — Mexican, Peruvian, Colombian, to name a few. The soft tacos piled with shredded chicken in mole sauce (made up of 33 ingredients, I was told), with an anise backnote were among the offerings at Calexico’s table, while Miti Miti served up both chicken and vegetarian Green Goddess tacos stuffed with al dente veggies spiked with cilantro, and Bogota Latin Bistro took a different route — wedges of plantain stuffed with either chicken or melted cheese on a bed of black bean sauce.

After all the spice, I needed something cool and creamy. Fortunately, Culture was dishing out cones of Chocolate Hazelnut frozen yogurt which was tart and refreshing, and Albero dei Gelati the creamiest caffé gelato that provided the perfect grace note to an evening of indulging.

The event was sponsored by the Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID.