The Village Voice Announces The Official " Choice Eats " Foursquare Badge

The Village Voice has announced they will be partnering with Foursquare and have created a "Choice Eats" badge for this year's food tasting event. To unlock the badge, Foursquare users event-goers must attend 5 restaurants that will be or have been participants at the "Choice Eats" tasting event. Attendees have over 80 restaurants in New York City to choose from. Once the "Choice Eats" badge is unlocked, "Choice Eats" ticket holders can not only hold bragging rights but show their badge at the event this year and receive a special gift from the Village Voice booth. Visit Foursquare.com/VoiceStreet for badge tips and updates.

In addition to the badge, new participants have also been announced to attend this year's "Choice Eats" including "Choice Streets" food truck vendors, Korilla BBQ Truck, Joyride Truck, Wafels & Dinges, The Taim Mobile and "Choice Sweets" dessert vendors, The Good Batch, Del Posto, Kumquat Cupcakery, Liddabit Sweets, Alice's Team Cup and Babycakes NYC. Additional restaurants that will be taking part in this year's tasting event include Caracas Arepa Bar, Del Posto, Kashkaval, Luke's Lobster, Maima's Liberian Bistro & Bar, Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches, Northern Spy Food Co, O Lavrador Restaurant, Ofrenda, Porchetta, Resto, Satay Junction, Spicy Bampa, Takashi, The Meatball Shop, The Vanderbilt and many more to come.

The fourth annual tasting event, "Choice Eats," features 50+ restaurants and food from over 35 nations. Each of the participating restaurants will be hand picked by Village Voice resident food critic, Robert Sietsema. The handpicked restaurants from all five boroughs will berepresented on Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at the 69th Armory on Lexington Avenue in New York City. Tickets will go on sale soon - Wednesday, January 26 - with the limited time early bird ticket prices of VIP ($70) and general admission ($35) and a regular full price ticket thereafter of VIP ($80) and general admission ($45).

This year's exclusive VIP ticket will allows ticket holders to skip the line and gain entrance to an exclusive VIP room one hour early at 5:30 for an early sampling from a handful of selected restaurants in addition to complimentary beverages and other surprises. General admission tickets will feature sampling from 6:30 - 9:30, complimentary beverages, entertainment and more.

Additions to this year's event also feature a very special dessert tasting hour called "Choice Sweets." For the last hour of the event, all VIP ticket holders can experience a handful of selected treats and sweets in the exclusive VIP room. All general admission ticket holders will have the opportunity to partake in "Choice Sweets" as well, with tables being set up in the event's lobby to try delicious desserts on their way out.

Also making its debut this year is "Choice Streets." All attendees will be greeted upon arriving at the event by some of the city's favorite and highly sought-after food trucks. Parked along the front of the Armory, guests will be able to sample some snacks while waiting to gain entry to the main event - free of charge.

This year's charitable partner of "Choice Eats" is Slow Food NYC, a non-profit organization. A portion of the Choice Eats ticket sales will be donated to Slow Food NYC. The donation will be used to maintain and expand these important Harvest Time Programs www.SlowFoodNYC.org

Sponsors confirmed for Choice Eats 2011 include: Slow Food NYC, Southern Wines and Spirits and Great Brewers.

Be sure to follow Choice Eats on Twitter here and on Facebook here for daily updates!

For more information on "Choice Eats" please have a bite here: http://choiceeats.villagevoice.com

About The Village Voice:

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