"8it has always been about helping people stay tapped into what's next in New York food before everyone else is talking about it," said Steve Raggiani, co-founder and CEO of 8it. "First Taste takes that same idea out of the app and into real life. When you walk through the door, everything you're tasting, hearing, seeing and wearing is new."
Three Dishes, One Day Only
- Potluck Club x Ace's Pizza: A Chinese Sausage & Peppers Detroit-Style Pizza, pairing Potluck Club's Chinese-American cooking with Ace's signature square pie.
- Titi's Empanadas x After Eden: Titi's Empanadas is teaming up with Eleven Madison Park-trained chef, Nancy Nguyen, of After Eden to create a Banh Mi Empanada. Since recently opening After Eden has been selling out of their banh mi sandwiches every weekend in 15 minutes.
- Loser's Eating House x OREO Cookies: The Big OREO Roll, a cookies-and-cream take on Loser's cult-favorite cinnamon roll: sourdough brioche layered with butter made with OREO cookies, finished with Loser's olive oil cream icing and OREO cookie chunks.
The OREO brand collaboration began with a question 8it asked every chef: Who is your dream collaboration with? For Lizzy Koury of Loser's Eating House, the answer was immediate. "I grew up eating OREOs, and I've wanted to put them in our roll since day one. Getting to actually do it with OREO is surreal."
Collect the Passport, Earn the Tote
Every guest receives a First Taste passport at check-in. Collect a stamp at all three food drops to earn a limited-edition New York Penn tote, customized onsite with patches inspired by the lineup and New York City.
Hennessy Pours First
At the main bar, Gelo Honrade of After Eden, will debut two original Hennessy cocktails created exclusively for the festival and available for purchase onsite. Every guest 21+ will be welcomed with their choice of one of Hennessy's Very Special Cocktails on arrival (Henny Rita, Henny Berry, Henny Iced Tea). The featured beverage drop of First Taste 001 is a collection of ready-to-serve bottled cocktails crafted with Hennessy Very Special cognac.
New Music, First Listen
The DJ lineup is built around unreleased music: Sunny Cheeba back-to-back with Curly Nez, new drops from Just Dimy and Rae Sada, and Dos Flakos premiering tracks ahead of their October release.
An Exclusive Jacket From New York Penn
New York Penn will debut a customizable jacket available only at First Taste, in 3 different colorways and personalized onsite.
Event Details
- What: First Taste 001, an 8it experience
- When: Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, 2–8 p.m. Rain or shine.
- Where: LilliStar, rooftop of Moxy Williamsburg, 353 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211
- Tickets: $15 (before event); $20 at the door. Food drops purchased separately onsite. Reserved tables for groups: $500. Available at 8it: https://app.8it.world/NGotQj and POSH: https://posh.vip/f/df797 (21+)
- Social: @firsttastefest on Instagram and TikTok
- Media: Press are invited to attend. Credential requests and interviews: [email protected]
About 8it
8it is NYC's go-to source for food pop-ups, new dish drops and trusted industry recommendations. The 8it app curates the most-recommended dishes in and around New York City from chefs, food writers and tastemakers. 8it also produces live experiences connecting the city's food community with the people who want to discover what's next, including the 8it Awards, recognizing the chefs and pop-ups shaping NYC's independent food scene; Family Meal™, a recurring give-back event for the hospitality industry; Paella Rave, a food and house-music series with Arroces Street Paella; and now First Taste. Download the app.
About OREO Cookies
OREO® is AMERICA'S FAVORITE COOKIE®, available in more than 100 countries around the globe. Over 60 billion OREO® cookies are sold each year with more than 20 billion of those cookies sold in the U.S. annually. An estimated 500 billion OREO® cookies have been sold since the first OREO® biscuit was developed in 1912. For more information, follow OREO® on Facebook @OREOUnitedStates, Twitter/X @OREO, TikTok @OREO, and Instagram @OREO
SOURCE 8it, Inc.
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