New York City is home to some of the most exciting restaurants, food businesses, chefs, and food makers in the country. But behind the restaurants and meals we love is another part of the food system that deserves just as much attention: what happens to food that doesn’t get sold, served, or used?
Every day, perfectly good excess food can become food waste while millions of people continue to experience food insecurity. Food rescue organizations like Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (RLC) work to connect those two realities, recovering excess food from businesses and delivering it to nonprofit organizations serving people experiencing hunger.
But food rescue doesn’t happen because of one organization alone. It happens because restaurants, food businesses, volunteers, nonprofit partners, donors, and community members decide that good food should feed people rather than end up in landfills.
That is what we’re celebrating at Taste of RLC on Friday, October 9.
Celebrating the People Who Make Food Rescue Possible
Taste of RLC is RLC’s first-ever food tasting experience and awards program, bringing together NYC restaurants, food businesses, community members, and food rescue supporters for an evening centered around food, community, and impact.
The event is also an opportunity to recognize the people who make food rescue possible. From the businesses that donate surplus food to the volunteers who pick it up and deliver it, food rescue depends on a network of people making thousands of small decisions to keep edible food in the food system.
Since 2013, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine has rescued more than 24 million pounds of food and delivered more than 20 million meals to communities experiencing food insecurity. That impact is only possible because businesses and people choose to participate.
Meet the NYC Food Businesses Joining Taste of RLC
This year’s Taste of RLC will feature tastings and experiences from more than 20 NYC vendors and food businesses.
We're grateful to these businesses for believing in our mission to feed people, not landfills. Thank you to Ikigai, BjornQorn, Breads Bakery, Pecking House, Chef Melissa Tung, Dippin' Chicken, HAAM Caribbean Plant Cuisine, Humos BBQ, TabeTomo, Suntory Global Spirits, Maker's Mark, Lifeway Kefir, Mia's Cocina, Wegmans, Industrial Arts Brewing Company, Empire Eats & Events, Retreat Swees, and more!
Why Food Rescue Matters in New York City
Restaurants, grocery stores, caterers, corporate cafeterias, event venues, manufacturers, and other food businesses can have surplus food for many different reasons. An event ends. A catering order changes. A restaurant has prepared more food than it can sell. A business has products approaching their sell-by date.
That food may still be perfectly safe and edible. Food rescue creates a pathway for that surplus food to reach nonprofit organizations and community programs that can distribute it to people who need it.
At RLC, volunteers pick up surplus food from businesses and deliver it to nonprofit organizations serving communities experiencing food insecurity. Instead of becoming food waste, that food becomes meals.
And the benefits extend beyond hunger relief. Keeping edible food out of landfills also helps reduce the environmental impact associated with food waste.
Join Us at Taste of RLC
On Friday, October 9, we’ll bring this community together at Midtown Loft & Terrace in New York City for an evening of NYC food, drinks, networking, community awards, and food rescue.
Taste of RLC will celebrate the people and businesses helping create a more sustainable and equitable food system while raising funds for Rescuing Leftover Cuisine’s food rescue work.
Taste of RLC 2026
📍 Midtown Loft & Terrace, NYC
📅 Friday, October 9, 2026
🕔 VIP early access: 5:00 PM
🕕 General Admission: 6:00 PM
Most importantly, your ticket helps support the work that happens beyond the event: rescuing surplus food, creating food donation routes, and getting more food to people experiencing food insecurity.
Come for the food. Meet the people behind NYC food rescue. Support the work.
[Get your Taste of RLC tickets]
Want to Help Rescue Food in NYC?
Taste of RLC is one night, but food rescue happens every day.
If you’re a restaurant, food business, caterer, grocery store, manufacturer, event venue, or other organization with surplus food, you can learn more about donating excess food through Rescuing Leftover Cuisine.
If you’re an individual or company looking to get involved, you can also volunteer, organize a corporate group volunteer experience, or support RLC with a donation.
There is no single way to fight food waste and food insecurity. It takes restaurants, businesses, volunteers, nonprofits, donors, and community members working together.
That’s the community we’re celebrating at Taste of RLC.