Astoria’s Steinway Plaza slurped today as the NYC Winter Soup Fest fed 7,000. Over 40 chefs—clam chowder, vegan—served 10,000 bowls; a Bronx cook’s $6 gumbo won X’s 7,000 posts. Free spoons—1,000 gone; $5 breads sold 200. Live folk—150 sang; 48°F sun glowed.
Chef Wei Chen, 47, dished 500 lentil bowls—his curry spice a hit. A Queens baker’s cornbread—100 sold—paired perfect; crowd buzzed. New compost bins—300 pounds diverted—kept plaza clean. Pop-up heaters—cozy vibes—warmed diners. Steinway’s pulse—NYC’s food heart.
It’s not perfect—lines hit 20 minutes; bowls cold fast. Some prices—$8 soups—drew gripes. Still, 40 chefs, 7K bites—fest’s a hit. Post-slurp, 30th Avenue buzzed—soup talk flowed. Weekend run—NYC warms.
Chen’s 47—soup king? Baker’s 31—bread star. Astoria ate; NYC glowed. Soup Fest—spoon on.
