New York City's Dining Out For Life Gives Back To HIV Orgs

It's that time of year again to eat, spend, and give back! For the second year, New York City will participate in Dining Out For Life on Thursday, April 25, when people in more than 50 cities across North America are encouraged to dine at select restaurants — all to help fund HIV/AIDS healthcare, prevention, education, testing, counseling, and other essential services.

Last year, over 50 local HIV service organizations partnered with 3,000 participating restaurants, 3,000 volunteers, and more than 300,000 diners to raise an astonishing $4.1 million for people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States and Canada. This year, organizers are expecting more.

All you need to do is dine at select resaturants on Thursday, April 25. Those restaurants will then donate a generous percentage of their sales to a local HIV service organization, and the local HIV service organization fills participating restaurants with diners. All funds raised through a city’s Dining Out For Life event stay in that city to provide help and hope to people living with or impacted by HIV/AIDS.

In New York City, the event will support the HIV/AIDS programs and services of Alliance for Positive Change, which serves more than 5,000 New Yorkers every year.

Click through to see a few of our favorite restaurants participating this year, like the one pictured here from Fresh Salt.

Pictured: Pork Sandwich with melted swiss, avocado, jalapeño relish, dijon on seeded roll

Here are the local N.Y.C. participating restaurants. Be sure to take your friends out tonight for dinner and advocacy!

* Arabesque (4 East 36th St, Manhattan)

* Duke’s (1596 2nd Avenue, Manhattan)

* Fresh Salt (146 Beekman St, Manhattan)

* Mad Dog & Beans (5 East 38th Street, Manhattan)

* Patrick's Restaurant & Oyster Bar (259 West 42nd Street, Manhattan)

* Sac’s Place (2541 Broadway, Astoria, Queens)

* Sac’s Place - Jackson Heights (86-14A 37th Ave, Jackson Heights, Queens)

* Sazon Perez (417 South 4th St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

* Staghorn Steakhouse (315 West 36th St, Manhattan)

* Yoon Haeundae Galbi (8 West 36th Street, Manhattan)

Established in 1964 and spanning two generations, Yoon Haeundae Galbi is a spin-off of the famous "Haeundae Sommunan Amso Galbijip," a local favorite for Korean BBQ. Yoon brings authentic flavors from Busan, South Korea, while adding a modern touch to match New York’s contemporary vibe.

Pictured: Short Rib Bibimbap, with assorted vegetable and house-made gochujang sauce.

Check out the rest of the menu at Yoon-NYC.com.

Another favorite dish from Yoon Haeundae Galbi is the Spicy Beef Noodle with brisket broth, red chili oil and fern. Egg on top.

Check out the rest of the menu at Yoon-NYC.com.

"Our family is from Orsogna, a small town in the Abruzzo region of Italy, but we were born and raised in Astoria," says Anthony & Domenico Sacramone, the owners of Sac's Place. "We grew up in a house of love, laughter & family dinners cooked by our mother, Maddalena. Staying faithful to the Abruzzo tradition of using simple flavors and the freshest ingredients from the land & sea, our mother passed on to us the secrets she learned in our Nonna’s kitchen in Abruzzo. Handmade pasta; pizza made with homemade dough; and fresh fruit, vegetables & herbs from our garden were the norm. Tomato sauce was made daily."

"At Sac’s, we remain faithful to the traditions handed down to us," they add. "We were taught to use the best quality ingredients & cook with passion. Our restaurant is an expression of this passion, where gathering to eat with family & friends is a celebration. When we opened Sac’s in 1989, it was a small pizzeria on the corner of Broadway & 29th, and we occasionally cooked specials for our regulars. The demand for these special meals grew over time & we expanded to a full-service restaurant in 1998. All of our food is made to order & our coal-brick oven pizza is second to none. Our goal is to share what we learned in our mother’s kitchen & proudly pass this love on to you. Dine with us at Sac’s & become a member of our family."

Pictured: Mama's Slice: Crushed Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil and Olive Oil.