Labor Day may have come and gone, but technically, you still have until September 22nd to finish crossing items off of your edible summer bucket list. So here’s where to engage in a final round of oyster slurping, ice cream licking and boozy popsicle cocktail sipping throughout NYC.
Indulge in Oysters on a Boat: There are a number of places in NY where you can eat and drink by the water. But Pilot and Island Oyster (the newest duo of raw bar joints, from the brother/sailors behind Grand Banks), are two of the precious few places where you can actually dine on it. The former is situated on Pier 6 in DUMBO on a historic, 1920’s-era schooner, and offers rum drinks and soft shell crab po boys, along the East River, while the latter covers 32,000-square feet of Governor’s Island, and boasts lobster rolls and seaweed-salted french fries from Kerry Heffernan, along with a sprawling beer garden.
Join OddFellows’ Ice Cream Carnival: Sam Mason’s offbeat scoop shop scored a residency at Chef’s Club’s casual counter space over the summer, and elected to make the most of their pop-up by turning it into a season-long carnival. Grab your “admit one” ticket at the door, for access to a tented room replete with stilt walkers, jugglers and of course, over the top ice cream, like “The Concession Stand” (caramel popcorn soft serve injected with salted caramel and topped with chocolate pearls), and the “Cotton Candy Creamsicle;” vanilla and tangerine soft serve sheathed in a billowing, spun sugar shell.
Get Loopy Doopy Over Cocktails: Popsicles definitely aren’t considered kid stuff at Conrad Hotel’s Loopy Doopy Rooftop Bar, where the nostalgic, frozen treats on a sticks (created especially for the establishment by People’s Pops, in flavors like Blueberry Peach, Strawberry Lemongrass and Empire Apple), are plunged into massive goblets of prosecco or rose.
Snag a Slice of Seasonal Pizza: NYC’s favorite food-on-the-go has been done tremendous justice at Rock Pizza Scissors, a warm weather pop-up from the Bread’s team. So be sure to make a pilgrimage to its post in TSQ Market, before UrbanSpace’s al fresco adjunct shutters for the season, for Roman-style, scissor-sliced slabs baked in a stone deck oven, and topped with harissa, albacore tuna and preserved lemon, mozzarella, onions and za’atar, or Union Square Market-sourced vegetables and ricotta.
Enjoy Burritos on the Beach: While most of the city’s beaches have seriously upped their food programs, Rockaway reigns supreme when it comes to incredible oceanside vendors. And Super Burrito has proved one of the tastiest additions of the summer, specializing in Mission District-inspired wraps formed from stretchy, steamed flour tortillas, swaddled around rice, beans, al pastor or carne asada, avocado, pico, sour cream and Monterey jack cheese.
Raise the Roof at Coney Island: While it doesn’t have the same caliber of transient vendors as Rockaway, Coney Island is experiencing a resurgence nonetheless, hearkening back to its turn-of-the-century status as New York’s pre-eminent seaside resort. And this new resident of the landmarked Child’s building is going a long way in rebuilding its reputation, housing a collection of food concepts such as a raw bar, a takeway café, a test kitchen, and most appealingly, a wine and small plates spot on the roof, that looks directly out over the Atlantic ocean.
Who Needs the Hamptons?: If you can’t make it out to the Hampton’s (or don’t have the advantage of an AMEX card), Kitchen 21—an East Village newcomer—may be the next best thing. Evoking the tony Long Island enclaves in the middle of NYC, the coastal menu includes shrimp cocktail, oysters on the half shell, seared striped bass, scallops with succotash, and cans of Montauk Watermelon Session Ale.
