8.11 Drop Digest: NYC’s Running Tab of Food Pop-Ups, Dish Drops & Collabs
The hustle continues. NYC chefs and restaurants have been wowing us all summer with pop-ups and new dish drops and they aren’t slowing down. With so much tasty innovation(s) to keep up with you could- no, definitely will - miss out if you’re not in these streets like we are. This week, we’re blessed with festivals galore, a prolific NYC BBQ king, a bonus round in the suburbs, and more! The 8it Drop Digest is a taste of what you can discover in the Pop-Ups & Drops category on the 8it app.
@pandayo.ny
Ube Festival
Canal Street Market
What’s the drop?
You can go to Ube festival for pretty much every meal this weekend because 30+ vendors including Tito Papas, Pandayo.NY, Bad for Business Pop-ups, and many more will be incorporating ube into all kinds of delicious creations both savory and sweet. Puto (pictured above) bridges the gap between savory and sweet with its versatility. “Puto is a Filipino steamed cake. It is traditionally eaten as a complimentary side for different savory dishes, most especially the 'Dinuguan' or pork blood stew. However, it can also be consumed as is for a small snack, or as a dessert,” said Pandayo.NY who will be selling 8 different flavors of puto including two savory options at the festival. (You know we love things in 8’s 😎)
Why should you go?
Festivals dedicated to the purple yam ube are popular globally but this is the first ever Ube Festival in New York City; firmly making it an “I was there” event like “Winnie the Pooh” on broadway or when MetLife Stadium held the Super Bowl. If you haven’t tasted ube yet, Pandayo.NY offered a bit of insight on its flavor and why it’s so popular: “We believe that ube has been really popular because of it's vibrant, attractive and intriguing color, then, when you take a bite off of it, you will never expect what had hit you. It brings out a sweet earthy taste, with a creamy coconut-like hint.” Click the green button below to tap in to this ube experience.
@bark_barbecue
Bark Barbecue
Various Locations
What’s the drop?
Bark Barbecue is known for smoked meats like brisket, turkey, and beef ribs with emphasis on bark; the seasoned, slightly crisped outer layer that forms on meat after hours of smoking. They started out of a backyard, then moved to a food stand in Howard Beach, Queens, and now they have been doing pop-ups for the past year and a half. That’s a strong come up no matter how you cut it especially when you consider that they’ve been doing three pop-ups per weekend this summer.
Why you should go?
A unique flavor profile sets Bark apart from other barbecue vendors in the city, “We’re a texas style with Dominican influence bbq. So alot of our rubs, sauces and meats reflect this,” they said. “A lot of what we do is based on giving a food experience like no other even though we aren’t a brick and mortar.” Find Bark’s dates and times this weekend by clicking the buttons below.
@theboiisco
Summer Street Fair
31st Avenue Open Street
What’s the drop?
A vast array of food, dessert, and baked goods vendors will take part in this event hosted by S-Mall, a community of women, minority, and BIPOC businesses. According to the Queens Gazette, S-Mall’s events aim to promote community diversity.
Why should you go?
The Boiis Co. will be there with their Mooks™️ (mochi-filled cookies) and they have a new flavor for the month of August: Piña Colada. A few boxes of Piña Colada Mooks™️ with their pineapple mochi filling will go perfectly with these last few weeks of the summer as you dread the inevitable cold weather, shorter days, and lack of vibes to come. But don’t worry about the summer winding down; a cornhole tournament will accompany the street fair, preserving that summer vibe. Click the button below for all the deets.
@kitankin
Kit an’ Kin Pop-Up Rippers
What’s the drop? A beachside pop-up by Chef Anya Peters of Kit an’ Kin who has been dishing out can’t-miss Caribbean food at her pop-ups for four years. “They started out as a way to celebrate my culture in the style I grew up with - feasts with family and friends with good music and good food,” said Peters. This pop-up’s menu features Escovitch Fish Plates, succulent Jerk Chicken, Festival, Rice and Peas, and OG Doubles, which consist of curried chickpeas, sauces, and chutneys between two flatbreads called bara.
Why should you go? Chef Anya layers flavor into her dishes like her pop-ups layer food, culture, family, friends, and music into one big celebration. Recalling memories of Escovitch fish, her uncle’s signature dish from family functions growing up, she said “My favorite part of Escovitch fish is biting the crunchy and picking off the perfect morsel of spicy pickled onion, fish, and bread.” Press the green button below and get all the details about the Kit an’ Kin pop-up so you can engineer that perfect bite this weekend.
@localrootsnyc
Local Roots x Malai Ice Cream Sandwich
Local Roots Cafe
What’s the drop?
Local Roots and Malai have this collab down to a science. Their peach ice cream sandwich between two lemon cardamom snickerdoodles was made so you can taste the summer while it lasts. Wen-Jay Ying of Local Roots provided context on how this collab came together: “When Pooja from Malai reached out with the idea of a summer ice cream collab, we knew we wanted to highlight the sweet nectar of local peaches cause it’s been a great peach season this year in the NorthEast,” she said. The sweetness of the local peaches is balanced by cardamom in both the ice cream and the cookie.
Why should you go?
Inspired by the peaches at Local Roots, the Malai team crafted this ice cream and a cookie to cradle it specifically for this collab. The two shops are down the street from each other, so it’s a neighborhood collab and a marriage of flavor that highlights two AAPI, women-owned small businesses. Click the buttons below for the locations and details of both shops.
@tacoguy_ct
Hey Stamford! Food Festival Mill River Park
What’s the drop?
The Hey Stamford! Food Festival is back to highlight a variety of Connecticut’s top restaurants, vendors, and food trucks two weekends in a row. Culinary stars will be in town, including Celebrity Chef Aaron May and 4X James Beard Award Winner Todd English, for cooking demonstrations on the second weekend. Taco Guy’s signature tacos will be a highlight of the event. “Every taco is a memory, but the one that hits my heart is carnitas because that’s what my family is known for but the chicken tinga is what my grandmother used to cook for us,” said Taco Guy.
Why should you go?
If you’re in or around Stamford the next two weekends, this is a great opportunity to check out its food scene. This is Taco Guy’s second year in the festival and he’s impressed by Stamford’s restaurants and foodies. “Stamford is great! People show lots of support, and for dinning out it has some great places and amazing meals,” said Taco Guy. The event will also feature musical performances including DJ Pauly D from the Jersey Shore TV series this weekend. Click the button below for the schedule and more info.
YOU SHOULDA 8it!
Not to rub it in, but here’s a couple dishes you may have missed out on. To stay in the know on all the hottest drops in real-time, check out 8it’s Pop-Ups & Drops category in the app.
@taste_ofjamaica876
Uptown Night Market
More than 50 vendors popped up at Uptown Night Market on Thursday, which happens the second Thursday of every month through November. It was Taste of Jamaica 876’s second time doing the event and they suggest you come to the next one for a variety of dishes and good vibes: “What makes it so special is the music, the different foods, the whole vibes. It’s just different it’s fun being there,” they said. Their menu included jerk chicken, jerk pork, oxtails, rice and peas, steam cabbage, plantains, and mac and cheese. And that’s just one of 50 vendors. Keep an eye on the Pop-Ups & Drops category and never miss another night market.
@themeathook
Nura x The Meat Hook
Greenpoint restaurant Nura collab’d with whole-animal butcher The Meat Hook on Thursday night serving a Lamb & Beef Burger, Butter Chicken Sausage, and more. Stay tuned to the Pop-Ups & Drops category and never miss a prime meat sweats opportunity like this again.
NEVER MISS A FOOD POP-UP, DROP, OR COLLAB AGAIN!
Beta password is: NYCDROP
