8.5 Drop Digest: NYC’s Running Tab of Food Pop-Ups, Dish Drops & Collabs
NYC chefs and restaurants are turning up the heat on pop-ups and new dish drops this summer. With so many tasty things to keep up with you could- no, definitely will - miss out if you’re not in these streets like we are. The 8it Drop Digest is a taste of what you can discover in the Pop-Up & Drops category on the 8it app each week.
Creole Food Festival
Creole Food Festival
400 W 42nd St rooftop
Where: Midtown West
When: August 6 & 7 // 3-9PM
What’s the drop?
A Creole chefs showcase with dish samples, cooking demos, and more. Creole food has been described as a blend of Puerto Rican, Jamaican, Barbadian, Trinidadian, French, Spanish, West & North African, Amerindian, Haitian and Portuguese cooking. Bigpapasmokem tell us, “Common flavors include definitely garlic, tomato, and various acids often accompanied by fresh herbs.” He will be serving his Lechón Entero con yucca.
Why should you go?
If you’re like us, you like to humbly brag to your friends about the food you ate recently, stimulating a bit of friendly competition. The Creole Food Festival is sure to give you some great material for your next food forum. The rich culture and history tied to Creole cuisine will be on full display, and you’ll come home from this event with a few mouthwatering food stories to tell. Bigpapasmokem advises “You’re going to want to see the faces of the chefs that are carrying not only their ancestors recipes and flavor profiles, but also the community that’s behind them.” Catch him and a community of talented Creole chefs at the festival this Sunday.
Essex Pearl
Vietnamese-Filipino BBQ
Essex Pearl
Where: LES
When: August 10 // 6:30, 8:30PM
What’s the drop?
Ladies and gentlemen, they are BACK! Essex Pearl has done a number of pop-up dinners recently that somehow look progressively dreamier every time. For this edition, Chef Daniel Le will team up with grill-master Francis Maling of Bad for Business Pop-ups to transport you to the streets of Vietnam and the Philippines with BBQ Coconut Prawn Skewers, BBQ Nha Trang Octopus Skewers, BBQ Salted Egg Gulf Oysters, and more.
Why you should go?
This is the tasting menu your summer deserves. No flavored foams, no surreptitiously googling fancy food words under the table, just a solid, well-balanced spread of amazing flavors. Bombay Sapphire gin cocktails will accompany the spread. We’re running, not walking to Essex Pearl on Wednesday. Tickets for this event sold out but keep an eye on Resy for cancellations.
@tikkunbbq
Tikkun x Prince Abou’s Butchery
32-88 Steinway St
Where: Astoria
When: August 6 // 8PM
What’s the drop?
Prince Abou’s Butchery is celebrating its grand opening this Saturday, collabing with Tikkun. Prince Abou’s is a whole animal butchery and one of few Black-owned butchers in the city. Chef Eli Goldman of Tikkun told us, “We want to use better quality, more ethical product and we want to have a diverse economy and neighborhood. So supporting a small, black-owned business is really important to us.” The menu this Saturday features smash burgers, Mama Lam’s Red Malaysian Curry BBQ chicken, and a lamb sausage sandwich.
Why should you go?
This meeting of the minds will pair top quality meat with one of the city’s can’t-miss barbecue operations. After a few test rounds, Chef Eli thinks Prince Abou’s meats bring out the best in Tikkun’s barbecue, :“You can add spice, you can use a different type of wood, but starting with a great product really makes all the difference,” he said. Tikkun sold out in just over two hours at their pop-up collab with Mama Lam’s a couple Saturdays ago, so get there fast! They’ll keep you updated about available items on their Instagram story.
Lauren Ziemski
Pisces Supper Club Secret Location
Where: LES
Private Dinner - email eat@pisces.nyc to secure your date.
What’s the drop? Chef Lauren “Lala” Ziemski of The Firefly Bocas Del Toro in Panama and formerly of Gjelina in LA, is hosting private seafood dinners with bookings open for August, September, and October. It’s a four-course dinner with grilled lobsters, clams, corn, and more, plus dessert, and four wine/sake pairings curated by herself and Austin Power, the sommelier and owner of Accidental Bar.
Why should you go? Lala will show guests what many nights of hers growing up were like, eating seafood outdoors under the stars in Maryland. A newspaper-covered table, eating with your hands, and licking butter off your fingers will all be a part of the experience. Fresh seafood with a side of nostalgia plus wine and sake to help it all sink in. Is there anything better for a late summer night?
@doughdoughnuts
French’s Mustard Doughnut
Dough
Where: Flatiron, Brooklyn, Astoria, Rock Center, Vanderbilt
When: August 6
What’s the drop?
Yeah this is seriously happening and we’re not mad about it. New York’s doughnut shops are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to creative new flavor drops. Last week there was the Chips & Dip Doughnut at The Doughnut Project, now this, so don’t be shocked if there’s a cheeseburger doughnut with fry sauce frosting on this list next week. Don’t be shocked if we’re in line to get it, either.
Why should you go?
They’re giving everyone who shows up one for FREE. This is a risk-free opportunity to automatically top your friends when everyone shares the most outrageous thing they ate all week. The food forum for humble brags might need to close for temporary maintenance after that mic drop.
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.
@craignisperos
Bad for Business Pop-Up
Swell Dive
On Monday night, grill-master Francis Maling kicked off his Summertime Badness Tour at Swell Dive. With a grill set up in the corner of the bar, he dished out Filipino-style skewers and ribs. Luckily, you now know that Chef Mailing will be grilling it up at Essex Pearl for their Vietnamese-Filipino BBQ.
@gothamburgersocialclub
Gotham Smash Burger Pop-Up Common Ground Bar
This Gotham Burger event went hard. It featured a Legent bourbon tasting and the first 200 people got a smash burger and a cocktail for $10. They absolutely packed the house mid-heat wave. Salute to that. Their next event is Tuesday August 16 at Wollensky’s Grill. Stay tuned for all the deets!
NEVER MISS A FOOD POP-UP, DROP, OR COLLAB AGAIN!
Beta password is: NYCDROP
