Like a glorious, never-ending tasting menu, summer 2022 a.k.a “pop-up summer” is still going strong, and we don’t want you to miss a single bite of it. This week’s Drop Digest features a chef who fled Ukraine, one of New York’s biggest barbecue festivals, a collaboration of 10 AAPI small businesses, and more. The 8it Drop Digest is just a small taste of what you can discover in the 🧨 Pop-Ups & Drops category on the 8it app, so go check it out for more.

Afternoon Tsaà
Carroll Gardens // 9.10 & 9.11

What’s the drop?
Mochi-based dessert phenoms The Boiis Co. have curated a Mid-Autumn Festival tea party celebration at Local Roots NYC featuring tea hour-style bites and vibes from themselves, Pinklady Cheesetart, Lady Wong NYC, Studio Sweetly, Spongies Cafe, Baisun Candle Co, Ăn Xôi, Poon Booth, and Diu I’m Great by Helen. Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in different east and southeast asian countries and 10 different AAPI small businesses are teaming up for this event. “While the customs and traditions vary greatly, Mid-Autumn festival is a joyous occasion that brings folks together to celebrate under the full moon,” said Rivy-Major Oponda of The Boiis Co. What better way to celebrate than with a tower of desserts?

Why should you go?
Oponda’s vision is for different businesses to share a parts of their culture and celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival traditions, including gathering with friends and family to eat various desserts. The beautiful spread for this event is visibly irresistible, but that doesn’t even do justice for the taste of these treats. Head to Local Roots this weekend to try some unique Asian-inspired desserts and celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival. Click the green button below for more info.

Taino BBQ
Clinton Hill // 9.10
Flatbush // 9.11

What’s the drop?
After more than ten years working everywhere from diners, to chicken spots, to Michelin star restaurants, Chef Matthew Thompkins Jr. began making Texas-style barbecue with a Puerto Rican twist at his Brooklyn pop-ups this summer. As a chef new to the pop-up scene, Thompkins was keen to have an impact on the New York City barbecue game. “I do a lot of different cooking styles but I decided to do bbq because there’s a lot of not so good quality bbq in the city and I think it’s awesome that smoking meat in this way is one of the only truly American cooking styles,” said Thompkins Jr. “The techniques were developed by the native people from all over the americas and Caribbean and the people who colonized the south took those practices and expanded on it to make it what it is today. It makes me happy to take part In that tradition.” Pork ribs, beef ribs, and a few special surprises are on the menu this weekend.

Why should you go?
Thompkins Jr. is an alchemist of flavor, building on classic salt and pepper barbecue and combining it with recipes from his childhood. “My pulled pork is not only seasoned with salt and pepper. I start with that as a base and then add oregano, thyme, rosemary, and TONS of garlic,” said Thompkins Jr. “This is how my family would prepare a pork shoulder for Christmas or Thanksgiving, but instead of roasting it in the oven, I smoke it and treat it like pulled pork. Adobo also finds it’s way into almost all of my recipes as kind of an all-purpose seasoning.” Head to Taino BBQ’s pop-ups this weekend for a rare barbecue experience worthy of the meat sweats. Tap the green buttons below for the times and locations.

Mirali Dilbalzi Residency
Greenpoint // 9.6-10.1

What’s the drop?
Chef Mirali Dilbalzi launched his eponymous restaurant, Mirali, in Kiev, Ukraine in November 2021. After less than four months, he had to flee Kiev in wake of the Russian Armed Forces’ invasion of Ukraine, leaving the restaurant he had worked tirelessly on behind, according to Eater. Nevertheless, Dilbalzi passionately persisted and kept cooking. After fleeing to Berlin, he and his chief of guest experience, Elena Lysytska organized the "Mirali Charity Dinners Tour" which took place at seven prestigious restaurants in Germany. Mirali’s next endeavor is here in New York at chef’s incubator Fulgurances. “We were introduced (to Fulgurances) by our friend, a great food journalist and writer Andrea Petrini. We are so happy and more thankful that Hugo Hivernat liked our approach and that he asked us to come to collaborate with his project and such a great team here in Brooklyn! For us it’s a great chance to tell people of New York about Ukraine and about a new Ukrainian cuisine which we create in Mirali restaurant,” said Lysytska. This is an exciting opportunity for New Yorkers to try Ukrainian cuisine from one of the country’s top chefs.

Why should you go?
At this residency, guests can expect a rotating menu focused on seasonal vegetables as well as meat and fish from local farms. “We are lucky that in New York seasonal products in September is almost the same as in Ukraine, still there is a lot of new ingredients which will be used in a menu this month. We keep the same idea that nothing is better than to use local and seasonal products in the kitchen, but to express our vision wider these products will be combined with Ukrainian traditional old techniques and even with some products that were delivered from Ukrainian restaurant Mirali to New York, at Fulgurances laundromat,” said Lysytska. Referring to the Roasted Celeriac pictured above, she says, “This dish is exactly how we try to cook our dishes in Ukraine using all the parts of each product from the top to the root. The sauce in this dish is made from leftovers of the celeriac, it’s roasted celeriac, and inside we have a black hazelnut which tastes something like salted nutella.” Ukrainian cuisine and locally sourced ingredients will combine beautifully at Fulgurances over the next month. Tap the green button below and reserve a spot!

Pig Island BBQ
Staten Island // 9.10

What’s the drop?
More than 20 chefs are coming together on Staten Island this weekend to compete for barbecue supremacy. Amongst the competition is Jase Franklyn of Jase’s BBQ, who will be serving pulled pork for this year’s event. “Pulled pork is one of my favorite foods. Also you can do a lot of different things with it,” said Franklyn, hopeful that his version will blow the competition into the Upper Bay at Pig Island on Saturday.

Why should you go?
This is New York’s biggest barbecue face-off. Chefs go through strenuous preparation for this event. While you were sleeping, it’s likely they were busy prepping. “Prep usually 2-3 days before event. It’s usually a challenge with my full time job so for me it’s done at nights,” said Franklyn, who is a coach and teacher during the week and a pitmaster on weekends. Tap the green button below for more info and the link to buy tickets.

Decades Pizza
Bushwick // 9.11

What’s the drop?
Chef Zach Hughes is comfortable making a number of different pizza styles after spending the last 8 years working in Brooklyn pizza joints. “The style for pop ups takes from Neopolitan-ish, as far as personal size and the mock wood fire flame of the oven. In the restaurant we will be switching to a deck oven with larger pizzas, using a very similar dough. And our staple is ‘Three Cheese’, which pays homage to New York slice shops and nostalgic Friday nights at any New England ‘house of pizza’.” Along with the three cheese and tomato pies, there will also be an end of summer special on Saturday - a white pizza with roasted peppers, mozzarella, basil and garlic oil, and an option to add pepperoni to both.

Why should you go?
This pop-up began in Hughes’ Brooklyn backyard in 2020 and has been going strong ever since; moving on to local bars, and hopefully establishing a brick and mortar soon. “The concept of Decades was and is to be a brick and mortar Pizzeria, but opening a restaurant takes time especially during the pandemic. So pop ups were a way to build a following, make pizza outside, and work with friends, bars, and venues,” said Hughes. This is a great opportunity to buy into Hughes’ Decades Pizza concept early before it becomes massive. Don’t you want to be the one who says “I tried that pizza when it was still a pop-up,” when it gets a record-setting rating on Barstool’s pizza reviews or has its own Super Bowl commercial? Tap the green button below for the time and location.

YOU SHOULDA 8it!

Not to rub it in, but here are some pop-ups & drops 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.

@mind_machine’s Porchetta Pop-up

Chef Angelo Competiello’s mind-bending, life-changing porchetta shook the Lower East Side last Saturday. He pulled up to Regina’s Grocery to slang some sangwiches decked out with porchetta, fried onions, peppers, potatoes, and provolone cheese. The sell out crowd brought a vibe to match the sandwiches down on Orchard Street. We gave out digital porchetta tokens and one lucky winner is getting a 10lb porchetta delivered to their home. That pic might make you want to eat your phone but instead, just keep an eye on the 🧨 Pop-Ups & Drops category and you’ll never miss a @mind_machine pop-up. Your stomach will thank you.

Shots from @mind_machine’s Porchetta Pop-Up

Local Roots x Malai
Ice Cream Sandwich

Like Eminem on a Dr. Dre track, this ice cream sandwich collab was EPIC. Its layers of flavor from peach ice cream and peach jam sandwiched between lemon cardamom snickerdoodles made it a highlight of the summer. It’s gone for now but we firmly recommend another Local Roots x Malai collab soon. When it happens, you’ll definitely find it on 8it.

NEVER MISS A FOOD POP-UP, DROP, OR COLLAB AGAIN!

Beta password is: NYCDROP