With summer Fridays kicking off, every weekend is a long weekend, which means more time to read this article and plan your schedule accordingly to hit all the elusive food pop-ups and dish drops you can’t miss this weekend. So click that “out of office” button, pull up your calendar, and block out as much DND time as your boss can tolerate. This week’s Must-Eats include a Caribbean cocktail of barbecue inspiration, doughnut inception, a wild boar ragu that beat Bobby Flay, and more.

As always, this article is just a small taste of the pop-ups and drops you can find in the 8it app. Hit the green button at the bottom of this article to explore the 8it app.

Bark Barbecue x Palmira Barbecue
Dumbo // 6.4

This Sunday, a Caribbean cocktail of barbecue inspiration will hit the roof of Timeout Market in Dumbo. The Dominican flavors of Ruben Santana’s Bark Barbecue will link up with South Carolina’s Puerto Rican pitmaster Hector Garate of Palmira Barbecue. These two burgeoning bastions of barbecue have similar backstories, starting with DIY pop-ups and growing organically into brick-and-mortars- Palmira will be opening theirs in Charleston this summer. According to Timeout, Bark’s Dominican-Texas-style ribs, pulled pork, chicharrón and longaniza will be joined by Palmira’s beef cheeks, pionono sausage and fried pork chop on the menu. Find all the info in the 💥 Pop-ups category on the 8it app.

Amazing Thailand Fest
Tribeca // 6.3 & 6.4

Don’t order takeout pad thai for the third night this week, because some of New York’s top Thai food destinations will set up shop at Oculus Plaza on Saturday and Sunday for the Amazing Thailand Fest. Somtum Der, Zabb Putawn, and Lan Larb Chiangmai are just some of the names involved, and you might just find yourself a new favorite Thai joint. Thai performances including a fashion show, a drag show, and a Muay Thai demonstration will accompany the rock solid food lineup. Find all the info in the 💥 Pop-ups category on the 8it app.

Mind Machine’s Fornino Takeover
Greenpoint // 6.5

The Prince of Porchetta, Chef Angelo Competiello has been on a nationally televised tear, winning NFL Tailgate Takedown and beating Bobby Flay on Beat Bobby Flay so far this year. “Compete” is in his name for a reason. We’ve all leaned into our TV screens, mouths wide open, desperately wanting to taste the food on cooking competition shows before, and now is your chance. Angelo will be serving the Tuscan-inspired wild boar ragu over polenta he beat Bobby Flay with, more homemade treats, and glorious Tuscan wines at Fornino for this dinner event. There are only a few tickets left so act fast! Find all the info in the 💥 Pop-ups category on the 8it app.

Doughnuts & Coffee Doughnut
West Village // 6.5

Someone call Leo, because a rare occurrence of doughnut inception will take place on Morton Street this weekend, as The Doughnut Project is dropping a coffee and vanilla swirl-glazed doughnut with vanilla whipped cream, cinnamon sugar, and an extra doughnut on top. The doughnut is inspired by Luis Alberto Urrea’s novel Good Night, Irene, which is based on the true story of a group of women called Donut Dollies who brought doughnuts to frontline soldiers during World War II. We couldn’t imagine a better way to celebrate National Doughnut Day than indulging in this masterpiece while honoring the rich history of this sweet treat. Find all the info in the 🧨 Drops category on the 8it app.

Tikkun BBQ
Astoria // 6.3

In the barbecue district, right on the corner of f*ck around and find out, you will find Tikkun BBQ. Led by pitmaster Eli Goldman, this crew is fearless, and their menu this weekend shows their willingness to choose the path less traveled to barbecue success. A smoked half chicken with hot honey and grilled lime, Malaysian curry butter beef ribs with basil, and an Oklahoma-style smash burger are the options for their pop-up at Prince Abou’s Butchery. This is some of the city’s top BBQ and per their current schedule, you won’t be able to get it again until July, so set your GPS to Astoria Saturday night to avoid a nightmarish bout with FOMO. Find all the info in the 💥 Pop-ups category on the 8it app.

Not to rub it in, but here’s a pop-up you may have missed out on. To stay in the know on all the hottest drops in real-time, check out the pop-ups and drops categories in the 8it app.

Rib King

Rib King took Industry City in Sunset Park by storm last Saturday, as some of the top pitmasters in NYC and beyond flooded the courtyard to compete for rib supremacy. Standouts from the slew of meaty goodness that followed included the Gary Vee of BBQ- Smoke Sweats, who placed second, Union Square Hospitality Group’s BBQ outpost Blue Smoke by Chef Bret Lunsford, who won fan favorite, and the surprise winner Bear’s BBQ, who showed that Connecticut BBQ is built different. Their fall-off-the-bone rib exhibited a bark that allowed the meat to keep its form all the way up until the bite. It was lathered in a decadent, sweet sauce, and topped with bread crumbs that provided a surprising crunch, taking its texture to the next level. The competition came down to the wire like a seven game series, and that’s why an event like this is excruciating to miss. The next competition by Food Karma Projects, who organized the event, will be Pig Island on September 9. Find all the info in the 💥 Pop-ups category on the 8it app.

Smoke Sweats’ video recap

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