Must-Eat Food Pop-Ups & Drops in NYC 10.14-10.21
Fall makes us think of change. Changing weather, changing leaves and most importantly, changing restaurants. One of the Lower East Side’s favorite pizza joints just became an omakase counter by night and a sandwich spot by day. An upscale sit-down spot in the East Village will be the site of a paella rager this weekend. One of the city's marquee Mexican restaurants is going Vietnamese this Tuesday and the best meal I’ve had out recently wasn’t in a restaurant at all, but a chef’s basement. If you’re afraid of change, look away. This week’s Must-Eats is full of NYC chefs and restaurants switching it up.
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.
Arroces Street Paella x Freme Craiche
East Village // 10.15
📸: @arrocesnyc
Arroces, the paella pop-up by Chef Ed Cuenca that could transform a Sunday afternoon in even the staunchest of neighborhoods to a full-blown fiesta won’t have to worry about altering the vibe much this Sunday. They’ll be popping up in the East Village, where East Villains are constantly lurking to stir up a scene, at Amigo by Nai. Not only will Chef Ed be slinging paella saturated with fresh seafood from 60-inch pans, there will also be cantaloupe with jamón serrano, gazpacho with black garlic oil and fermented ají dulce honey, and tortilla española with ají dulce alioli. House music will be bumping and Freme Craiche will be on pastries debuting a Fall menu of Kabocha Crème Caramel and a Quince Cream Puff. Find all the info in the 💥 Pop-ups category on the 8it app.
Quan Ngo Dinner
Bushwick // 10.16
📸: @sobremasa
Michelin-trained chef Quan Ngo, who helped open Di An Di in Greenpoint, is taking over the kitchen at Sobre Masa the next two Tuesdays. His current series of pop-up dinners delve into the culturally diverse cuisines he experienced in his Flushing, Queens childhood, one of which was Mexican. With Sobre Masa being a Mexican restaurant and Chef Quan being Vietnamese-American, the menu will feature Mexican dishes made with Vietnamese-leaning ingredients and techniques. A flounder aguachile with spiced papaya juice, a tostada with mussels in Vietnamese chili salt butter, pozole with fermented shrimp paste, tripe and eel adobo, and flan with tonka bean coffee caramel feature on the menu. Find all the info in the 💥 Pop-ups category on the 8it app.
Bowl of ‘Zole
Sunset Park // 10.19
📸: @ivangarciachef
Probably NYC’s most underrated food festival, Bowl of ‘Zole is back! This once a year pozole experience features over twenty classic and innovative riffs on Mexico’s favorite stew by some of the city’s top chefs and restaurants. This year’s lineup includes Casa Enrique, Oxomoco, Nura, La Contenta, Mijo, La Lonchería, Tacos Güey and Ursula. Real ones know: kill pho, f*ck ramen, MARRY POZOLE. Find all the info in the 💥 Pop-ups category on the 8it app.
Nazli & Co.
Lower East Side // Thru 2023
📸: @nazliandco
Nazli & Co., a pop-up bakery featuring cookies and cakes with South Asian flavors is open at the Sommwhere space on Essex Street through the end of the year. Their treats are worthy of the ultimate compliment for Asian desserts- not too sweet, and they’re pulling it off with innovative takes on the classics. Their chocolate chip cookies are as salty as they are sweet with subtle hints of ginger and cinnamon. They’re running basque cheesecakes in yuzu and rose-cardamom flavors, a matcha-orange blossom olive oil cake with raspberry coulis and raspberry Swiss buttercream, plus so much more. Find all the info in the 💥 Pop-ups category on the 8it app.
Clubhouse Sandos & Suds
Lower East Side // 11AM-8PM Daily
📸: @clubhousesandos
Clubhouse Sandos & Suds has taken over the front space of the old Scarr’s pizza, where you used to order your Hot Boy Slice before waiting 15 minutes for some reason, although it was always worth it. The pop-up features absolutely stacked sandwiches including a nuanced take on the chopped cheese with gochujang brisket (pictured), one with roasted chicken livers, mustard, pickled shallots and cucumbers, and a bacon egg and cheese with creme fraiche and harissa. 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.
Din Din
My first Din Din by chef Courtney Sproule was at a coffee shop in the West Village and the food alone left enough of an impression that I was dreaming about it recurringly for the next year. But that was a Din Din away from Chef Courtney’s home digs and I was not prepared for the convivial embrace that enveloped myself and a few other diners when I finally did make it out to Bed-Stuy for my second Din Din. Courtney’s foyer exposes a beautiful open kitchen decorated with herbal arrangements and enough shelf space to put any traditional restaurant to shame. Downstairs is a romantically lit dining room set up for an evening of indulgence. A lamb speck crepinette with a zucchini ribbon salad and verbena aioli ate like a deconstructed lamb and tzatziki served at the perfect temperature. Marcona almond gazpacho garnished with a fresh shrimp was a last dance with summer ingredients that reminded me what shrimp should taste like. The Jimmy Nardello cream I had been yearning for since my last Din Din reappeared alongside a melt-in-your-mouth pork tenderloin. This domestic dining experience, sitting at a dinner table with strangers who become friends, enjoying food conceived without consideration of image, but instead guided by seasonality and the chef’s creativity alone, is one I would recommend to anyone.
Psst…If you’ve made it this far, you probably give a damn about what we’re doing at 8it. Our founder Steve would love to get to know you. Hit this link to lock in 15 minutes to say what’s up.
