5 Must-Eat Food Pop-Ups & Drops This Week in NYC
To be completely honest, we thought there would be a bit of a chill period in January for new pop-ups & dish drops… boy were we completely wrong. NYC chefs & restaurants are coming in hot to 2023 and we couldn’t be more ready. This week’s must-eats include some serious sandwich innovations, a special Lunar New Year drop and a new segment called Popped-Off!
As always, this article is just a small taste of the pop-ups and dish drops in the 🧨 Pop-Ups & Drops category on the 8it app. Hit the green button below each dish to access 8it and get all the deets. (Private Beta password: NYCDROP)
Breakfast at Fini’s
Williamsburg // 1.21
📸: @finipizza
This is the breakfast collab New York desperately needed. Fini Pizza will be decking out homemade bagels with Hometown Barbecue pastrami bacon, soft scrambled eggs, and provolone this Saturday. We got a chance to try the Hometown Barbecue pastrami bacon at the New York City Wine & Food Festival in October and can confirm it’s the Lebron James of bacon. Take a break from your bodega BEC this weekend & tap the bagel below for all the info.
886 x Dominique Ansel Shao Bing Pork Belly Sandwich
Flatiron // 1.20-1.22
The flakiest sandwich in history is hitting NYC this weekend and you don’t want to flake on it. Dominique Ansel Workshop and 886 are collabing to make a French-Style Braised Pork Belly Shao Bing Sandwich in celebration of the Lunar New Year. Chef Dominique imparts his French pastry expertise to the dish with a flatbread made using Les Grands Moulins des Paris flour and Beurre d’Isigny butter to give it a croissant-like texture. Chef Eric Sze’s slow-braised Taiwanese pork belly, pickled mustard greens, and peanut sugar complete the symphony of flavors and textures in this orchestra of a sandwich. Tap the pig and pastry below for all the info.
Kitchen Time Kev Smash Burger Pop-Up
Bed-Stuy // 1.20
📸: Reece Armstrong
The 2022 8it Awards 💪 Hustler of the Year Kitchen Time Kev is ready to take 2023 by storm. His smash burger pop-ups draw hungry crowds late into the night before he cuts it off at 1AM, so this is the pop-up for all you night owls out there. He smashes onions into his burger patties, tops them with more caramelized onions, and crunchy, tart dill pickles for a sweet and sour finish. If you haven’t tried it yet, this is one of the burgers you must get your hands on in NYC right now. Tap the burger below for all the info.
Pão de Queijo Slider
Carroll Gardens // 1.26
Brazilian tavern Santo Brúklin is known for their Pão de queijo; Brazilian cheese bread that pulls apart like a freshly-baked croissant. This month, on Thursdays only, they’re serving it stuffed with picanha, the top sirloin cap of steak famed for its flavor and texture. Topped with chimichurri and blistered tomatoes, this is the Pele of Brazilian sandwiches. Santo will be dropping a new slider every month, so if you can’t make it this week, stay tuned for the next one. Tap the Brazilian flag below for all the info.
Lunar New Year Take Home Spread
Midtown // Available thru 2.1
📸: @urbanhawker
Urban Hawker, the exciting new food hall in Midtown, inspired by Bourdain’s idea to bring a Singaporean hawker market to New York, is ringing in the year of the rabbit with some of its best dishes. Hawker stalls in Singapore often specialize in one dish that a family-owned business has been making for generations. These are exciting times as that tradition is now in its early stages right here in New York. Five of Urban Hawkers stalls are collabing for this spread that includes Yue Sang Prosperity Salad with Smoked Salmon by White Restaurant, Firecracker Spicy Fried Chicken by Ashes Burnnit, Lobster Longevity Noodles by Prawnaholic Collections, Crispy Dried Scallop Fried Rice by Mr Fried Rice, and Golden Salted Egg Fried Fish by Smokin' Joe. Tap the moon below for all the info.
In this new segment, we give our flowers to a pop-up that popped off enough to reach brick-and-mortar status. It takes true hustle, consistency & deliciousness to get to this point, so if you haven’t had it yet… its about time to go try it.
Caleta
East Village
📸: @caletanyc
Co-founders of Bad Habit Ice Cream, Jesse and Javier Zuniga, formerly of Wildair and Contra, recently opened Caleta, an East Village spot where they’re serving creative light bites, ice cream, beer and wine, although it’s #notawinebar. Think of it more as an ice cream parlor for grown-ups; something we’ve all secretly needed for some time. Vegetarian and vegan options are available amongst their small plates and ice cream, and the menu will change frequently according to Eater. However, their notorious mussel toast (which caught our attention during their residency at Ostudio) will likely always be on the menu. Tap the ice cream below for all the info on this hot new spot.
Beta password is: NYCDROP