Edible Events: July 2015

There are all manner of fun, food events taking place in New York on a daily basis — from lavish, charity-driven galas to crowded, walk-around tastings and an endless array of pop-ups.  But unless you have the time and money to party seven days a week, you’ll have to be somewhat discerning about what goes onto your calendar.  So here are just a few worthy food celebrations we recommend getting tickets (or making reservations) for now!

French Restaurant Week (7/13-19): Not only does the summer iteration of New York Restaurant Week kick off in July, but also French Restaurant Week does as well.  Hosted in collaboration with Open Table, over 120 trés jolie eateries will offer special prixe fix menu options, so be sure to try the Foie Gras Torchon at Le Philosophe, Fricassee d’ Escargots at Le Perigord, and Frogs Legs with brandade at Brooklyn’s L’Antagoniste.

Celebrate Flatiron Chefs (7/14): What’s that you say, a tasting of the best of the Flatiron, the likes of ABC Kitchen, Cosme & Eleven Madison Park?  Yep.  $200 general admission tickets to this outdoor tasting event will go towards funding Madison Square Park’s various horticulture, maintenance and cultural programs.  And while that may sound seriously pricey, consider how many incredible chefs and restaurants are part of Flatiron’s buzzy restaurant scene, who’ll also be serving tasty bites at the sunny soiree — think craftbar, Eleven Madison Park, The Gander, The John Dory Oyster Bar, Hanjan, Junoon, ABC Kitchen, Cosme, Park Avenue Summer and so much more!

Rooftop Crawl (7/16-18): New York may not be the greenest city in the world, but it’s hard to beat a balmy summer evening spent on one of our many rooftop bars.  And tickets to this fun event will give you an opportunity to visit some of the best, all in one fell swoop — try the Happy Hour Tour on Thursday, the Friday Weekend Tour, or Sunset Saturday, featuring VIP entry and drink specials at 230 Fifth (NY’s largest outdoor rooftop garden), Sixty LES (boasting a retractable glass roof), the bi-level, 5,000-square foot Attic Rooftop Bar, the Sky Room, with 360-degree views of Manhattan, and the Gansevoort Park Rooftop Bar, set 20 stories above the city.

Jamaican Jerk Festival (7/19): Don’t worry if you can’t make it to Jamaica — or some other exotic, palm tree-ringed locale — this summer.  Because this annual festival is the largest celebration of Caribbean food in the city, featuring a Jerk Chicken cook-off pavilion, as well as over 40 vendors serving all manner of tropical treats, such as Plantains, Meat Pies, Cod Fritters and Roti.

Butcher Paper Dinner Lobster Boil (7/26): What’s summer without a good old-fashioned lobster boil?  You’ll definitely want to get on this Butcher Paper-sponsored dinner, held on Brooklyn Grange’s breathtaking rooftop farm to boot.  Lobster Place will be providing the crustaceans, served with all the necessary accoutrements, including clams, oysters, shrimp, potatoes, sweet corn and dessert, for the agreeably low price of only $95.

Edible Manhattan’s Good Beer (7/30): Celebrate one of summer’s hallmark libations, beer, at Edible Manhattan’s annual event.  For $65 (or $45, if you’re an early bird), you’ll get to taste brews from many of the best craft artisans in the U.S., such as KelSo, Brooklyn Brewery, Southern Tier Brewing Company and Narragansett Beer, paired with nibbles from local establishments like Gramercy Tavern, Almond, Untamed Sandwiches and Monument Lane.