Fun Places To Try This Weekend
All summer long, we’ll be recommending where to eat and drink to take advantage of a New York summer weekend, including great patios, one-time pop-ups, and easy day trips, updated every Friday. Have a pick for us to include?
Baczynsky’s East Village Meat Market: After days of high humidity, rain, and wildly variable temps, this weekend promises to be a summer gem. So why not have a picnic? This landmark Ukrainian butcher — which has an expanded carryout menu on the weekends — can provide sturdy breads; cold cuts like kielbasa, bologna, and a choice of cheeses and head cheeses; and accoutrements like pickles, mustard, fruit juices, and pastries and cookies for dessert. To make things easier, why not go for its famous ham-sandwich special ($9): wads of smoky ham, provolone, lettuce, and ripe tomato on a Portuguese roll. Carry it to the central lawn of Tompkins Square, maybe with a bottle of wine, and enjoy. 139 Second Ave, near 9th Street, East Village.
Lita: A New Jersey spot worth a detour is Lita from Neilly Robinson and chef David Viana — a semifinalist for the James Beard Awards. The Portuguese-leaning restaurant has some of the most delicious paella around, with just about every grain part of a socarrat, thanks to the live-fire setup that frames the back of the restaurant. Go here for fancy cocktails over pebble ice, gazpacho, garlic shrimp, and caballa (with Spanish mackerel). The paella can change though there’s always a vegan option. Sit in the dining room for a three-course $78 prix-fixe or at the bar for a la carte. 1055 NJ-34, near South Atlantic Avenue, Aberdeen Township, New Jersey.
L&B Spumoni Gardens: Summer is the perfect time to visit this classic pizzeria with the thickest, doughiest pizza around and some terrific people watching on a fine summer night. Commit to a house salad and a Sicilian pizza and don’t skip out on the spumoni for dessert. Or treat yourself to a royal red sauce feast inside, with fried zucchini, baked clams, eggplant parm, and more. (The Dumbo location is coming soon.) 2725 86th Street, near West 10th Street, Bensonhurst.
