Courtesy of American Dream

New Jersey’s American Dream on Thursday announced the seven vendors that will make up the mega mall’s food hall. The 10,000-square-foot space will feature iconic New York City food and drink offerings, as well as oversized games, including Jenga, corn hole, and Connect 4. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and Best Pizza will be opening their first Garden State locations within the mall, along with NYC favorites Vinoteca, Lady M, and Vanessa’s Dumpling House. The food hall will celebrate its grand opening on July 13 with a corn hole tournament, live music, kid’s games, and prizes.

Find out more

Radio Park above Radio City Music Hall. Photo credit: Rockefeller Center

With the start of summer comes summer dining, and this July will mark the debut of an event that combines the excitement of Rockefeller Center with the experience of dining in a garden oasis high above New York City. Radio Park, the 24,000-square-foot landscaped rooftop that opened last year above Radio City Music Hall, will host “Dine at Radio Park,” a new weekend dining series led by two celebrated local chefs.

Find out more

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

New Yorkers may seem to need no encouragement to visit the city’s bounty of local restaurants, but independent eateries could use a boost after Covid restrictions kept everyone at home. DineAWAY is a joint effort by the MTA and the James Beard Foundation to get residents and visitors to explore New York City’s local restaurants and neighborhoods via subways, buses, and commuter rails. DineAWAY sweepstakes offer fabulous foodie prizes like dinner at favorite restaurants and VIP tickets to food festivals.

Delicious details, this way

Photo courtesy of the Empire State Building

One of New York City’s favorite speakeasies has opened at one of the world’s most famous buildings. PDT (Please Don’t Tell)–the cocktail bar hidden behind a phone booth in the East Village hot dog joint Crif Dogs–is operating a pop-up on the 86th-floor of the Empire State Building this month. In addition to enjoying sweeping city views and stellar signature drinks, guests can chow down on hot dogs from Crif Dogs.

Get the details

All images courtesy of Talea Beer Co.

New York City’s first and only female-owned and operated production brewery has opened a pop-up outside of Grand Central Terminal. Located at the corner of Vanderbilt Avenue and 45th Street, Talea Beer Co.’s pop-up brewery is open daily from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and offers five different beers on tap, as well as canned beers and draft pours to go. Open through September, the brewery also offers cocktails and wine for non-beer drinkers.

Details here

Photo courtesy of Howard Hughes Corp and Keeyahtay Lewis

A popular outdoor dining spot born as a result of social distancing measures is returning to New York City for a third summer. The Greens on The Rooftop at Pier 17  officially opened this month with three unique social spaces for visitors to enjoy. Located in the South Street Seaport, the rooftop venue now boasts a three-in-one concept with “The Lawns,” “The Restaurant,” and “The Patrón Patio.”

Find out more

Photo courtesy of Stephen H on Unsplash

Performance venue and restaurant chain City Winery will open a new location at one of the city’s busiest transit hubs. As first reported by Gothamist, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday approved a license for a restaurant and bar to take up nearly 16,000 square feet of space in Grand Central Terminal, at the western end of Vanderbilt Hall.

Learn more

All images courtesy of the Village Preservation

The site of a monumental event in the LGBTQ community’s fight against anti-gay discrimination was honored last week with a historic plaque. The Village Preservation and the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project on Thursday unveiled the plaque at Julius’ Bar at 159 West 10th Street. The bar was the site of the first “Sip-In,” an act of defiance in which members of gay rights groups entered the bar and asked to be served drinks while announcing they were homosexuals, going against the discriminatory regulations of the New York State Liquor Authority which at the time prohibited bars from serving gay or lesbian patrons. See more here

Courtesy of The Beekman Hotel

Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud is opening a new restaurant in one of New York City’s most iconic spaces. Located on the ground floor of the Beekman Hotel in the Financial District, Le Gratin will offer a casual dining experience inspired by the bistros of Boulud’s hometown, Lyon, France. The menu will feature classic French and Lyonnais specialties and an extensive wine list with over 100 selections. Guillaume Ginther, former chef of New York’s Le Coq Rico Bistro and Boulud’s Restaurant Daniel, will take up executive chef duties. Boulud’s new restaurant is set to open its doors on May 6; reservations will open on Resy on Thursday.

Details this way

All images courtesy of Melissa Hom

An inconspicuous locksmith and shoe repair storefront on the Upper East Side is actually home to a chic cocktail lounge. Located at 1488 Second Avenue, the speakeasy Keys & Heels comes from Massimo Lusardi, the restauranteur behind Uva and Uva Next Door. Hidden behind the facade of a locksmith and shoe repair store, Keys & Heels features a creative cocktail menu and a food menu that complements the bar’s “low-key” ambiance.

Find out more