Time Out Market: both a magazine and culinary hotspot at once

Sarah Finkel

Time Out, the revolutionary media company known to compile some of the best itineraries for city exploration, has officially launched its third Time Out Market located in Dumbo (55 Water St, Brooklyn)—and it’s already a huge success after having opened barely a month ago.

Following in the footsteps of its Portugal and Miami predecessors, New York’s Time Out Market overlooks the Manhattan skyline with unbeatable views of the East River, garnering plenty of foot traffic in the popular waterfront scene near the Brooklyn Bridge.

Unlike traditional food halls, Time Out Market’s vision was designed by a magazine, rather than a business plan. Some of the most cultured veterans of New York City, a.k.a. the editors of Time Out New York, personally crafted the market’s collection of eateries by wining and dining at an unlimited number of restaurants until their palettes were fully satiated.

Their top picks were consolidated into 21 venues, each of them complementing the other in a meticulously curated mix. Between Israeli chef Meir Adoni’s Nur, authentic Japanese cuisine at Bessou, classic pancake institution Clinton St. Baking Company, and health-conscious vegan spot BKLYN Wild, the hungry New Yorker (or visitor) has a multitude of cuisines and tastes to choose from—all under one roof.

Not only does the 24,000-square-foot market house 21 vendors, it also features a demo cooking area, a video-installation wall, and three bars, with some of the finest cocktails in the game. The communal tables are equipped with leather chairs, and the food is served on real dishware with metal utensils.

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The Freshest Food is from Above: New York’s Rooftop Gardens

Kara Schlotthauer

Agriculture reaches further than just in the acres of open farmland in the Midwest; it’s also suspended above pedestrians’ heads in the middle of NYC. Gardens are taking over the roofs of New York’s buildings, silencing the excuse that wide open spaces are necessary to produce quality, fresh vegetables and herbs. These rooftop gardens find their places atop apartment buildings and restaurants, while New Yorkers also use plots of ground-level land where possible to establish urban farms. Urbanites have taken their nutrition into their own hands to get only the best ingredients to support a healthy lifestyle, ranging from a few contained plants to bulging green expanses.

Even city lawmakers are on board with more green spaces. A bill is currently in the works that would promote the importance of urban farming and community gardens, protecting them and adding bright spots of growth to vacant lots around the area. This is one of the reasons why careful planning is really important in gardening.

Many small community gardens and farms are spread throughout the city’s neighborhoods, located largely on publicly-owned land or operated by nonprofit organizations to make the food accessible to community members.

A few of the largest gardens crowning New York’s rooftops, though, are listed below.

Riverpark Farm at Alexandria Center

Instagram: @riverparknyc

A year-long paused construction site caught the attention of Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio and Gramercy Tavern alum Sisha Ortuzar as the perfect site to grow the freshest ingredients for their restaurant. Planted in milk crates, the portable garden relocated to the plaza’s north side when construction restarted, not giving up on the quality of the dishes served with the 100 types of fresh vegetables.

Bell Book & Candle

Using a vertical garden system, Bell Book & Candle is a host for a lush rooftop garden, placing the highest value on locally and organically grown produce. The menu selections heavily rely on the available ingredients acquired from the garden and cycles through the year’s seasons, bringing guaranteed savory flavors to every dish prepared.

Brooklyn Grange

Instagram: @brooklyngrange

Despite the location its name suggests, this rooftop garden is based out of Long Island City. Claiming five and a half acres of rooftop space across Brooklyn and Queens, Brooklyn Grange operates the largest rooftop soil farms in the world. Since 2010, it’s passion is to grow and source food to local communities in the eco-friendliest way. Modern urban agriculture takes its cues from Brooklyn Grange, and the 80,000 lbs. of produce isn’t all that it offers. The rooftop gardens double as event venues for yoga classes, weddings and dinner parties.

 If you don’t want to walk down the street for a ripe tomato or a sprig of parsley, you could create your own garden with a bit of a green thumb. While personal rooftop gardens require a considerable amount of care, time and money, many New Yorkers are accepting the challenge to get the best ingredients for their meals.

 The reward of a self-grown garden is worth the effort anywhere you go, from the tallest building to just around the block.

 For tips to start your own rooftop garden, check out these websites:

• Before Starting Your Garden                                           

• Starting a Rooftop Container Garden

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Our Favorite Summer Spots For Seafood

New Yorkers can experience the flavors of the ocean throughout Manhattan without having to go as far as New England or even the Hamptons. From Mediterranean-inspired dishes to the Lobster Dumplings and classic Shrimp Cocktail here are some of our favorite seafood restaurants.

Tavern62 by David Burke, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is an American tavern serving up an array of dishes from the mind of culinary titan Chef David Burke. Some of the seafood highlights include the Lobster Dumplings, spicy tomato, lemon confit, basil; Pretzel Crusted Crab Cakeold bay tomato jam, chipotle tartar sauce; and Ginger & Pepper-Crusted Salmon, chickpea puree, beet tartare and Fresno chili. 

Pretzel Crusted Crab Cake

Marea, set in a chic Central Park South setting, offers a variety of high end seafood and home made pastas from Chef Michael White. Boasting an array of crudos, oysters and caviar, Marea also offers an extensive selection of seafood inspired pasta dishes, seasonal fish and meat dishes, and whole fish dishes. With two Michelin stars, one of the must have menu items is the fusili with braised octopus and bone marrow.

Catch NYC A globally influenced seafood-restaurant, set in a landmark building at the heart of Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, CATCH New York features contemporary renditions of classic seafood preparations, successfully fusing great food, service and an exceptional scene as it appeals to the tastes of today’s modern diner.  Serving up dishes that are both sophisticated and approachable, CATCH’s streaming, sharable style of dining continues to achieve success as it resonates with the owners’ original vision of marrying deliciously simple yet elegant seafood with excellent service and a superior, interactive atmosphere. This combination, coupled with the extension of CATCH Roof and its al fresco dining.

Cantonses Lobster

The Regency Bar & Grill, Loews Regency New York Hotel’s signature restaurantin the Upper East SIde offers approachable and ingredient-forward dishes. Under the direction of new Executive Chef Catherine Medrano, the restaurant is working with regional, organic farms and supporting ecological fishing practices. With perennial and recognizable ingredients, guests who are looking for sustainable culinary options can enjoy quality food time and time again.

Shrimp Cocktail

In the heart of Union Square resides the iconic seafood staple, Blue Water Grill. Offering a modern American seafood menu, courtesy of Executive Chef Chris Meenan, Blue Water Grill featured a decadent raw bar and innovative, market fresh dishes. The iconic seafood restaurant boasts delicious dishes, cocktails, an expansive wine list and an outdoor dining area perfect for Summer.

Haven Rooftop 7th Anniversary

Sarah Finkel

Last Monday, Haven Rooftop celebrated its 7th Anniversary with a Moroccan/Mykonos-themed cocktail party, featuring mouthwatering appetizers and summery jams. Situated atop The Sanctuary Hotel, Haven Rooftop has remained a popular destination for a Mediterranean inspired getaway, providing guests with the perfect spot to enjoy the city skyline while sipping on various alcoholic delights. Grey goose cocktails such as the Cloudtini, Le Grand Fizz and Midnight Express were in constant flow at the anniversary gathering, along with the signature Whispering Angel Rosé. Haven also serves a full dinner menu, offering an eclectic spin on French-American.

Haven Rooftop is located at 132 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036

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5 Must Visit Travel Destinations for Beer Lovers

By Peter Minkoff

How far are you willing to travel for a good pint of beer? If you’re a true beer lover, there’s no distance that can keep you away from trying a new type in a new country! So, if you’re really crazy about good beer, here are the top destinations you must visit this year that will quench your thirst.

Seattle

Seattle has an amazing brewery-count with over 60 breweries doing business and serving beer lovers from all over the globe. Each year, we get a new addition to the scene, and this year we got one of the best: Future Primitive Brewing. This little brewery specializes in “little beers” as their inventors like to call them. They are making an effort to rediscover old and forgotten methods and outdated styles and employ them in making something new and delicious. Other must-visit breweries include some cult faves like Reuben’s Brews, Cloudburst and Pike.

Tokyo

Beer is rarely the reason why people decide to visit Tokyo, but even if that’s not your main mission, don’t leave this city without sampling some of Japan’s best crafts. Tokyo has a pretty good scene filled with both local- and expat-owned breweries that serve everything from Japanese crafts to American favorites. For instance, make sure to visit Watering Hole in Shibuya that serves a fun mix of Japanese craft (Onisdensetsu, Minoh) and American Burley Oak and Upslope. A relatively new addition to the scene is Øl—a Scandinavian-Japanese bar opened up in partnership with Oslo Brewing. They serve everything from Oslo’s beers to Kyoto Brewing beers to Ballast Point lagers to house-made ginger ale!

Sydney

One thing is for sure, Australians love their beer! Craft breweries are popping up all over the country, especially in Sydney which is a must-visit beer destination. There’s not much to say about the scene that will make your brewery choice any easier: wherever you see beer, feel free to grab a pint, especially when in Marrickville, the country’s beer capital. Marrickville also has an excellent craft beer store that offers around 1000 beers from just about every beer brewing region in the world including local crafts. This means you can bring a taste of Australia with you and surprise those waiting at home with a bottle of best Aussie craft.    

Prague

The Czech Republic not only consumes the most beer per person, but they also produce some of the best brands of lager. Staropramen, Kozel, Pilsner Urquell, Krusovice and Budweiser are some of the most popular beers in Europe. Kozel is very masculine and strong with its dark foam and thick taste while Pilsner Urquell is known for its “hoppy” taste. If you want to try something light and sweet, opt for Matuska, one of the country’s youngest crafts and try their Zlata Raketa with undertones of citrus and tropical fruit. All in all, drinking beer, especially crafts, is a valid pastime and hobby in the capital of Prague, so there are a plethora of different bars where you can sample some of the country’s best crafts. And there’s just no best or worst bar to visit in Prague. Each is completely unique and offers what they think is the best example of Czech beer. So, don’t hesitate to visit them all!

Berlin

It’s just impossible to leave out Germany when talking about beer. So, when in Berlin, make sure to go straight to Markthalle Neun, an urban market filled with everything one hipster might need: Good coffee, fresh and farm-raised food and craft beer. Heidenpeters is the place to go if you want to try amazing Pale Ale, IPA and Brown Ale (sometimes they also offer Porters and Stouts). In Kreuzberg’s Wrangelkeiz neighborhood search for Hopfenreich that serves local beers from producers like Berliner Berg, Stone Berlin and Spent Collective. And Brlo Brwhouse is a modern beer playground that serves around 20 beers on tap from house-brewed Helles to other local, national and international beers. It’s really a place to be. And, if you’re visiting Berlin in July, make sure to visit Berlin Beer Week, a 10-day celebration of beer experience with numerous events taking place throughout the capital.

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