The Art & Chaos of Pop-Up Dining
Plus collabs you should know about: a Schnitzel themed dinner, a pizza and Thai-American crossover, a block party, and more
Running a restaurant is a knife’s edge business - razor thin margins, high staff turnover rates, long hours on your feet and in blisteringly hot kitchens. Even the most esteemed restauranteurs often say that every day is a struggle to make ends meet. Now layer on the normal chaos with that of a one-off collab: dreaming up a new menu, testing dishes that should take weeks in days, sourcing unfamiliar ingredients, briefing a fresh crew, and praying the brûlée torches stay lit. Pop-ups are the restaurant grind, multiplied.
For many chefs though, this opportunity is a rare and exciting one to combine their craft, to partner with friends, mentors or dream collaborators, to bring in a new audience, and to express cooking as their art form through a story of cuisine, colors and char.
Case in point: last week’s Bridges x Brat & Mountain collab dinner, where Bridges’ chef Sam Lawrence teamed up with London’s Tomos Parry for a two-night ode to open-fire cooking. Partner, restaurant consultant, and industry veteran, Nicholas Moulet, described the effort as “a night built on pure intentionality; flying in a chef from another city, let alone country, means working through hundreds of tiny kinks” but that it pays off in an experience guests can’t find anywhere else, and one that keeps them coming back.
Nicholas described the nuances of their first summer open (and being a 9 month old business) - how hard it is to keep up in New York when there are constantly new openings “and everyone is always trying to stay pace with what is new and hottest.” That’s also what made this pop-up feel rare: it wasn’t about sprinting to the next shiny opening, it made me pause and watch the craft unfold in real time - a deliberately fleeting feeling in a (restaurant) city that never sleeps.
Another prime example that took on a totally different meaning was this week’s “Burgers with Buddies” series at gertrude’s. Not a full restaurant takeover, but a continuous series that Eli Sussman of gertrude’s kicked off earlier this summer - whereby every other Monday night, he brings in a different chef from around (primarily) NYC to prepare their take on a burger + some other special menu items.
This week’s series featured Food and Wine Best New Chef and James Beard Award Winning Pastry Chef Camari Mick, of Raf’s and Musket Room, who served a “Tropic Like It’s Hot Burger” - which featured grilled rum pinapple, fermented scotch bonnet, aioli and tamarind ketchup. The unexpected flavor combination created a mash-up of cheesy, spicy, creamy, and citrus - all swallowed up by burger juice - which was perfectly balanced and not overly powerful on the fruit or sweetness side.
It was my first time at gertrude’s (regretfully), but the vibe was a mix of weeknight locals, and those like me who travelled for the collab night - a clear goal of the pop-up. It was buzzing - livelier than any ordinary Monday‑night neighborhood spot and, as one guest told the waiter, far busier than a regular, non‑collab service night there.
I actually got the chance to speak with Eli the following day at a meeting, and he said that these Monday night collabs actually bring in 2-3x the revenue of a typical service night. Not only that, but it captures in a new and distinct audience - introducing the restaurant to an untapped customer base in an organic way that ideally sets the stage for repeat visits. Count me among them.
With that taste of collaboration still lingering, I sourced my Resy knowledge and my Instagram feed for the next set of pop-ups poised to deliver that same intentionality.
Upcoming Events: 7/25-8/5
Toad Bakery x Radio Bakery - July 25th-July 27th
London’s Toad Bakery is bringing two of their classic pastries to Radio Bakery (in Greenpoint) all weekend long. The lineup includes their famous corn croissant and their chocolate pan - a Japanese Cream Pan milk bun with chocolate custard, silky ganache, and matcha sugar.
ACE’s Pizza x Little Grenjai Summer Collab Series - July 25th
Thai-American neighborhood spot in Bed-Stuy, Little Grenjai, comes to Ace’s Pizza in Greenpoint for the ultimate Brooklyn cross-over with crispy, pies, spicy bites, and ice-cold drinks. For a $34.95 ticket, guests can enjoy one speciality collab food item, a t-shirt, and unlimited good vibes.
Nowon x Peter Pan Donuts - July 25th and July 26th
In honor of the 2nd birthday of Nowon’s Bushwick location, they’re teaming up with Peter Pan Donuts and introducing the “Luther” burger, which is a single patty, bacon, cheese, kimchi special sauce, pickles, all served on a Peter Pan Glazed donut. Order one or a baker’s dozen - which is not for the faint of heart.
Cove on the Farm - July 26th & July 27th
In anticipation of the opening of Chef Flynn McGarry (of the Gem family)’s new restaurant Cove, he is hosting a series of pop-up dinners at Cove’s garden at Mama Farm on Long Island. Celebrating east coast product and seafood, the dishes will be locally sourced directly from the garden and nearby waters, and will be complete with a guided tour of the farm, followed by a five course family style dinner in the garden - with the option to stay overnight at the Mama Farm B&B.
Schnitzel Night at Gem Home - July 26th
Gem is back, and better than ever — kicking off with a series of themed nights. The first of the series is a schnitzel night — with an Austrian inspired set menu that features pork and lion’s mane schnitzel (to be honest, I didn’t even know lion’s mane schnitzel was a thing) and vintages of Weingut Weirlitsch wines (an Austrian winery made by winer who has been perfecting their craft for 26 years).
Clemente Bar Visionary Series - July 29 & July 30
As part of their new recurring Visionary Series, Clemente Bar (the newest venture and star-studded cocktail bar from the Eleven Madison Park Team) welcomes some of the world’s most innovative bartenders to take over the Lounge and Studio for special collabs. On July 29th and 30th, they welcome in Holly Graham of Tokyo Confidential, one of Asia’s most exciting cocktail bars for both an intimate collab dinner with the Clemente Bar chef and beverage team, and a bar takeover of the lounge.
Chez Ma Tante x Natoora Street Party - July 31st
Chez Ma Tante and Natoora team up again for another epic street party — think fresh fruit, grilling, cold drinks. Natoora is a farm fund that backs the agro-ecological growers of the future, so at this event, 15% of ticket proceeds will be donated to the farm fund which helps support the next generation of acroecological growers.
Charles Raben takeover of Margot - August 3rd
Charles Raben, a NYC born and raised private chef will be doing a chef takeover of Margot - with a $75/pp pre-fix, where diners can expect dishes like fish sauce pork ribs, smoked corn couscous, Gai spam, and flippers with ice cream.
gertrude’s Presents: Flying In Friends with Annette - August 4th and 5th
gertrude’s, a neighborhood bar and restaurant inspired by a love for iconic NYC food and jew-ish cuisine, welcomes Food and Wine’s Best New Chef (Class of 2019) and James Beard Award Winner Caroline Glover from Annette in Denver for a two-night only event series. Monday, August 4th Caroline will be taking over the kitchen as part of Gertrude’s regularly scheduled Monday night summer burger series “Burger with Buddies.” On Tuesday, August 5th Caroline returns for an epic five-course collab dinner.
Rezdôra x Hosteria Giusti - August 5th
For 2-nights only, the team at Hosteria Giusti, an iconic and aged old salumeria and restaurant from Modena, Italy arrives in New York and in Rezdôra’s kitchen for an Italian feast. For $395, diners are invited for an unforgettable experience - taking guests to experience the dishes from the small village that inspired Rezdôra - now one of New York City’s most popular and in-demand Italian restaurant.
Theodora x Bankgok Supper Club - August 5th
For one-night only, two of New York’s most esteemed restaurants come together for a collab dinner celebrating the bold, expressive flavors of Thai and Mediterranean cuisine. A nine-course family style menu priced at $160 per person — featuring dishes like an uni crab tartlet and whole grilled Branzino with Thai chimichurri and harissa.
Hellbender x Ensenada - August 5th
The James Beard Foundation is hosting Chef Yara Herrera of Hellbender and Chef Luis Herrera Di Prisco of Ensenada for a one-night only dinner. Bringing together the bold, beautiful flavors of Luis’s seafood-forward talent and Yara’s fearless, emotionally resonant approach to the plate - this dynamic duo’s one-night only collab promises a night of culinary artistry through passionate, soulful Mexican dishes.
In a city sprinting on a never-ending treadmill of new openings, these unique collaborations are a reminder of the beauty of dining out in NYC - where art surpasses hype, stories and visions are brought to life on a plate, and shared risk and shared joy come together to contribute to New York’s everlasting food and cultural zeitgeist.
omg thanks for putting the Natoora cookout on my radar that sounds fun