Cookout NYC Invites You To Enjoy Outdoor Dining On The Pier, Starting On Memorial Day

Meryl Pearlstein, Travel and Food Notes|

Mark this address and these dates in your foodie calendar: Stuyvesant Cove Park at 23rd and East River). Manhattan is finally capitalizing on its Eastside waterfront with a series of outdoor food parties, beginning Memorial Day weekend (May 28-29).

Pick from "pay-as-you-go" dining or an all-inclusive "Sunset Session" ticket to these events that will tempt you with BBQ stations for both vegetarians and meat lovers, live music, beer/cider, showcase cook-offs, and music. On Saturday, George Motz's Battle of the Burgers will steal the show, followed by a sustainable-seafood Sea2Table Fish Fry on Sunday.

Saturday (5/28), Day Session (12-4PM); Sunday (5/29), Day Session (2-4PM) – pay-as-you-go ($10 Admission includes one beer or cider drink ticket; children 12 and under free with paying adult)

  • Hard cider and craft beer options (10+ providers), including Sixpoint, Southern Tier, Downeast Ciders, Original Sin and more; wine available for purchase
  • All-American food, including grilled cheese stations, American-style BBQ, vegetarian dogs and portabella burgers, biscuits, lobster rolls from Luke's Lobster, seafood from Eddie Oysters Raw Bar, Jimmy's No. 43, Harry Hawk Schnack Burgers, Prawn Shop, Copenhagen Street dogs, ice cream and more
  • Live music from Giant Flying Turtles, Kami Maltz, Food Will Win the War, and other guests with waterfront viewing

Saturday (5/28), Sunset Session (5-9PM); Sunday (5/29), Sunset Session (5-9PM) – all-inclusive tickets (5-6PM VIP Raw Bar included, 6-9PM Raw Bar is pay-as-you-go with all other food/drink included)  Tickets range from $45 to $75.

  • Saturday: George Motz's Battle of the Burgers / Sunday: Sea2Table Fish Fry —  sliders from George Motz, Harry Hawk's Schnack, Fleisher's Craft Butchery, Jimmy's No. 43, and Harry Hawk "Schack" burgers, along with vegetarian burgers from Bittergreens and more
  • Outdoor Grilling – including vegetarian options (portabella and veggie burgers, salads and sides) with cooking competitions and celebrity chefs
  • Sixpoint craft beer and hard cider (10+ options)
  • Live music (Tall Pines, Noelle Tannen Band, The Shockwaves) and other entertainment
  • Waterfront dining as you picnic against a backdrop of sailboats and seaplanes

Full schedule information (subject to change) and ticket information is available here.

Other dates of note:

  • Saturday, June 18 - CookOut NYC "Little Big" BBQ with a ribs cook-off hosted by Blue Smoke and Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois
  • Monday, July 4 – Fireworks on the Water – It'll be a Southern-style Fourth of July with Georgia chefs manning the helm
  • Saturday, July 16 – Running with the Beef™ & Spanish Fiesta – The best of Spain and New York compete in cider, wine and cuisine with a Danny Mena Mezcal component
  • Saturday, August 6 – CiderFeast™ – Top ciders from more than 30 cider makers come together alongside grilling stations featuring all-American foods
  • Saturday, September 3, and Sunday, September 4 – CookOut NYC™ Labor Day Weekend – details coming soon

For the full summer schedule as it unfolds, visit their website. 

Recommended