Summer is a hard time to live in New York. The heat is exhausting, work is slow, and if there's no vacation on the horizon, you might just go crazy. Thankfully, the summer is also one of the best times to enjoy the bars and restaurants of this city. Here's a list of 50 reasons to love New York dining in the summertime:
1) Summer Fridays at Randazzo's Clam Bar: Cold beer, fresh cherrystones, salty clientele.
2) Rosé at Rosemary's: Best enjoyed in the dining room with some fresh focacce, after getting a peek at the rooftop garden.
3) Bastille Day at Roebling Tea Room: Chef Dennis Spina's time to shine. Every single menu at the Tea Room has a countdown to Bastille Day at the bottom.
4) Negronis: Anywhere, but especially at Del Posto.
5) Jiro Dreams of Sushi at IFC Cinema: The best food documentary of the year is still playing at the IFC Cinema. It's the perfect movie to see before or after dinner at sushi hot spot Neta.
6) Easy Reservations: On an average Saturday night, you can score a good reservation at Acme, Kin Shop, Esca, Boulud Sud, The Nomad, or Rubirosa, just a few hours ahead of time.
7) The Porch Swing at Blue Smoke: Summer in a glass. A strong contender for New York's most refreshing warm-weather cocktail.
8) Ivan Orkin at Momofuku Noodle Bar: Mark those calendars ramen freaks, July 17 is the day that noodle worlds collide.
9) M. Wells Dinette: Fingers crossed, knock-on-wood, if the moon is in the second house and Jupiter's aligned with Mars, Hugue Dufour and Sarah Obraitis might actually open the new incarnation of M. Wells this summer.
10) The Bench Outside of Melvin's Juice Box: Beautiful babes and hot dudes sipping fresh juice at all hours.
11) Pok Pok Fever: Just show up early so you don't have to wait in that line.
12) Imperial Woodpecker and Handsome Dan's Stand: Two seasonal sno cone stands, both with funny names.
13) The Nomad Rooftop: The restaurant of the summer. Bonus points for the bottled tomato soda, and complimentary Ray Ban usage during cocktail hour.
14) The Guacamole With Pistachios at Empellon Cocina: Possibly laced with crack cocaine. If you get a craving for margaritas, chips, and guac, this is a classy choice.
15) El Verano at Citi Field: Damn good tacos from Danny Meyer and Floyd Cardoz. Danny should really expand this into a Shake Shack-like chain.
16) Yes, Chef: The restaurant read of the summer. You don't have to be a Marcus fanatic to enjoy this one — it's juicy and compelling from start to finish.
17) 4 p.m at Maison Premiere on Sunday: The perfect time to enjoy absinthe and oysters in the backyard.
18) The Patio at L & B Spumoni Gardens: A happy place, full of pizza lovers from all over the Tri-State area.
19) The Opening of The Penrose: At last, the Upper East Side has a hip hangout with serious cocktails and spicy beef sandwiches.
20) The Grilled Chicken at Bobwhite Counter: The fried bird is the main attraction at this Avenue C newcomer, but the grilled chicken plate is the perfect light summer meal, and a steal of a deal at only $11.50.
21) The Projector Above the Bar at Pulino's: It was awesome during the Euro 2012. Hopefully, Keith will keep it up for the Olympics.
22) The Late Night Carbonara Pizza Special at Maialino: Best enjoyed after a movie at the AMC Loews 19th St. For $12, you get a slice of pizza bianca topped with cheese, pancetta, and an egg yolk, plus a bottle of Amarcord beer.
23) Scissor Sundays at The Rusty Knot: A bi-weekly, totally free LGBT Sunday afternoon dance party. The Knot continues to surprise.
24) Food and Movie Pairings at The Nitehawk: Eat a piece of 'smores pie during a screening of Moonrise Kingdom, or sip a Facehugger cocktail while watching Prometheus.
25) The Shake Shack at Noon on Saturday: Shockingly short lines. Remember: a lot of New Yorkers head out of town on Friday night, and the tourists don't wake up very early.
26) Rubirosa at Smorgasburg: One of New York's best pizza parlors is now serving $8 pies on the Williamsburg waterfront every Saturday.
27) Lunch Hour NYC: The New York Public Library makes lunch history come alive.
28) Industry Night at Osteria Morini: On Monday night, you can get any of Osteria Morini's pastas for $10 after 9 p.m.
29) Ides: Andrew Tarlow's bar on the roof of the Wythe Hotel has a unique view of Manhattan and superb cocktails.
30) Seamus at The Standard: The dining surprise of the summer.
31) Ovenly: A sunny little cafe with sensational pastries, just a few blocks away from the East River Ferry. A fun alternative to brunch.
32) The Lebanese Chicken Sandwich at Porchetta: A terrific summer special: marinated chicken, spicy pickles, and garlic sauce.
33) The Dutch at 11 p.m., on Tuesday Night: Grab a seat the bar and order the fried chicken or a steak. The Dutch is still a hot spot, but it's manageable on summer evenings during the week.
34) The Sicily Menu at Manzo: A $70 tasting of delicacies from the Mediterranean coast. Some of the dishes include octopus and oranges, eggplant and bottarga, and lamb with yogurt and squash blossoms.
35) Cocktails at the Saloon of the Grand Central Oyster Bar: Like being on a rich man's yacht, in 1969.
36) Levi Dalton's Wine Podcast: I'll Drink to That is a fine thing to listen to if you're headed to the Hamptons, or if you're pounding the pavement on the way to dinner.
37) Hot Weather Restaurant Signage: Like this one, from Meade's.
38) Rippers at the Rockaway Boardwalk: So much more than just burgers and dogs. On an average day, the menu might include a whole fried porgy, a crab boil box, or a tiki disco.
39) The Patio at La Marina: Have you seen this thing?
40) Ryu: A proper summer spectacle.
41) Ice Cream Cake at Parm: Best enjoyed after a plate of fried calamari and a few cans of Schaefer.
42) The Seersucker Playlist: Kerry Diamond has created the perfect summer evening soundtrack.
43) Barbecue Kits from B & B: Like bringing Josh Capon to your backyard barbecue.
44) The Root Beer Ice Cream Sandwich at Coolhaus: That's root beer ice cream between two snickerdoodles, folks.
45) The Green Gazpacho at Salinas: A gazpacho for people that don't like gazpacho. Clean, crisp, super smooth.
46) Corn: *Almost* as exciting as ramps.
47) Coconut Blue Crab Cakes at Kin Shop: The best thing on the Kin Shop menu right now. Get 'em before they're gone.
48) John Brown Smokehouse is Moving: In a few weeks, one of New York's best new barbecue joints will move into a bigger space with a beer garden.
49) The Free Keg at Mission Chinese Food: Danny Bowien's way of saying "hello." But it's always a good idea to switch to wine when you sit down, because you don't want to get too full from all that beer.
50) Fall Anticipation: As we head into the dog days of summer, chefs and restaurateurs begin to reveal more about their new fall projects. Red Farm UWS, Manzanilla, L'Apicio, Toro, Tetsu, and Exchange Alley are just some of the exciting new restaurants that will open in the coming months.
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