Hoboken City Council Votes to Extend Outdoor Dining Through December

Hoboken extends outdoor dining for restaurants and bars through the end of the year

Hoboken City Council voted this week to extend the city’s outdoor dining provision for restaurants and bars to last until December 31, neighborhood news site Hoboken Girl reports. The city had previously mandated that outdoor dining would expire on October 15.

The updated outdoor dining timeline comes less than a week after New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s announcement that the state will allow indoor dining at 25 percent capacity starting today. Hoboken’s local legislators had already been discussing extending the outdoor dining provision before the indoor dining news broke, according to Hoboken Girl. Now restaurants and bars in the city will be able to offer both indoor and outdoor dining space through the end of the year.

Restaurants in New York City are still indefinitely banned from allowing indoor dining due to public health concerns, while the city’s outdoor dining program is slated to expire on October 31. The mayor has floated the possibility of extending outdoor dining into the winter, and said earlier this week that a decision would be announced within “the next few weeks” regarding indoor dining.

In other news

— The latest Maison Yaki summer pop-up kicks off service today with peach cobbler ice cream and fried chicken over pancakes from Food Plus People. The pop-up comes from chef Mavis-Jay Sanders, who is the director of culinary development and education at nonprofit Drive Change and previously worked at restaurants including Untitled and Blue Hill at Stone Barns; and chef Sicily Johnson, who was previously the executive chef of Lower East Side’s now-closed ROC United restaurant, Colors.

— Cheese purveyor Big Mozz reopens at Chelsea Market today, making it the 18th vendor to participate in the food hall’s outdoor dining setup, according to a spokesperson for the restaurant. Mozzarella sticks, mozzarella sandwiches, olives, wines, and more will be available daily starting at 1 p.m.

— Ahead of Labor Day, New York’s unofficial end of summer, Brooklyn restaurateurs renew their calls for a comprehensive indoor dining plan.

— Chinatown’s narrow streets have slimmed outdoor dining options for many restaurant and bar owners.

— Indoor malls are set to open at half-capacity next week in New York City, but indoor dining at food courts is still on hold.

— Bed-Stuy newcomer For All Things Good is a masa-fueled fantasy, writes food critic Scott Lynch.

— Speechless: