A Manhattan Park Gains Three New Food Stalls

Three local food vendors have opened at a new half-acre public park on the ground floor of 550 Madison Avenue, an office tower located between East 55th and 56th streets in Midtown Manhattan, according to a spokesperson. The lineup at the 21,300-square-foot space includes: Eat OffBeat, a local group that works with refugee and immigrant chefs; Local Roots NYC, a market and cafe that started as a community-supported agriculture group; and Manhattan coffee shop, Black Fox. The space is open to the public year-round from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

What the snow crab shortage means for Cajun restaurants

Cajun restaurants were left scrambling after snow crab season was effectively cancelled in Alaska this fall. The crab species isn’t a focal point of Cajun cooking, but as a new report in Bon Appétit notes, “some restaurants sell thousands of pounds of the crab per month.” Gwen Woods, co-owner of the Crabby Shack, tells the publication that snow crab accounts for some 80 percent of the Crown Heights restaurant’s menu. She’s reportedly in the process of moving away from snow crab by adding fish and even some meat to the menu.

Football Cafe returns to the Lower East Side

Just in time for the World Cup, Football Cafe returns to the Lower East Side after closing down a few years back at 100 Forsyth Street. Currently, Football Cafe is just operating as a pop-up hidden behind a Chrystie Street avocado warehouse. Eventually, the team says they will expand to 141 Chrystie Street, near Delancey Street, where they’ve signed a lease on a clubhouse with a kitchen and rooftop, set to open by spring 2023. For now, those interested in watching the games at the temporary set-up can text 917-909-6649 to get on the list, according to an Instagram post. — Emma Orlow, reporter

Shukette teams up with... American Airlines?

Ayesha Nurdjaja, the chef behind Manhattan restaurants Shuka and Shukette, is creating the menus for a new line of lounges at John F. Kennedy International Airport from American Airlines and British Airways, according to a spokesperson. The James Beard-nominated chef is making four dishes that will be served at three new lounges opening at Terminal 8 on December 1, including braised lamb shank and olive oil cake. Cocktails for the spaces are curated by Richard Boccato, owner of Queens bar Dutch Kills.