Olmsted Backyard BBQ Fundraiser

Everyone wants to be in the perfect spot to see those fire works. Trouble is, everyone wants to be in the perfect spot to see those fire works. The trick has always been to get up high in a place that is not obvious or accessible by the general public. If you can drag along some beer and good food, you just hit July 4th nirvana. That’s why Brooklyn Grange Fourth of July might be the best ticket in town. No dragging of food or drink, limited number of people get access AND, it might be the best view of the fireworks short of being on the Grucci Brother barge. These tix will go fast. July 4th from 7-10pm in Queens, NYC.

I love a good backyard party. The fact is, I have not been throwing nearly enough of them in the past few years ever since my Brooklyn deck turned into a Queens backyard. That is not to place blame as much as it is to publicly say I am bringing them back this summer. If you don’t get an invite or if you prefer the professional chef version of this American past time, I have great news but it’s unfortunately not directions to my house. The two Franks, yes those Frankie Spuntino legacy guys, have just announced their 3rd annual backyard chef series. For those of you who live under a rock (aka. Deep Queens or the Upper West Side) Frank and Frank did some remodeling last year. They closed Prime Meats, their German steak house, and converted it into Franks. Confusing I know. Their reinvented spot is split between a wine bar and a trattoria. They also expanded the Frankie’s Spuntino dining room which allows for a new and improved backyard scene. All this means that this years line up has some new space and some new ingredients, or accouterments, to play with. The guest chefs include some of my favs like Angie Rito from Don Angie’s and Greg Baxtrom of Olmsted. A few out-of-towners are in the mix like the talented Kristian Baumann from Copenhagen’s Restaurant 108. The best part of all this is the entire evening is communal. From the welcome drinks to the long dining table you’ll make new friends at, things will get intimate. The spots at the table will fill up fast so make sure you pick a chef and grab up some seats before your only option is a useless attempt at a remake in your friend backyard alley, a $6.99 Walmart mini- bricket bbq and a 6-pack of canned rose. May 15th thru September 25th in Brooklyn.

Dinner, food science, your favorite chefs and helping kids. We should end this post right there. There won’t be a better sentence than that in the rest of this post. Despite that not even being a full sentence, we’ll fill you in a bit more. Jeff Salaway was one of the founders of Hayground school and he passed in 2001. His friends and family carried on his mission which is best summed up in the following quote. Jeff believed, “The growing, preparation and sharing of food is a primal human experience and the foundation of family and community.” Sounds a lot like what we’re always talking up. No wonder we were enamored by this event and the work the Hayground School is doing with kids. Although a seat at Hayground Chef’s Dinner is a steep one, it couldn’t benefit a more important cause. Teach a kid to fish Jesus once said. Or, was that Tom Colicchio? Either way, invaluable skills. Sunday, July 31st at 6pm in Southhold, New York.

Walking around Arthur Avenue feels a little like a throwback to the days of my grandfather. Just off the boat from Italy, adapting to the “new” city by finding ways to make mozzarella and salami in these new urban conditions. We walk the shops and visit Mike’s Deli at least every quarter year BUT we rarely have more than our Italian roots to tell us the story of the streets we stroll. We wish we had Bronx resident and food aficionado with us on our visits. The 92st. Y’s Arthur Avenue Food Tour grants that wish. Susan will accompany you to her favorite spots while explaining some history of the neighborhood, Italian-American immigration and the food production. Saturday, June 18 @ 11am – 1:30pm. Meeting spot TBA.