Taste of Sydney

This weekend The World’s Fare comes back to its Citifield home for year two. We loved it last year. It continues to be a heartthrob now with 100+ food vendors representing what we think is almost as many countries. For years we’ve toyed with the idea of a world tour without leaving the five NYC Boros and The World’s Fare brings that vision closer to reality each year. In addition to the culturally focused food, there’s a World Market Bazaar hawking wares from around the globe, international music and dance performances and an international craft brew pavilion boasting 60+ selections. Some of the big hits we’re looking forward to are Balkin Bites, Mangalista and, of course, The Arepa Lady. She’s been a Queens staples for over 2 decades now, or at least it feels that way. Our favorite part of all this is that it sits adjacent to the old world 19xx world’s fairgrounds. A mostly abandoned set of structures often seen from you LIE jitney ride out to Long Island or of Men in Black fame. On the contrary, those willing to explore will find much more than ruins. The Queens Museum has lots of awesome things to see. My favorite is the miniature Manhattan on display. I can stare at it for hours picking out my old apartment buildings and hangouts. We recommend, load up on some snacks and then take a walk over, by the time you get back to the Fare you’ll be hungry enough for your round two. May 18th + 19th from 12pm-9pm at Citi Field in Queens.

You have a long weekend and the weather is unseasonably warm for the NorthEast. A private rooftop cabin in NYC is just a subway ride away. The Greens is where you’re headed. A 65,000 sqft, high rise slice of upstate New York promises the coziest and safest of revelry inside your very own glass cabin. Upfront warning, your weekend visit is going to cost you a touch more than normal. $50 gets you a reservation. Everything you order is an addition but that’s ok because remember, you are paying for the ambiance on this boondoggle. The menu has all the greatest hits for compliance across all the standard eater types. A $28 fondue and a salumi plate top the list of apps for us. Moving into mains, it’s a hard choice between the truffle grilled cheese, fried chicken or a $30 meatball and polenta plate. Don’t sleep on dessert though. Three words. Chocolate. Pretzel. Popbar. Of course, none of this matters if your glass isn’t full. Choices have all the cozies. A solid whiskey collection, a bubbles list, a section they call martini hour, and even a 5 option deep negroni list make decisions tough. As far as we can tell the Autumnal Drinking list is where you start before venturing into all that other magic. Plus, that focus streamlines choices and gets you sipping while you sort the rest of your order. Think hot buttered rum or mulled cider fancied up in YETI drinkware with a $32 price tag, albeit serves 2.5 so we suppose that math is solid. All of this is great but you’re here for the cabin. It doesn’t disappoint. Heated floors, contactless ordering, a Molekule air purifier with a virtual fireplace, and floor-to-ceiling views of NYC for 2-10 guests makes us want to gather up our crew for a round of rapid COVID tests and head to the tip of Manhattan before the chill gets too deep for this to be pleasurable.

For the fourth year in a row their will be more capscium concentrated in North Brooklyn than any where else on earth. With names like Naga Morich, Madame Jeanette, Dorset Naga, Bhut Jolokia and Moruga Scorpion, you might think it’s a South American ex-con reunion. The NYC Hot Sauce Expo burns their home into Greenpoint for two days this weekend with representation from India to Africa to Trinidad with sauces highlighting the hottest of the hot. With events like the Torch Bearers Gacumole Eating Contest and Defcon Sauces Chicken Wing Eating Competition, there is something for everyone. Even if you’re not a hot sauce enthusiast you can come down and watch people compete to burn their face and insides to win a pepper topped trophy. April 23rd and 24th from 10am-6pm in Brooklyn.

From what the organizers have said, The Pizzadelphia Pizza Festival is at least partially to put Philly pizza on the map. Now, as a New Yorker, you know Naples is the only city that even matters but that’s like saying France wins the world cup again. Update: that actually happened. Well maybe Philly is Croatia. Maybe they beat out Chicago in an upset and they are now in the finals. With slices from Pizzeria Vetri, Pizza Brain and the illusive Beddia, the line up is solid and the party is set to sauce mode.   Some of Philly’s best DJ’s make it loud and the Vetri Community Partnership makes it good. If you are a pizza freak this weekend at the Navy Yard has your shirt stain waiting. Saturday, July 14th from 12 to 5:30pm in Philadelphia.