Village Voice Brunch Eats

Now that we’re officially moving to Queens, there’s nothing we love more than a celebration of all things Brooklyn. Held in the new epicenter of Brooklyn making culture (Industry City), the eight-hour Best of Brooklyn Festival is a roundup of everything from craft beer to artisanal food to indie music to the best of Brooklyn product makers. That last one might not be true but the festival organizers tout “in-the-know finds”. We interpreted that as “stuff”. Tickets run you 30 bucks without upgrades. Early entry, a book and after party perks drive ‘em up to $125. Depending on how thick your beard or how colorful your jumper will determine what the necessary spend will be for you. No matter what your choice, ALL the BK bests will be in one giant, industrial, hard to get to space. Make the trip, the line-up will not disappoint.

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.

If you’re a proper NYer you know the part a “slice” plays in your daily borough to borough maze run. We’ve written about the necessity of this iconic mainstay extensively. Since we’re kids the price for this necessity has seen a 1000% increase. Enter the recent trend in $1 slice joints. Slice Out Hunger takes the price of old, the best pizza places in NY and a HUGE charity angle on creating their Annual Dollar Slice Night. Fifty of the best NYC pizza makers under one roof for one night of a pizza party unseen since the first Napolitano’s landed on Ellis Island. 100% of proceeds benefits New Yorkers in need. We’ll be there with a bib on. Hope to see you. Wednesday, October 5 from 6pm-8pm in Soho, NYC.

We love barbecue competitions when smashed into music festivals but Hogs for the Cause adds a charitable component. that makes it a no brainer. Add that it’s in New Orleans and if you are not in a cab to an airport (or your car if local) I’m not sure you have tastebuds. The 90 team, 2 day, competition and party raises money for children fighting pediatric brain cancer. Teams range from pro’s to backyard warriors to fun loving eaters trying their hand with the masters. Each team raises money for the cause and so it really is an incredible way to support a great cause bite after bite. Unlike some other competitions, every team sells food. Of course at $2 to $6 for dishes teams will sell out. Go early and go hungry. April 1 from 3:30-9:30 and April 2 from 11:15am to 9:45pm @ The Festival Grounds in New Orleans.