FOOD ARCHIVES Crawfish Boil, Mermaid Ball, New Amsterdam Market: What to Do This Weekend
by Billy Lyons
Ah, Friday! The weekend’s so close you can taste it! Does it taste like the ocean? Because this weekend is full of tasty sea-centric events, and we’ve rounded up our favorites just for you.
Fourth Annual Bourbon Street Bar and Grille Crawfish Boil, Bourbon Street Bar and Grille, Saturday, 2 p.m.
Crawfish season is in full swing, and one way to celebrate is with an all-you-can-eat feast. Bourbon Street Bar and Grille offers revelers the chance to take on these creatures in a battle of food-chain superiority. Louisiana-brewed Abita Beer will be on hand to wash it all down; jambalaya and po’ boys are on the menu for those participating in the all-you-can-eat package. Reserve your spot for $26.95 (or $5.95 if you’d rather purchase food à la carte) and remember you might want to BYO Bib.
Mermaid Riverboat Ball, 3050 West 21st Street, Brooklyn, Saturday, 6 p.m.
After you’ve seen your share of Coney Island creatures–both in costume and out–at the annual Mermaid Parade, climb aboard the Queen of Hearts for some PBR, Two Boots Pizza, and DUB pies. Tickets for the after-party are $75 and include free food and drink, on-board entertainment, and round trip transportation from Coney Island to the boat. This might be your only chance to shotgun a beer with a merman and ask him what it’s like being the hippest creature under the sea.
New Amsterdam Market, Newmarket Square (South Street and Peck Slip) Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Over 70 participants will have their edible handiwork on display at the first and only summer 2013 edition of this popular downtown market. Vendors are all over the map–thematically and geographically–and include Amagansett Sea Salt and Vermont Bean Crafters, plus butchers, bakers, and lobster roll makers. The event also calls to the attention to the preservation and rehabilitation of the Old Fulton Fish Market and the effort to restore it to active use.
The New York Way of Eating culinary tour will also offer a New Amsterdam Market tour this weekend; meet and greet three vendors and get a history lesson for $25.