Must-Eat Food Pop-Ups & Drops in NYC 4.22-4.29
NYC is probably the only place on Earth where you can eat food from every continent in just a few blocks. Still, many eaters stick with the classics, because it’s what they’re familiar with. A trip to the bodega downstairs for a bacon egg n’ cheese, a slice of cheap pizza ready in minutes, a cheeseburger when you’re hangry, a bagel in the park, or a hot dog or doughnut on the go. On the flip side, innovative chefs give those everyday staples the Xzibit treatment, making NYC the Pimp My Ride of dining scenes. That’s why we get fired up when a chef puts a spin on a classic, and this week there is no shortage of that. This week’s Must-Eats features a burger on a bagel, the lovechild of a doughnut and a breakfast sandwich, a hot dog piled with South Asian flavors, and more.
As always, this article is just a small taste of the pop-ups and drops in the 8it app. Hit the green button below each dish to access 8it and get all the deets.
The Za Report
Prospect Park // 4.22
📸: @thezareport
One of New York’s most sought after pizza pop-ups, The Za Report, is teaming up with olive oil company Graza on Saturday in Prospect Park to benefit food rescue organization City Harvest. Fresh off an appearance on Chopped, The Za Report’s pizzaiola, Miriam Weiskind, suggested via Instagram that a drizzle of olive oil post-bake can be magical, admitting that she previously spent three years wasting the aromatics and flavor of olive oil by drizzling it pre-bake. We fear many NYC slices succumb to that same fate. This weekend, The Za Report’s evolution will be on full display, dripping with the concentrated olive accents of Graza. Tap the olive drip button below for all the info.
Leon’s Smash Burgers x Leon’s Bagels
Greenwich Village // 4.22
📸: @leonssmashburgers
The humble bagel will get a new look in Greenwich Village this weekend. Intercontinental burger sensation Leon’s Smash Burgers is teaming up with Leon’s Bagels to celebrate National Look-Alike Day in style on Saturday. The collab will spawn a drop that hybridizes two NYC staples: introducing the Bagel Smash Burger. It features two smashed patties each topped with American cheese, pickles, bacon, and smash sauce on your choice of bagel. The bagel may prove an even better vessel for a smash burger than your typical bun, with its structurally sound exterior and soft interior, perfect for soaking up the juices secreting from Leon’s razor-thin patties. Tap the burger bagel button below for all the info.
Chaat Dog
Boerum Hill // 4.23
📸: @chaatdog
A few years ago ahead of a hot dog competition with friends, journalist Pervaiz Shallwani decided he was going to, for better or worse, attempt to pull off something unexpected; a hot dog steeped in his South Asian heritage topped with spicy snacks or chaat. Not only did he win the competition, the idea has since evolved into a pop-up that regularly sells out at breweries in NYC and beyond. Shallwani recently brought his sausage sensation on the road to his hometown of Chicago, holding his own in a land where the classic Chicago-Style Hot Dog reigns king. Their menu includes hot dogs with apple chaat, corn & poblano chaat, and pineapple chaat plus walking chaat (their play on Frito Pie topped with your preferred chaat instead of chili). Tap the dog below for all the info about Chaat Dog’s Sunday pop-up at Wild East Brewing.
BACONEGGNCHEESE Doughnut
West Village // 4.21-4.23
📸: @thedoughnutproject
When the 8it fam asks, they shall receive. Over the last week, we asked you, our readers, followers and friends what you would rather see New School Quality American cheese drop in collaboration with The Doughnut Project; a grilled cheese tomato soup glazed doughnut, or a BACONEGGNCHEESE doughnut with Frank’s Red Hot glaze and everything seasoning. Frank’s usually says “put that sh*t on everything”, but they actually put EVERYTHING on the Frank’s 😝 The BACONEGGNCHEESE won by an overwhelming majority, but not before the grilled cheese doughnut developed a cult following. One TikTok commenter remarked, “I WOUKD KILL FOR GRILLED CHEESE”. So we might just need to revive the grilled cheese doughnut in the near future to prevent any possibility of a riot. Tap the BACONEGGNCHEESE doughnut button below for all the info on this weekend’s drop.
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