Where to eat this summer

Now I’m back! A special thanks to Becky Hughes for covering last week as she put the finishing touches on our big, colorful guide, “Where to eat in New York City this summer.” Have you taken a look at the beautiful interactive map yet?

Over the past three months, the New York Times food writers have rounded up dozens of recommendations that will keep you busy (and full) all summer long. We’ve got neighborhood food tours, tips for eating at top beaches and parks, weekend trip ideas, and more. We eat in all five boroughs and beyond to bring you both familiar and deliciously unfamiliar options. It has been a labor of love, with Mark Josephson, who edits this newsletter every week, to help us all cross the finish line.

I’m already thinking about next year’s guide. But for now, this is what I have on my personal wish list for summer 2023.

Even after 10 years of living in New York, I haven’t come close to experiencing all that summer has to offer here. This year I want to enjoy the city as a tourist. It’s been years since I visited the Museum of Modern Art and I want to see the new exhibit by Georgia O’Keeffe. I have heard that too the new wing at the American Museum of Natural History is a feast for the eyes.

And believe it or not, I’ve never been to Governors Island. Please don’t embarrass me, I’m already embarrassed enough. I can’t wait to spend a warm afternoon in one of its green expanses. I know where I’m going to eat: club check. It’s a weekend-only extension of the eponymous club in Industry City, where locals gather to play boules. (Sorry, pickleball.) You can throw down a few skittles, drink a cold one, and enjoy the sandwiches provided by Court Street Shopkeepers in your pop-up window before heading to the lookout on the island.

Cocktails on Roosevelt Island

Speaking of islands, this is also the summer that I finally visit Roosevelt Island. Robert Simonson, who frequently writes about bars for The Times, really sold me about him Panoramic Room, a high-flying cocktail lounge on the 18th floor of the Graduate Hotel. It has views of Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, and a neat menu of bites, including caviar nachos and a raw bar. And yes, I will take the tramway.

Finally, I’m seriously considering a day trip to the four-year-old’s house. Shirley Chisholm State Park, which I caught a glimpse of on a drive up the Belt Parkway while reporting for our summer guide. It’s the very definition of bucolic, an achievement, considering it was once a dump, and perfect for a picnic and walk, possibly followed by an after-party at nearby Dave & Buster’s.

After Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer, you’ll find me eating my weight in zeppole at the Feast of San Gennarowhich is celebrated this year from September 14 to 24. I’ll probably stick to one weekday afternoon because I hate crowds, like most self-respecting New Yorkers.

I’d love to know what’s on your summer food and drink to-do list. Email me at wheretoeat@nytimes.com, and you may see your suggestions in a future newsletter. I wish you all a beautiful summer!

In other news …

A little follow up questions from last month’s readers: Two people emailed me to sing the praises of the carciofi alla giudia in Lattanzi Italian cuisine, in Midtown (also great for a pre-theater meal). Other Reader Cited Fiorello Coffeeclose to Lincoln Center, as a main carciofi destination.

• This week, Pete Wells reviews stretched pizza, the latest restaurant from chef Wylie Dufresne. Find the pizzas subpar, but the appetizers and desserts are top notch.

• openings: Mercer Kitchen has been replaced by of Sartian, with Chef Alfred Portale as Culinary Director; butchers Erika Nakamura and Jocelyn Guest bring their skills and a full menu to two mothers, now open at Pier 57; and Frenchette Bakery he will leave TriBeCa for the Whitney Museum of American Art this fall.

• Sean Sherman, the influential indigenous chef, will receive this year’s Julia Child Award from the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts.

• Rao Tejal explore the rise of brand-driven origin stories in theaters, including “Flamin’ Hot,” the new film about the beloved Cheetos spin-off.

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