The 21 Coolest Summer Food Picks in New York City

Cool Food

Published Jun 26, 2005

1 Gin Cocktail
The JB Combine—short for juniper (gin) and basil (the flavor and the garnish)—is as cool and inviting as a summer lawn. (Alto; $14; 212-308-1099).

2 Frogurt
Smooth and aberrantly tart, it’s the only truly yogurty-tasting frozen yogurt in a Tasti D-Lite world (Forty Carrots at Bloomingdale’s; $6 for a large; 212-705-3085).

(Photo: Kenneth Chen)

3 Gazpacho
A silky rendition enriched with olive oil, garnished with minced peppers, and dusted with croutons that goes down extra-smooth (Tía Pol; $6; 212-675-8805).

(Photo: Carina Salvi)

4 Affogato
Rich espresso poured over vanilla gelato—summertime’s ultimate (barely) do-it-yourself dessert (Barbuto; $6; 212-924-9700).

5 Cold Soba Noodles
Delicious when served hot and swimming in broth, they’re even better chilled with just a cool splash of dipping sauce (SobaKoh; $8 to $18; 212-254-2244).

(Photo: Carina Salvi)

6 Black-Sesame Gelato
Of all the rotating flavors at this white-tiled milk-fat mecca, the nuttily sweet, Asian-inspired black sesame is the one we crave most (Il Laboratorio del Gelato; $3.25 for a small; 212-343-9922).

7 A Plate of Pickles
Cold, crunchy, and pungent, David Chang’s pickle plate is a great foil for the spicier items on the creative noodle-bar menu (Momofuku; $8 for a large; 212-475-7899).

(Photo: Carina Salvi)

8 Purple Cow
Another exotic heartland delicacy courtesy of Danny Meyer & Co.—Grape Crush, straight from the bottle, sloshed over vanilla custard (Shake Shack; $4.25; 212-889-6600).

9 Aperitif
If Dr. Brown made an aperitif, this would be it: lovage, a.k.a. wild celery, married with prosecco (Franny’s; $10; 718-230-0221).

(Photo: Kenneth Chen)

10 Lassi
Before there were yogurt smoothies, there were lassis. Here, they come in flavors that run the gamut from mango to cardamom to a pretty-in-pink, evocatively floral rose (Lassi; $4.75 large; 212-675-2688).

11 Fattoush Salad
On days so hot you can manage only a salad, this is the one: flecked with parsley and mint, enlivened with lemon, and dappled with tangy, scarlet-hued sumac (Byblos; $6.95; 212-687-0808).

12 Lemonade
The secret to the city’s best lemonade is tossing the lemons—skins and all—into a blender to release the peel’s oils, which give the drink a super-lemony flavor (Pyramida; $2.50; 212-472-5855).

(Photo: Carina Salvi)

13 Spicy Thai Vegetable Wraps
These crunchy veggie-and-nut-stuffed collard greens served with a tamarind dipping sauce might convert you to the raw-food lifestyle (Pure Food and Wine; $13; 212-477-1010).

(Photo: Kenneth Chen)

14 Kumamoto Oysters
With confit of lemon, minty shiso leaf, and a godlike touch, Eric Ripert improves upon one of nature’s most perfect foods. (Le Bernardin; $92 prix fixe; 212-554-1515).

15 Olive-Oil-Gelato Coppetta
The signature gelato wears its customary crown of Maldon sea salt, a streak of olive “caramel,” and a seasonal accessory of supersweet strawberries, plus a bracing dollop of passion-fruit granita (Otto Enoteca Pizzeria; $8; 212-995-9559).

(Photo: Kenneth Chen)

16 Hemingway Daiquiri
What makes Papa’s preferred tipple better than your average daiquiri? Equal parts maraschino liqueur, lime, and grapefruit, and no sugar, which makes for a tarter, more refreshing quaff (Little Branch; $12; 212-929-4360).

(Photo: Kenneth Chen)

17 Cold Jelly Chengdu Style
Test the theory that spicy food cools you down with these delicious gelatinous noodles infused with an audacious Sichuan pepper (Spicy & Tasty; $3.50; 718-359-1601).

(Photo: Kenneth Chen)

18 Tuna Tartare
Cool cubes of yellowfin and diver scallops seasoned with American caviar artfully framed on a mat of thin cucumber slices (The Modern; $14; 212-333-1220).

19 Rosé at Marseille
Left to our own devices—and this brasserie’s extensive by-the-glass selection—we’d happily drink pink all summer long (from $7; 212-333-2323).

20 Cold Hot Chocolate
It’s too good to put on summer hiatus, so Maury Rubin strips down the winter recipe and serves it on the rocks (City Bakery; $4; 212-366-1414).

(Photo: Kenneth Chen)

21 The Seafood Platter
Your neighbors will gawk in envy at this towering seafood extravaganza of clams, crab, oysters, scallops, shrimp, and seviche (BLT Fish; $68; 212-691-8888).