The Loeb Boathouse in Central Park, which closed temporarily in October 2020 due to the pandemic, has announced that it is closing again on Oct. 16 — this time, sadly, for good.
The restaurant, which has provided diners with a scenic lakeside view for more than 150 years, is closing due to rising costs of goods and labor, according to the New York Department of Labor. More than 160 workers will lose their jobs as a result of the closure.
For those who have already scheduled events at the Boathouse, the Parks Department offers a ray of hope. In a statement, the department indicates that it intends to find another operator for the space and is “working in good faith with the current operator in an effort to accommodate those individuals” who have booked an event.
Free Home-Cooked Small Bites This Weekend
WoodSpoon, an innovative service that delivers homestyle meals cooked by home cooks with aspirations to go pro (“HomeChefs,” in the company’s vernacular), will be providing free samples this weekend via a pop-up food truck. On Saturday, July 23, the truck will be parked at Bryant Park. Featured dishes will include pork and vegetable dumplings, mini schnitzel, and sabich sandwiches. On Sunday, July 24, the truck will be located at Columbus Circle, where it will be serving up tequeños, tres leche desserts, seaweed egg tofu skewers, and black sesame pudding. The truck will be serving each day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Click here for more information on WoodSpoon, including becoming a chef via the company’s HomeChef program.
Velveeta Martini
If you have been looking for a reason to visit BLT Steak, on 57th Street … this probably isn’t it. That restaurant and its brethren under the BLT Restaurant Group umbrella have begun serving the Veltini. A key ingredient in the cocktail, which sells for $15, is Velveeta. The drink is available for some reason only between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and is described as an “unapologetic, outrageously cheesy” take on the martini.
According to Food & Wine, the “cocktails will be available while supplies last depending on demand, but diehard fans should have at least a few days, if not a few weeks, to score one.”
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