Last week I was invited to attend the opening of Pier NYC, the newest outdoor drinking and dining venue to come to NYC and brought along my girl Lily when I heard BBQ would be involved (she loves loves loves barbecued pork).
Except for playing soccer on Roosevelt Island (which I did for almost four years)….I found no real reason to travel there. But after going to Pier NYC, I’ve change my tune. The venue is steps away from the F train and the Roosevelt Island tram, and is probably easier to get to than other awesome outdoor venues in Manhattan like The Boat Basin and The Frying Pan.
The entire place is outdoors so your experience will almost entirely depend on the weather but if its nice outside…. then you are in for a treat. The views from Pier NYC are unbelievable….it’s a side of Manhattan that you rarely see with its best views coming off of Roosevelt Island.
But the only way you can really enjoy the view and experience is with an ice-cold drink (preferably beer) and some tasty eats offered at Pier NYC. The menu is a three team collaboration of savory BBQ from Josh Bowen of John Brown Smokehouse, Seafood-centric fare from Chef David Santos’ Santos Seafood Shack and desserts from Pastry Chef Alyssa Gangeri’s Allycakes. At this opening event we were treated to a smorgasbord of the Chefs favorite or signature dishes that included red velvet whoopie pies, beef brisket sliders, lamb sausage and the best thing I’d ingested all week…. Santos Seafood Shack’s crispy crab cake sliders!
It’s a small bite but is absolutely a delight. A fluffy Martin’s potato roll (which is the creme de la creme of sandwich rolls) is slathered with butter and lightly charred and stuffed with a crispy crab cake that is then topped with a generous dollop of spicy mayonnaise. I hunted down our server for more of these because paired with my Brooklyn Summer Ale, I found myself in summer eating and drinking heaven.
We may only have a few months left to enjoy Pier NYC in 2012 but I was told there are big plans for the 2013 season and frankly the place can only get better in my mind. Who would have thought that Roosevelt Island had something to offer other than cheap rents, off the beaten path soccer fields and some of the best views of Manhattan 
One subway stop away from Manhattan and Queens and one quick tram ride (which is always fun to do once in a while) gets you to a great new venue for outdoor drinking and eating. Don’t forget the crab cake slider…it’s a MUST!
West Promenade on Roosevelt Island: steps from F train and tram
