Hard-to-Beat Street Eats and Lunch with Live Music
The 21st annual Dine Around Downtown food festival will be held today (Tuesday, June 4), from 11am to 2:30pm on Fosun Plaza, the 2.5 acre, open-air deck at 28 Liberty Street. More than 40 restaurants from the length and breadth of Lower Manhattan will come together, hosted by award-winning chef and author Rocco DiSpirito.
“Dine Around is the perfect time to sample a few Lower Manhattan restaurants that you’ve been meaning to check out, but haven’t had the chance to visit yet,” says Downtown Alliance president Jessica Lappin. “This year’s lineup showcases some exciting new additions to Downtown’s culinary scene, alongside many neighborhood faves.”
A partial list of participating restaurants includes: Benares, Capital Grille, Dim Sum Palace, Harry’s Italian, Luke’s Lobster, Mad Dog & Beans, Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson, Morton’s the Steakhouse, Pisillo Italian Panini, and the Tin Building by Jean-Georges. Admission to the enormously popular event, which draws more than 10,000 guests, is free. Small plates and beverages are priced at $5 to $9.
Mr. DiSpirito began hosting the virtual Cooking at Home series during the Covid pandemic, working with local chefs to demonstrate to viewers how to make special dishes. This is his third year as the festival’s in-person host.
Dine Around Downtown is co-presented by the Downtown Alliance and Fosun Properties (the owners of 28 Liberty). As part of the Alliance’s sustainability initiative, Dine Around will be a zero-waste event, with composting and recycling stations located throughout the plaza.
In a separate (but related) development, the Downtown Alliance is also restarting its Art Is All Around summer lunchtime concert series, which will bring live music and dance to a pair of outdoor venues starting June 12 and continuing each Wednesday through July 17.
Alternating between the plaza in front of 140 Broadway (near the Noguchi “Red Cube” sculpture) and the Oculus World Trade Center’s north plaza, this program will feature jazz, blues, salsa, bolero, cha-cha-cha, soul and pop music, along with tap, swing, and modern jazz dancing. All concerts begin at noon and are free to attend.
To celebrate the launch of the performance series, walking tour operator Reel New York City will host a free public art tour on June 12, leaving from the 140 Broadway plaza at 2pm. This hour-long outing will explore modern art sculptures in Lower Manhattan and bring guests into conversation with local history and culture beyond the walls of a gallery or museum. Participation is limited to the first 20 guests to arrive. For more information, click here.