New York City : the “ fifth character ” in your four - person friend group , for those of us favorable enough to go here . Friendsgiving is an conventional NYC tradition , thanks to rising flying prices and kitchens too small to host our real families . But that ’s not to say Friendsgiving is a secondly - best vacation . This year , we ’re seeing it as a fortune to celebrate the weirdy we roll in the hay here and , yes , sigh , our “ choose families . ” With that in thinker , we ’ve put together some way to keep the urban center we screw while enjoying the harvest time season with our friends : good food for thought , consummate - weather walks around the neighborhood , and maybe a glass of Basil Hayden Bourbon with friends . interpret on for more tips on host a very New York Friendsgiving :
Raid the bodega
There ’s nothing that suppose you ca n’t host a Friendsgiving with chopped cheeseflower for all , but there are some easy ways to class up your issue using just the grocery at the turning point store . Most bodegas have fresh fruits available , so grabbing bananas for banana bread or apples and orange tree for tarts and yield salad is a simple upgrade . tote up some sort to your bar with mixers like juices and seltzer , and check out what cookies and snacks can be elevate into a novel dessert recipe . Do n’t forget garnish : bodegas stand out in the " cans and jars " category , so keep an eye out for cocktail onion , olive , and maraschino cherries .
Celebrate all five boroughs
Manhattanites ( and Brooklynites ! ) can definitely be isolate when it come to appreciating all that New York has to offer up . So this Friendsgiving , make an effort to let in all five boroughs in your feast . That may mean inviting someone from every part of NYC ( be inclusive : New Jersey and Long Island reckoning as well ) , or process up classics from unlike role of town . If you could get dumplings from Flushing , zeppolis from Arthur Avenue in the Bronx , and pizza pie from Staten Island , you ’ve got yourself a literal New York feast .
Stock the bar with New York-y cocktails
Friendsgiving is what you might call an " experimental " holiday , so it open up great deal of opportunity for sophistication where you desire it and flexibleness where you do n’t . The must have on - hand isBasil Hayden , perfect for all the NYC classics ( The Manhattan , The New York Sour , etc . ) as well as some others . The posh move is to recognize guests with an aperitif like aBoulevardierto recoil the night off on the right note . From there , get whimsical with your cocktail ideas and see if you could produce a few of your own , too .
Make use of the city parks
One of the biggest fringe benefit of survive in NYC is the parks : did you know the city hosts more than28,000 acresof common realm ? This Friendsgiving , enjoy the last of the nice weather by making use of those fleeceable spaces . The Thanksgiving flourish creation would n’t be sodding without some football , so host a pre - dinner game to build up an appetite , or work off some of the kilocalorie with an after - dinner party walk around your local park . Alternatively , if it ’s decent enough out , change up your plans with a Friendsgiving picnic — it ’ll require some coordination to get all the dishes , place configurations , and drinks outdoors , but enjoying the declension colors with dinner will be well worth it .
Don’t stick to the same old menu options
Remember , this is Friendsgiving , not Thanksgiving . redeem the stuffy classics ( including , literally , stuffing ) for the family cumulate you ’re less - than - jazz about . If you care turkey , find free to expend the hour needed to prep it , but if not , do n’t palpate obligated . or else , trust on New York ’s gravid strength : multiculturalism . If you ’ve got any international Edgar Guest , have them impart a traditional fall dish antenna from their home country . Crack open up an under - used cookery book ( ideally one that focus on non - American foods ) and try your hand at a new recipe . If it ’s an astonishing accession to the meal , it might just graduate to Thanksgiving favorite . And if it ’s less than stellar , your friend will separate you the honest truth .
Embrace your neighbors
blessing is a time to make friends , suffer those around you , and partake the love . New York , especially , has a high number of transplants that ca n’t make it back to their hometown for Thanksgiving , so inviting them to your gathering is a outstanding direction to expand your circuit . The more truly is the merrier . Another group you should see link with : your neighbors . Rather than just saying hi in the mailroom or the staircases of your construction , tender them an invite to give up by for some Friendsgiving dishes and cocktails . If your preferent sitcom character befriended those across - the - hall strangers , you’re able to too .
Rebecca Hoskins/Thrillist
Rebecca Hoskins/Thrillist
