offManhattan

On the boardwalk at the Tropicana, there is a good-looking mermaid showing you the way to Fin, the casino’s newest restaurant offering a refreshing—and eco-conscious—escape from the town that’s “Always Turned On.”

Don’t let the rope outside rub you the wrong way; there’s nothing pretentious about Chef Ricardo Cardona’s creatively reimagined Dominican food. Nestled inside what used to be an auto shop, Gabbana is an open, two-level space with cozy, dark blue leather booths, live Colombian music, and a chimichurri dish to moan over.

What: 100th Annual Fisherman’s Feast

Where: Boston’s North End

When: August 12-14, 2010; Thursday 7pm-10pm, Friday 8pm-10pm, Saturday 1p.m.-11p.m.

Why: You haven’t been to mass in ages. Held in Boston’s historic North End, the Fisherman’s Feast is an old Sicilian tradition that’s as much about food as it is about the Madonna del Soccorso, or Our Lady of Help. The Madonna makes her way through the streets of Boston’s North End, carried by the descendants of the Sicilian immigrants who brought the tradition to Boston. She sits in a specially made chapel during the feast of pasta, pizza, sausage and calamari. Music ranging from traditional bands to Doo-Wop groups will set the mood for food sampling, and the festival ends with a rapturous surprise.

What: Hudson Valley Ribfest

Where: New Paltz, NY

When: August 21-22, 2010; Saturday 11a.m.–10p.m., Sunday 11a.m.-5p.m.

Why: To save trees by licking your fingers instead of using napkins. Now in its sixth year, Hudson Valley Ribfest lets teams duke it out over who is really the grill master. Summer isn’t summer without barbecue and what better way to enjoy it than sampling the best of the best? In between taste testing pizza, skirt steak, shrimp (Saturday) and chicken, ribs, and brisket (Sunday), enjoy live music and the chance to see the NASCAR Show Car up close.

What: The 3rd annual New Haven Food & Wine Festival

Where: Pilot Pen Tennis at Yale, New Haven

When: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 from 5:00–7:30pm

Why: Mingling with tennis champions like Caroline Wozniacki and Marcos Baghdati—plus a box seat to watch them in action—while devouring delicious gourmet food. Tennis fans and foodies alike will indulge in some of the most inventive cuisine of the Northeast and see for themselves why New Haven is garnering such a stellar culinary reputation. Hosted at one location on campus, this year’s event features 20 diverse and inventive restaurants serving up a shnibble of their most famed menu items. Guests will also have the opportunity to meet one of America’s most renowned chefs, Jacques Pepin.

Whether sitting under a cherry blossom tree in Brooklyn, in a sculpture garden facing the Manhattan skyline, or perched overlooking the Hudson River on a historical site, from April through October, consider eating alfresco at one of these picturesque places.

Here is a list of seven beautiful picnic spots in and around New York City for that next romantic date or rendezvous with friends.

Take a break from that Green IT For Dummies book and learn about organic farming in person and in style. Sustenance on the Farm, started by Margaret Noon, president of Slow Food Northern NJ, is hosting some delectable fundraising feasts throughout the summer months to both educate and tantalize their guests. The mission of Sustenance is to host events that will spread an awareness of earth stewardship and “Redefine a Garden State of Mind” while supporting local farms that practice sustainable techniques.

Calling all foodies. Beginning this weekend, celebrate the bounty of summer with six drinking and eating (hello, garlic lovers!) day trips near NYC—from a Grand Tasting in Greenport to a culinary walking tour in New Haven—that are sure to entice even the most refined palate.