Summer Garden & Bar Opens for the Season as NYC’s Top Outdoor Dining Destination

News provided by

Nicholas & Lence Communications

May 01, 2015, 09:30 ET

New York, NY (PRWEB) May 01, 2015 -- Rockefeller Center’s Summer Garden & Bar at Rock Center Café will open for the season on Saturday, May 2, kicking off al fresco dining with a number of new culinary experiences. The event lineup ranges from a pop-up New York State brewery dinner series to Sunday jazz brunches and a “Nose-to-Tail” Pig & Whiskey dinner. Guests can soak up the sun in an iconic, gorgeous outdoor setting featuring the famous gilded Prometheus statue, picturesque topiaries, and boxwood hedges.

“Every spring we transform The Rink at Rockefeller Center into a garden dining oasis,” said Nick Valenti, restaurateur and CEO of Patina Restaurant Group. “Guests can now relax and enjoy a meal, in the same sunken plaza where they skate during the winter. It’s one of the annual traditions we most look forward to.”

The restaurant launches a lineup of programming for 2015 that celebrates summer in the city.

  • Mother’s Day Garden Party Brunch (May 10) – Celebrate all moms at Summer Garden & Bar’s Mother’s Day Garden Party Brunch, featuring Chef Antonio Prontelli’s celebratory three course prix fixe menu, a children’s menu for discerning little diners, and special entertainment by The Juilliard School-trained singers. Priced at $45 for adults and $20 for children. Reservations available at rockcentercafe.com or by calling 212.332.7620.
  • Pop-Up Brewery Beer Dinner Series – Featuring Summer Garden’s favorite New York State breweries, this dinner series will offer special selections from Brooklyn Brewery on Monday, May 11, Ommegang on Tuesday, June 2, and Sixpoint on Tuesday, June 23. Beer experts from each brewery will be on hand to share their wisdom, and Chef Antonio Prontelli will personally present beer-friendly dishes like pork sliders with melted Swiss cheese and kimchi, tuna and avocado roll with spicy watermelon juice, and BBQ-spiced sliced sirloin with melted Vidalia onions, crispy potatoes and watercress. Priced at $49 per person plus tax and gratuity, for a four-course menu with beer pairings.
  • Sunday Jazz Brunch Series – Summer Garden & Bar will enhance their popular outdoor Sunday brunch experience with a live jazz soundtrack on May 17, May 31, June 7, June 14 and June 21 from 11 am to 3 pm. Entertainment will be provided by WCC Jazz Ensemble, a trio who performs covers of both classic and contemporary artists including Cole Porter and Bruno Mars. WCC musicians have toured worldwide and performed with headliners such as Kendrick Lamar, Dionne Warwick, Sade and more. Option to pre-purchase tickets and reserve at summergardenandbar.com is available. Walk-in guests are also invited to enjoy the music and an à la carte brunch menu.
  • “Nose-to-Tail” Pig & Whiskey Dinner – On June 16, Summer Garden & Bar is partnering with New York State’s award-winning Still the One Distillery based in Port Chester to offer a unique “nose-to-tail” dining experience that pairs small-batch whiskeys with a four-course menu that takes advantage of every part of a NY-state-raised pig. Menu highlights include seared pork belly and crispy oysters with ramp purée and pickled asparagus, and porchetta with corn, tomato, purple potato hash and rhubarb-tomato-cherry water. Priced at $75 per person plus tax and gratuity, for a four-course dinner with whiskey pairings.
  • Thursdays LIVE at Summer Garden & Bar – Live music will be featured on Thursdays from 6 to 10 pm starting May 21 by On The Move Events & Entertainment, founded by Darren Olarsch who has produced shows and events for a variety of A-list celebrities and Fortune 500 Companies.

Throughout the season, Chef Prontelli sources fresh seasonal produce for the Summer Garden & Bar. Popular menu items include Summer Garden Signature Guacamole with Hass Avocados and Tortilla Chips, Citrus and Pistachio Salad, RCC Chef’s Burger, Falafel Burger and more. All menus are found online here.

Summer Garden & Bar is located on 5th Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets and is open for breakfast Monday to Friday, dinner nightly, and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. For menu, reservations or more information, visit http://www.summergardenandbar.com.

About Patina Restaurant Group
Patina Restaurant Group (http://www.patinagroup.com) is a bicoastal boutique company and leader in the premium segment of the restaurant industry. In New York, its portfolio features the Michelin-starred Lincoln Ristorante, STATE Grill and Bar at the Empire State Building, Stella 34 Trattoria at Macy’s Herald Square, The Sea Grill at Rockefeller Center, Brasserie, Brasserie 8 1/2, The Grand Tier Restaurant at the Metropolitan Opera, La Fonda Del Sol at Grand Central, and The Rink at Rockefeller Center. Other East Coast properties include Tutto Italia Ristorante and Via Napoli at the Epcot World Showcase in Orlando, FL.

On the West Coast its portfolio includes the renowned Los Angeles Times’ four-starred and Michelin-starred Patina Restaurant in Walt Disney Concert Hall, Café Pinot, Ray’s & Stark Bar, Catal and Naples in Anaheim’s Downtown Disney District®, Leatherby’s Cafe Rouge, and catering and food service in museums and cultural centers throughout California.

Shin- Jung Hong, Nicholas & Lence Communications, http://www.nicholaslence.com/, +1 (212) 938-0005, [email protected]