Bolivian Llama Party getting ready to Rock. (Photo: BLP’s Instagram)
Now a Parks Department spokesperson confirms that Rockaway Taco won’t be doing flautas at the 97th Street stand this year. But these places will be back by tomorrow (in fact, they’re opening today, according to this tweet from Motorboat and the Big Banana).
- The folks behind Greenpoint-Lower East Side seafood shack The Lobster Joint will be doing lobster rolls.
- Motorboat and the Big Banana is bringing back its frozen bananas. And in honor of the Bluth’s Frozen Banana Stand, it’s doing a “GOB” this year — “double dipped with everything on it! Cookie, coconut & peanut.”
- La Fruiteria is back with coffee, smoothies and baked goods.
- Di Cosmo’s (which has already reopened its Italian-ice spot next to Rockaway Taco) will be churning out fro-yo and soft-serve ice cream.
- The Bolivian saltenas spot formerly known as La Casa de Camba has expanded and is going by the name it uses for Smorgasburg, Bolivian Llama Party.
- And Low Tide bar will be pouring Rockaway Brewing Co. beers again.
As we mentioned before, Low Tide and other vendors won’t be in the hard liquor business anymore. Parks has now sent over a statement that doesn’t explain the downgrade, but makes it seem pretty firm:
The contract for the Rockaway snackbars states that they may sell beer and wine, and the sale of hard liquor must be evaluated each year by Parks. Last season we did allow the Rockaway concession to sell hard liquor after 6 p.m. This year we have reevaluated that practice and determined it should not continue.
Again, the bar manager at Rippers told us they were lobbying to get the hard stuff back. In the meantime, look forward to wastin’ away in beeraritaville.
Update: Asked why exactly the booze got canned, the Parks spokesman said only, “Safety.” He also confirmed that the Beach 97th stand is now open.