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RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Rockaway Beach in NY
Your summer sojourns in Rockaway just got a little more epic. The Palms officially launches tonight in Rockaway Beach, bringing artisan merchants, chef-driven dinners and live entertainment to a 5,000-square-foot outdoor venue set along the pristine Atlantic shoreline. Rockaway Taco co-founder David Selig is spearheading the new project along with Amy Morris and Anna Polonsky of the MP Shift. The palm-shaded, salt-kissed beach getaway is fitted with a pop-up shop from fashion it-girl DJ May Kwok and outdoor film screenings curated by actress-filmmaker Greta Gerwig.
Alfresco dining will be one of the Palms' key highlights as well. Top Chef toque Camille Becerra (Navy) kicks off an all-star culinary program tonight and tomorrow, with a $75, five-course "Navy Nights" dinner (finished with desserts by pastry maven Nick Morgenstern of Morgenstern's Ice Cream). Next Saturday, Whitney Aycock of famed local pizzeria Whit's End will grill under the palms, offering an exclusive sneak peak of his new restaurant opening later in the month. Also on the lineup are Fernando Aciar of Latin American coffeehouse O Café in the West Village, and La Cevichería owners Layla and Ximena Yrala, who dish out varieties of fresh Peruvian ceviche (shrimp, calamari, quinoa) from their no-frills shop.