Summer is officially here and the culinary team at Nitehawk Cinema, New York’s original dine-in theater, has crafted a new menu to cool you down and keep you buzzed.

Nitehawk Williamsburg’s Executive Chef Michael Franey elaborates on his favorite new menu item, the Vegan Pulled Pork Sandwich: ”We’re always searching for how to take things that people are familiar with and present them in new and interesting ways. This summer, we challenged ourselves to remake a classic summer barbecue dish and make it vegan. We are shredding young jackfruit and sautéing that with miso, tomato paste and a Carolina style barbecue sauce with a lot of mustard. We top the sandwich with a lightly pickled peach to bring some sweetness and some vinegar bite to cut through the richness of the sauce and umami packed jackfruit.”

What better way to quench your thirst after a big helping of Vegan Pulled Pork than our new Ginger-Lime Slushie! Nitehawk Williamsburg’s Beverage Director Rob Giles explains: “We really wanted this drink to be reminiscent of the childhood frozen treat you had during the summer— except with the option of booze. Ginger is juiced fresh and blended with sugar and lime to create a refreshingly cold non-alcoholic beverage to slurp on during one of our movies. You do have the option of adding either Bourbon, Vodka, or Jamaican rum if you’re looking to party!”

Don’t worry carnivores, we’ve got you covered with our Brooklyn Cured Bratwurst, available at our Prospect Park location. Nitehawk Prospect Park Executive Chef Blessing Schuman-Strange states: ”We’re always looking to feature products from local producers. The brats from Brooklyn cured are made with sustainable meat from farms they trust, they are also wonderfully tender and buttery. We serve them in the classic german style; sliced over house made sauerkraut with cucumber-dill and german style potato-mustard salads. I think this dish is also a great example of the ways in which Nitehawk defies what you would expect from ‘movie theater food.’”

It has always been a priority of Nitehawk to work with local producers, and we are very excited to introduce our new Nitehawk and Brooklyn Winery Collaboration. Nitehawk Prospect Park Beverage Director Nick Dodge explains: “We made a special Grenache based red wine blend with Brooklyn Winery called Nitehawk Red Blend no. 2. It’s really great to be able to work with local producers and have some involvement in the production stage of some menu items. We made a bright juicy Côtes du Rhône style blend that is perfect for summer.

Our chefs also devised healthier alternatives for those looking to indulge in more mindful options while at the cinema. “The Stone Fruit Salad is a lovely balance of simplicity and sophistication. We start with the spicy/grassy arugula which is the perfect base for the sweetness of local stone fruit. We’ll be sourcing whatever stone fruit is at its peak as we move through the summer harvest season. The lightly pickled cherries bring in a nice hit of acid and it’s topped off with walnuts and Stilton cheese for a little bit of texture and richness” says Executive Chef Blessing Schuman-Strange.

Sweeten up any movie this spring by treating yourself to our new Watermelon Soft-Serve-Sorbet. Sorbet has always been a Nitehawk staple and we are excited to offer a soft serve sorbet for the first time. “It’s everything I want in a hot weather dessert; light, refreshing, and cold. Who doesn’t want a mouthful of frosty watermelon to fight off those dog days of summer? I’m also always happy when we are able to add another option for our dairy free/vegan guests” states Executive Chef Blessing Schuman-Strange.

Nitehawk’s Beverage Directors Nick Dodge and Rob Giles collaborated to elevate cocktail recipes and frozen drinks to showcase seasonal accents with bold fuisions. “We usually like to offer guests a mixture of signature and classic cocktails to provide them with a varied array of beverage options for all levels of experienced drinkers. The Negroni Bianco is a culmination of these two philosophies– a classic cocktail that is based on a familiar recipe, but that has been tweaked to compliment the longer days and hot summer nights. The base spirit used Barr Hill gin, an amazing product endemic to the Northeast region that used raw honey in the distillate, and a relatively new vermouth from Lustau that provides  floral and citrus notes that results in a lighter and more balanced cocktail” states Rob Giles from Nitehawk Williamsburg.

Nitehawk Cinema blossoms this season with a creative selection of food and drink items available at both Brooklyn locations. The lineup of new dishes and signature beverages includes:

• The Mule (frozen)

  • Frozen ginger lime slushie with your choice of: Absolut Vodka, Hamilton Black Rum or Four Roses Bourbon

• Donovan’s Reef

  • Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, Four Roses Bourbon, pineapple, lime, cinnamon, Swedish Punsch Liqueur

• Buddy Love

  • El Dorado (3 yr), Plantation Xaymaca, Black Bottle Scotch, cashew orgeat, lime juice, Combier Liqueur d’Orange, absinthe

• Negroni Bianco

  • Barr Hill Gin, Lustau Bianco Vermouth, gentian liqueur, grapefruit bitters

• Cool Breeze Over the Mountains

  • Suntory Whisky Toki, barley, lemon oil, shiso, sparkling water

• Montauk Watermelon Session IPA

• Blackberry Farm Classic Belgian-Style Ale

• Shacksbury Dry Rosé Cider

• Brooklyn Winery x Nitehawk Red No.2, NY

  • Grenache based Côtes du Rhône style blend, medium body with bright spiced fruit

• Lamb and Beef Skewers (available at Williamsburg)

  • Cucumber, marinated heirloom cherry tomatoes, mint yogurt sauce

• Nashville Hot Popcorn Chicken

  • Popcorn chicken, Bread and Butter pickles with a side of ranch

• Vegan Pulled Pork (available at Williamsburg)

  • Jackfruit, pickled peaches, Carolina style BBQ sauce, kaiser roll, hand cut fries or house salad

• Lobster Roll

  • Meyer lemon aioli, tarragon, Old Bay, sweet Hawaiian bun, hand cut fries or salad

• Stone Fruit Salad

  • Seasonal stone fruit, arugula, frisée, Stilton, pickled cherries, walnut vinaigrette

• Brooklyn Cured Bratwurst (available at Prospect Park)

  • Cucumber-dill salad, mustard new potatoes, house-made sauerkraut