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August, for me, is a month meant for the beach. I try to swim in the ocean and work on my tan as much as possible. I also know that the perfect beach day requires more than just clear skies, sunscreen, and a boogie board or kadima set. Going the extra mile means being equipped with refreshing and tasty drinks and properly assembled eats that pair well with sandy toes and salty hair. We tapped a handful of beach-loving chefs to share their insights, because, as Cesar Zapata of Miami’s Phuc Yea, Pho Mo and Arepitas Bar puts it: “As a chef, everyone you’ll ever venture to the beach with will expect you to bring the ‘good stuff.’”
Caroline Schiff, the executive pastry chef of Brooklyn’s Gage & Tollner, swears by focaccia sandwiches. That she has a cookbook on sourdough coming out this year and her Instagram is full of fluffy, herb-flecked loaves of the knobby bread is proof that she knows what she’s talking about. She bakes a thick sourdough focaccia, slices it crosswise, and stuffs it with combinations of marinated and grilled veggies, mozzarella, ricotta, basil, oil and vinegar, olives, pickled hot peppers, and capers. “Wrap it tightly and press it gently,” she says. “The focaccia is soft, so it’s easy to eat at the beach. And because it’s thick, it soaks up the oil and vinegar and is just so bright, punchy, and satisfying.” It’s also a simple thing to assemble for a group (although non-bakers will want to buy their bread instead of making it). Schiff says you can get about a dozen sandwiches out of a large sheet of focaccia.
“I love to grill on the beach when I can,” says Macklin Casnoff, the chef and founder of Lovely Bunch. But that gets complicated at crowded spots, so he usually subscribes to a similar approach as Schiff and sticks to sandwiches, preferably BLT or veggie with an incredibly thick slice of tomato in it. He also likes to bring fruit, ideally strawberries, and says a side of whipped cream can be a fun addition.
Pasta, or “beach noods” as Lily Soule, founder of Hi-Acid Vinegars, calls it for the occasion, is another great option. She suggests bucatini with homemade pesto or rigatoni with marinated fresh tomatoes, herbs, and parmesan cheese. Make everything the night before then pack it in a cooler the next day to enjoy cold, room temperature, or a little sun-heated at the beach.
For snacks, Gabby Green, the LA-based ice cream maker behind Arden Street Ice Cream, always brings roasted pepitas with arbol chilies, lime, and salt. Her recipe stems from Gabriela Cámara’s My Mexico City Kitchen cookbook. “I make huge batches every week and give them as gifts in little glass jars,” she says. And she’s especially generous with her friends who likewise make a habit of hitting the beach. Zapata likes Olli’s charcuterie snack boxes, which include high-quality cold cuts, cheeses, olives, and crackers, plus Papas Margarita de Pollo potato chips. “These Colombian-style chips are seasoned with chicken bouillon—full of umami and flavor, an all-around perfect snack,” he says.
And to drink? Casnoff vouches for a thermos of lemonade or iced tea—or, better yet, wine. Follow his lead and try to find a bottle of Controvento, a vineyard from Abruzzo, Italy. “They make a delicious, salty rosé and orange, which are perfect beach wines: fruity, salty, nice acidity, and low alcohol,” he suggests. Leo Sloan, the chef at Good Bird in New Orleans, recommends bringing a growler of hard cider. “It’s a big container and floats in the water so you can pass it around and take swigs,” he says. And if you’re going for a morning beach session, Soule says that Evil Twin Brewing’s Sour Bikini Beer is the best breakfast beer at only 3.8% ABV.
If you want to take beachy imbibings to the next level, though, consider Zapata’s moves: Colombian-style Refajo and blanco tequila-soaked watermelon. For the former: “Fill the biggest pitcher you have with four cups of ice, pour in one liter of Manzana Postobón soda, then add two liters of a lager-style beer. If you’re feeling adventurous, add three Aguardiente shots. The star of the show here is the Manzana Postobón soda, which offers a crisp apple flavor that hits just right on a hot beach day,” he says. As for the watermelon, cut it into cubes then combine it with tequila plus fresh mint or Thai basil. Throw it into an iced-up cooler and you’re all set.
