The Hottest Night of the Year

Romantic notions of sultry July evenings be damned, outside of Tennessee Williams' melodramas there's little fun to be had when the humidity reaches 80% and the 9PM temps hover in the 90s. Alas, such is Summer in NYC, never letting us forget its natural origins as swamplands. Luckily Jen Ruske keeps the a/c pumping overtime and serves seasonal perfection on a plate with cooling Vietnamese-inspired flavors in pan-fried chicken (fish sauce, fresh mint and basil, fiery red and green chilies), zucchini and cuke spears with pesto, bowls of steamed veggies and lots of chilled Riesling.