Putting the Red, White and Blue on a Plate

Cool down at creator and executive chef Rick Moonen's rm seafood in The Shoppes at Mandalay Place, where award-winning lead bartender J.R. Starkus has created the Liberty & Justice cocktail -- a delicious combination of Jim Beam Red Stag, fresh watermelon, lemon juice and raspberry syrup topped with a fresh bing cherry. Or try the Blueberry Pie Bam-Boozled Shake at Holsteins Shakes and Buns, made with Stoli blueberry vodka, blueberry compote, brown butter crumble and freeze-dried blueberries.

In New York, Five Points & Hundred Acres is throwing a down and dirty low country picnic on the patio. Beverages include kegs of beer such as Narragansett Lager from Rhode Island, Carton B.D.G. Ale from New Jersey and seasonal cocktails such as spiked watermelon lemonade and bourbon iced tea. Chef R.L. King will be serving up his low country boil in addition to Wagyu beef burgers, hot dogs, coleslaw and more. Pastry chef Amanda Cook will be scooping up homemade ice cream alongside bacon chocolate chip cookies.

At B&B Winepub, executive chef Josh Capon is offering "BBQ kits" for weekend outings. All items come with cooking instructions and serving recommendations and are packed frozen for easy travel. Highlights include New Zealand rack of lamb with fresh rosemary, garlic marinade and homemade Dijon barbecue sauce and green dragon skewers marinated in jalapeno, cilantro, scallions and ginger.

A Voce is serving red, white and blue-inspired cuisines and cocktails: the red Boscaiolo primavera cocktail pitcher (fresh raspberries, honey-rosemary syrup, cranberry juice and club soda) in addition to the stracciatella (creamy pugliese mozzarella with fava beans and parsley pesto, a perfect white dish). Alternately, P.J. Clarke's On the Hudson has created the Signature Iceberg Wedge with bacon, blue cheese and red cherry tomatoes.