Āyubūvan Gastronauts!

Ah… summer in New York, when your thoughs turn to beaches and increasingly desperate ploys to make friends who have sailboats or at least a car, so you can leave the overheated, overcrowded, dusty island of Manhattan.

But fear not! Just, close your eyes and picture this: Gentle lapping waves, the cool breeze of the Atlantic in your hair, a cool drink in your hand, lots of ladies and gentlemen dressed in their brightest white cricket attire, gazing at the Statue of Liberty and at Ellis Island while the island of Manhattan recedes into the distance…. Then, after alighting on a new land—yes, we know you’ve never been to Staten Island—and just a short walk from the harbor a feast awaits: platters with whole roasted baby goats, Lamprie, string hoppers, and other Sri Lankan delicious dishes. Sound pretty good? Yeah? We thought so.

That’s right, we’re headed to Staten Island for a sumptuous Sri Lankan feast from the masterful Sanjay Handapangoda at San Rasa. So, no need to fake BFF’ness for that car ride to the beach: Just slip on your best boat shoes and perhaps some cricket attire (lots of cricket on Staten Island), have a seat at a Gastronaut table, and make some new friends there.

So, here’s the deal: on Tuesday, we’ll all meet up at the Whitehall Terminal down at the southern tip of Manhattan at 6:45pm and jump on the 7:00 pm ferry to Staten Island. Look for your friendly tour guide Curtiss in the lobby of the terminal, just by the entrance. If you miss the party boat, though, no worries — they leave every 20 minutes or so. Once safely back on dry land, we’ll hike on over (about a mile … so, make sure you stay well hydrated) to San Rasa.