Serving outdoors when there is no kitchen nearby

Rooftops, stoops and parks all present the same problem: nothing is cold and nothing stays where you put it.

Keeping things cold is the hard part

Ambient heat ruins a spread faster than anything else. An inflatable cooler table holds ice around the bowls and buys you hours rather than minutes.

It also doubles as the serving surface, which removes one thing to carry.

Wind moves everything

Paper, light plastic and anything domed will travel. Weight matters more outdoors than indoors, and lids matter more than looks.

Melamine is heavy enough to stay put and light enough to carry, which is why it dominates outdoor serving.

One surface, not several

Carrying multiple small items to a rooftop is how things get dropped. A single tray or table that carries everything in one trip is worth planning around.

Stackable trays make the return journey manageable too.

Nothing that shatters

Ceramic and glass are for tables with chairs. Outdoors, assume something will be knocked over at some point.

Melamine and plastic exist precisely for this, and the patterns are good enough now that it is not a compromise.

Ice and drainage

Ice melts and the water has to go somewhere. Inflatable coolers hold it, which is better than a tray that spreads it across the table.

Plan for draining it before you plan for filling it.

Shade over the food

Food in direct sun deteriorates fast, and so does anyone eating it. Position the table before you set it out.

Half an hour of planning here matters more than any equipment.

Clearing up

Everything that came out has to go back. Pieces that stack and nest turn a second trip into a single one.

This is the quiet argument for buying a matched set rather than accumulating odd items.

Questions that come up with this

Are you open at unusual hours?
The counter runs Mon–Sun: 6:00 AM–12:00 AM at 80 Varick St, New York, NY 10013. Online orders can be placed at any time.

How soon does an order ship?
Within one to two business days, then two to five business days in transit inside the United States.

What is carriage?
A flat $8.49 per order, and nothing from $65.00 upward.

The FAQ page covers the rest.

Where this sits in the shop

Varick’s Market Place groups its range into 6 sections, so it is usually quicker to start from the group than to scroll the whole shop. These are the ones with stock on the shelf right now:

Serving Trays — 7 items
Outdoor and Party — 3 items
Tiered Stands — 3 items
Decorative Trays — 3 items
Charcuterie Boards — 2 items
Lazy Susans — 1 item

If none of those is obviously right, the full shop lists everything on one page.

Coming in instead

Varick’s Market Place is at 80 Varick St, New York, NY 10013, open Mon–Sun: 6:00 AM–12:00 AM. If you would rather look at something before buying it, call +1 212-547-8754 and we will put it aside for you.

Anything already ordered can be followed on the order tracking page.

Four products that show the range

The least expensive way in: VCREATC Small Black Rectangular Tray, 8.1″ x 4.1″ Plastic Organizer at $7.88. Listed with its own specification table, so the dimensions and what is in the box are on the page rather than in a description.

A step up from the basics: UP Red Coral Melamine Serving Tray, 15″ Rectangular Platter for Entertaining at $18.99. Listed with its own specification table, so the dimensions and what is in the box are on the page rather than in a description.

A middle-of-the-range option: Gibson Home Gracious Dining 3-Tier Rectangle White & Gold Serving Set at $29.99. Listed with its own specification table, so the dimensions and what is in the box are on the page rather than in a description.

The most substantial option: Vercraft 40″ x 40″ Square Black HDPE Picnic Table with 8 Cup Holders at $97.99. Listed with its own specification table, so the dimensions and what is in the box are on the page rather than in a description.

What it costs

Across the 19 items currently listed, prices run from $7.88 to $97.99, with the middle of the range around $24.99. That spread is worth knowing before you start comparing, because the cheapest and dearest options here are usually not the same kind of product at all.

Shipping is a flat $7.99 per order and free once the order reaches $65.00, which is set out in full on the Shipping Policy page.

In short

Rooftops, stoops and parks all present the same problem: nothing is cold and nothing stays where you put it. If you want to talk it through rather than read about it, +1 212-547-8754 reaches the shop during opening hours, and the contact page has everything else.