Back Forty's crab boil.    (Photo: Courtesy of Back Forty)

Back Forty
190 Ave. B, nr. 12th St.; 212-388-1990
If you can't score a spot at the Tuesday night $40-a-head crab boils, grab thirteen friends for a private feast Wednesdays through Saturdays when you can cover the farm table with the same array of corn on the cob, pitchers of beer, seasonal cobbler, and steamed crabs plus wooden mallets for cracking into them.
* Go Now—ends after Labor Day.

Daisy May's BBQ USA
623 Eleventh Ave., at 46th St.; 212-977-1500
Often overshadowed by a certain pork butt farther downtown, Daisy's butt won first place at the Kansas City World Series of BBQ, feeds six, comes with summery all-American sides, and costs $150. That's $25 a head (before tax and tip).

Kitano
66 Park Ave., at 38th St.; 212-885-7017
Splurge a bit more in the waning warm days, and book a rooftop clambake that combines little necks, oysters, lobsters, sides, a variety of burgers, key lime pie, and watermelon for at least 25 people. The $100 per person cost includes domestic and imported bottled beer plus two kinds of sangria for the three-hour event, and you can host the party day or night.
* Go Now—ends after Labor Day.

Momofuku
Noodle Bar, 171 First Ave., nr. 11th St.; 212-777-7773
Ssäm Bar, 207 Second Ave., at 13th St.; 212-254-3500
Not much introduction is needed for the $200 Bo Ssäm (said downtown pork butt) that serves six to eight, or the new $100 fried-chicken dinners at nearby Noodle Bar—just an online reservation will do.

Resto
111 E. 29th St., nr. Park Ave.; 212-685-5585
Another day, another whole animal. The Large Format Feasts here, however, let you pick your own—out of lamb, guinea hen, suckling pig, striped bass (fish!), goat, or poularde en demi-deuil (a.k.a hen with truffles)—and design a menu for your group.

Roberta's
261 Moore St., nr. Bogart St., Bushwick, Brooklyn; 718-417-1118
This barnlike destination already boasts Zen hipster pizza-makers, a makeshift elevated garden out back (built with a small grant from Alice Waters), and seasonal plates, but groups of six or more can reserve big-kitchen projects like whole leg of lamb, roast chicken, pork (of course), and unlimited wine or beer for an extra $15 a head. Add a few thin-crust pizzas for good measure.