Food Adventuring Around NYC
Brian Hoffman is a classically trained actor who is now a full-time tour guide, blogger, and food obsessive. He leads food and drink tours around New York City, which not only introduce tour-goers to delicious food, but gives them a historical context. He has written food articles for Gothamist and Midtown Lunch in addition to overseeing this blog and a few food video series, including Eat This, Locals Know, and Around the World in One City. His latest series is an international cooking show with his son which can be found on this site.
THE PLACE: The well-loved Miller’s Twist sits towards the back of the iconic Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. For those unfamiliar with the market, it is one of those over-run tourist places that somehow is also beloved by locals. The same seems to hold true for this pretzel vendor that started in the market in …
THE SPOT: Ask many North Brooklynites about their favorite pizza and you might hear Fini’s name come up – maybe not as often as Best Pizza and L’Industrie, but enough to make you wonder. Fini debuted during a wave of pizzeria openings in this part of Williamsburg in 2022. From Sean Feeney (aka, Fini), one …
THE PLACE: We discovered this cute corner neighborhood spot on our recent visit to Philly. El Chignon is in the hip, lively neighborhood of Passyunk Square, world’s away from the hubbub of Center City and Independence Hall. Vibrantly colorful and casual, this was a great weekend brunch spot that made us feel like we were …
The kids at school all talk about it and my son has begged me to bring him home a cookie from the over-hyped Crumbl. But when I found one of the locations in the city, I had to run the other way. If you’ve walked by Crumbl in NYC and noticed the massive lines out …
THE PLACE: Mostly hidden from street view, Blue Blossom is a sleek new fancy Chinese restaurant steps away from Bryant Park. This restaurant comes from the owners of Che Li and Szechuan Mountain House, two excellent refined Chinese spots in the East Village. This is their first venture into the heart of Midtown. A long …
My search for the best falafel in New York continues…. Falafel hasn’t been quite as successful when given a gourmet spin. It lives very comfortably in the world of street food and fast food and while unique spins on the chickpea fritter are welcomed, high prices usually are not. Spice Brothers is a bit sneaky …
THE PLACE: Bar Goto is a narrow unmarked cocktail den in the Lower East Side that has become legendary in the craft cocktail world. The bar is the main centerpiece, but a few intimate tables wrap around it and a serious, but casual mood is set by the expert bartenders and wait staff. It’s both …
THE PLACE: It’s always thrilling when a true gem opens in an under-served neighborhood. Aside from PJ Clarke’s, some good lunch options and a few Japanese dens, I can’t say there’s a whole lot to bring me to the East 50’s. Ánimo! announces itself with an exclamation point and for good reason – this place …
THE PLACE: There are certainly no other Irish Soda Bread Shops that I can think of in Manhattan. Perhaps that is why Mary O’s has had a huge line since the store debuted a few months ago. In addition to having a niche product, the bread at Mary O’s has developed a massive following when …
I’ve resisted reviewing Shelsky’s Brooklyn Bagels because there is a potential conflict of interest here. I’ve been praising their freshly made bagels for years now since their other location on Court Street is a stop on one of the Brooklyn food tours I lead. I’ve known Peter Shelsky and his business partner Lewis for a …
THE PLACE: While wandering around scouting a brand new food tour, I discovered a little stand outside the famous Phil-Am Food Mart. This is a weekend pop-up that is not officially related to the Filipino market, but of course, is selling street food that would appeal to the market’s customers. And don’t worry, they absolutely …
Almost anyone who’s dipped their toes in the NYC food scene know about Los Tacos No. 1. The local chain is showing tourists (and locals) that Mexican food in New York is so much better than Pedro Pascal realizes. Hope he hears this joyful cheer for Los Tacos No. 1…
THE PLACE: It’s been a long, long time since I’ve been invited to a party in Manhattan and it feels like I accidentally stepped into one when I recently dined solo at C as in Charlie. I stopped by as soon as they opened on a very frigid weekday night and by the time I …
THE PLACE: This prime corner bar space has changed hands many times in the last few years, but it’s current tenant is possibly the most major player in the cocktail scene that has inhabited this space in recent memory. ¡Superbueno! has been beloved by those in the drinks industry and in 2024, it was named …
THE PLACE: One of my favorite Korean restaurants used to sit at this open storefront on First Avenue. It was heartbreaking when Oiji closed – although that restaurant went even more upscale in a much more expensive iteration called Oiji Mi. Thankfully, the gang from Hand Hospitality (behind other Korean favorites like Atoboy and Her …
The buzz started when Nate Skid started popping up his new pizza business at local breweries. I had heard about Nate’s and figured one day I would actually give it a try. Amazingly, I was wondering down Atlantic Avenue after a Brooklyn food tour and lo and behold, Nate’s had permanently popped up in the …
THE PLACE: I was ready to hate Bad Roman and write it off as a not serious restaurant that is all social media hype. It is definitely some of that, but it was better than I expected. This was our best option for a special dinner out before a show at Lincoln Center considering we …
THE PLACE: Just as Sweetgreen was once a unique and delicious entry to the NYC lunch scene, ThisBowl has taken the healthy bowl-obsessed contingent by storm. ThisBowl is an Australian chain (called Fish Bowl down under) and my guess is they are hoping to pull a Sweetgreen here. After garnering huge lines in Noho, a …
It does seem like nowadays the best place to get a black and white cookie is not at a German bakery, but rather at a Jewish appetizing shop. The exciting Simply Nova tries to do it all when it comes to New York Jewish food from smoked salmon to pastrami sandwiches and, of course, black …
THE PLACE: In a section of Long Island City that seems to be turning into a little Asia of sorts (thanks to lots of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese restaurants), Nai Brother sits on an unassuming corner. It’s one of two New York City locations of a Sichuan restaurant chain specializing in a unique dish. The …