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: We were thrilled to get a reservation at Lola’s, one of the somewhat under-the-radar restaurants that made its way onto NY Times’ Top 100 Restaurant list of last year. It’s not as buzzy as others, but for those in the know, it’s pretty popular. We sat at the chef’s counter and it reminded …
The Place: If it weren’t for the blackboard on the sidewalk or the intoxicating smells seeping out the door, you’d think Yanni’s Coffee was just a neighborhood third wave coffee shop. And you’d be right. I especially love how this is the one and only location. Yanni’s does not look to be trying to conquer …
I really should learn my lesson and not be sucked in by the newest gimmick in the food world. It almost always sets me up for disappointment. But Moonrise Bagels, which is the hottest new bagel opening in the city and has garnered the predictable long lines and social media hysteria, is something I had …
The Place: In many ways, BKK Thai feels like a Midtown restaurant, but I found it to be a lot more ambitious than what this neighborhood implies. It’s sleek and narrow with a modern, funky vibe. It very much feels like the after-theater restaurants in and around Hell’s Kitchen. Some of these places have good …
The Place: Depending upon which entrance of Essex Market you use, you might walk by Rebel Cheese after Formaggio Essex and think this food hall has two cheese shops. You wouldn’t be wrong exactly, but Rebel Cheese is quite different from other cheese shops. It’s in a prime spot of the recently relocated Essex Market …
The Place: Last year, Long Island City gained an exciting Asian food hall not so dissimilar to the ones you can find further out in Queens in Flushing, which are, of course, not so dissimilar to the ones you can find in Shanghai. On my visit to the LIC Food Hall on a cold weekday …
The Place: I was thrilled to hear that one of my absolute favorite Chinese restaurants in the city has expanded to Midtown. Lin & Daughters’ newest location is cornered into that strange little walkway between 26th and 27th Street. I have always thought of this as a little hub for fast casual offerings for nearby …
The Place: Bub’s Bakery, a completely gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free bakery, recently opened amongst all the other hip trendy food places in Noho. It’s right around the corner from This Bowl and across the street from locations of Los Tacos No. 1 and Levain Bakery. It fits right in with this line-up, featuring expensive pastries …
The Place: Nestled on the other side of the elevated subway in Astoria, this corner coffee shop is a true oasis. The tables were all taken (and there was even a wait) when I stopped by on a weekday morning. Not sure if this is just a beloved local hangout (there were lots of meetings …
I remember when Grimm started as a gypsy brewer creating sour ales on other breweries’ equipment. Since then, they have grown to be one of the preeminent brewery destinations in Brooklyn. Been a while since I’ve re-visited their sours, so I was excited to crack open Color Field. This clear pink beer is a classic …
The Place: Starting the new year on a fresh, clean note is important to me. So I always think seafood is a great first step, which conjures up memories of my recent lunch at Strange Delight, a seafood-centric restaurant and bar in the middle of Fort Greene. The chef’s counter is always a great spot …
I’m counting down the 10 best dishes I tasted in 2025… This was the year where I surrendered to the fact that I won’t experience every single viral dish in the city and, frankly, realized I don’t really want to. While a few of the hottest and most in-demand bites found their way on my …
I imagine most of us like to end (and start) the year with a little something sweet. And truly, from my time in Lisbon, I know the sweet eggy tarts known as pastel de nata don’t really need a special occassion. But since I recently got to try the playful versions at Libsonata in Crown …
I’m counting down the 10 best dishes I tasted in 2025… This was the year where I surrendered to the fact that I won’t experience every single viral dish in the city and, frankly, realized I don’t really want to. While a few of the hottest and most in-demand bites found their way on my …
You’d think these small bite-sized potato latkes would be a special for Hanukkah when fried potato pancakes are traditional eaten. But Edith’s Sandwich Counter specializes in updated versions of traditional Jewish foods all year long. So these totkes are something you can (and should) order any day of the year. Edith’s are experts at frying …
THE SPOT: All these years of eating pizza in Dumbo and I completely ignored Ignazio’s. Even when the guy standing on the corner screamed at me and my tour guests that this was the best pizza in Dumbo. It’s hard when Ignazio’s is competing with the likes of Juliana’s, Grimaldi’s, and now L&B Spumoni Gardens …
THE PLACE: Been a while since I took myself out to a fancy new hotspot. Markette, in one of the least attractive streets in Chelsea, fits the bill nicely. The vibe is like a fancy hotel lobby with a tranquil bar and dining room. Service is friendly and attentive and this would be a great …
Holidays in New York for many, mean waiting in line to eat at an overcrowded expensive food stand at one of the city’s chaotic markets. Whether it’s Bryant Park, Union Square, Herald Square, or Columbus Circle, you can still experience a Winter Market Nightmareland….
Tacos are hot again. Like really hot. Santo Taco, which took over the iconic La Esquina take out window this past summer, has already expanded further uptown. And it’s not the only taqueria in the city garnering lots of attention. I’ve tried quite a few of the new ones (more reviews to come) and I …
It’s been a while since I wrote about a product made in New York but used for home cooking rather than created at a restaurant. I discovered one of these wonderful locally made food provisions at Stand Alone Cheese in Jackson Heights, which is a great local cheese shop in the midst of the most …