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.
It’s that time of year where the weather starts getting a bit chilly and we all come under attack from pumpkins – with or without spice. From doughnuts to pancakes to cream cheese, pumpkins are lurking around every corner in New York City and it seems like there’s no escape….
THE PLACE: While in Barcelona this summer, I really wanted to take my family to an old-school churrería where we could get a breakfast of churros and chocolate. It seemed like all the places I had planned for near our hotel were closed for the week we were visiting. I started to panic, but somehow …
THE PLACE: San Sebastián, or Donostia as the locals call it, is a magical place. Not only is it a rich cultural city with incredible architecture, bustling city life, and a pristine beach, but it is arguably home to the most amazing food in the world. In addition to your choice of Michelin-starred restaurants, pintxo …
THE PLACE: Along the Nive River sits a very charming commercial street in Bayonne, France (not to be confused with Bayonne, New Jersey). This is a town in the Basque Country of France that feels as far away from Paris as you could possibly imagine. We had just two nights in this small but fascinating …
THE PLACE: We spent most of our time in Bordeaux in the historic Old Town or the trendy Chartrons District. It wasn’t until the last night that we wanted a low-key meal not far from our hotel and so we wandered over to the area surrounding the Basilica St. Michel. That’s where we discovered a …
THE PLACE: Paris is magical so it’s hard to not discover a gorgeous little bistro with all the atmosphere you’d hope for in an airy local spot in the City of Love. They’re on every corner. Yet La Marine, which was recommended to me by the one and only Peter Shelsky, was even more special …
The signs are everywhere, splattered all over the city that you need to try the viral Dubai chocolate. Have you spent your life’s saving to try this chocolate bar? I don’t get it – what’s all the fuss???
THE PLACE: For those that have bemoaned the lack of good Vietnamese in New York, I have great news. Banh Anh Em opened earlier this year in that strange area between the East Village, Union Square, and Gramercy. The surrounding bars all have a fratty quality, but this little restaurant with a sizable counter hosts …
THE PLACE: ThisBowl is still as trendy as ever and recently expanded to a second location in Nomad. I predicted them to be the best Sweetgreen a few months back when I wrote about their fresh and flavorful salads, and still stand by that. Although there is something that feels a bit less corporate about …
THE PLACE: I was so excited to somehow score an 8pm reservation at Sunn’s, a cozy hotspot in the Lower East Side that has been tough to get a table. That’s why I was even more anxious than usual when we were running late. It all worked out, thankfully, and we snagged two seats at …
THE PLACE: Places like Ramro did not exist in Astoria when I lived and hung out in this neighborhood decades ago. This is an intimate high-brow restaurant bordering on fine dining with a focus on an under-represented cuisine outside of Queens (Filipino). The service here is top-notch and the few tables are close together, yet …
THE PLACE: Kolkata Chai Co. seems to want to take the spicy, sweet black tea to the heights of the ever popular green tea matcha. This little café opened a few years back in the East Village and has slowly since expanded with small tea shops in a handful of NYC neighborhoods, including the one …
THE PLACE: Dame has been top of my list since they first started previewing their now famous fish and chips during the peak of the pandemic. Since then, this cozy Greenwich Village haunt not only continues to be a hot table in the city but also has become a reliable old standby. THE MENU: British …
THE PLACE: The long lines at Danny & Coop’s in the East Village have not only been because of the general food hysteria in NYC over the latest fad. It also has to do with the fact that this cheesesteak business is celebrity backed. You might not recognize Danny (Danny DiGiampietro, the owner of Angelo’s …
THE PLACE: Chinatown has changed. While you can (and should) still get bowls of cheap noodles and steaming dumplings in the neighborhood, you can now also find yourself in a high-brow modern restaurant taking nods from the likes of Spanish and French cuisine and serving everything from cured tuna and a comté tart to a …
Just like the rest of New York City, I’ve fallen hard (in that 90’s high school crush sort of way) for crisp, seasoned smash burgers Even if I wanted to, I can’t stop dreaming about them…
THE PLACE: Just recently transformed from the Filipino restaurant Tradisyon to the bright and airy Uncle Ray’s, this little nook in Hell’s Kitchen is welcoming and comfortable. When I stopped by for an early lunch, I was the only diner and was greeted graciously by the enthusiastic waitress and the chef himself, Sergeant Kiang (“Uncle …
THE PLACE: I’ve always felt like the Spanish restaurants in the city are never as good as the ones I have been to in Spain itself. More so than other countries I’ve travelled to. Eel Bar, which is a hip, clandestine bar/restaurant from the team behind Cervo’s and Hart’s, is the closest I’ve experienced to …
THE SPOT: If you’ve ever taken a train or a bus in or out of New York, you’ve encountered Zaro’s Family Bakery. These take-out spots are an iconic local bakery that started in the Bronx in 1927 and are now mostly found at Grand Central, Penn Station, and Port Authority Bus Terminal. They were once …
THE PLACE: Man, I miss giving the Cocktail Tours I used to run before the pandemic. Not just because they were awesome and I got to hang out at some of the best cocktail bars in town, but also because I really got to explore the local late night food scene in the East Village. …