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.
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… The unassuming East Wind Snack Shop in Windsor Terrace is most known for Chinese dumplings. But they serve other snacks and some are not to be missed, like these fall-off-the-bone pork ribs that are generously glazed with a sweet chili sauce, dredged in sesame …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… Freshness is the main word at the hipster centric Queen of Falafel. I couldn’t get over how bright and fresh this platter of food was – from the Arabic salad, creamy labne cheese, hummus, tahini, richly charred smoky eggplant slices, and perfectly fried green falafel. …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… If you lived or hung out at coffee shops in Southeast Asia, you would most certainly be familiar with a Milo or a Milo Dinosaur. Kopitiam is NYC’s answer to those Malaysian coffee shops and they serve one of the more popular sweet drinks. Milo …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… Restaurant menus that list certain dishes as “Recommended” always make me a little suspicious. Are the other menu items “Not Recommended”? But it was that pat-on-the-back that led me to try this hearty umami-rich udon soup at the Japanese chain Tsurutontan. With a broth …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… 28 Day dry aged beef inside a potsticker?? Who ever heard of such a thing at a small casual take out spot like East Wind Snack Shop? The preparation truly makes a difference in terms of flavor. The meat has a strong rich beefy flavor that lingers – …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… Most Instagram food sensations are hued with bright rainbow colors. Not so the eye-catching malted pancakes at the Williamsburg hit Sunday in Brooklyn. These fluffy buttery breakfast gutbombs are surprisingly different shades of brown but no less striking (or delicious). In lieu of maple syrup, the …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… You might think if you’ve tried one bread stick, you’ve tried them all. Not so. The ones at Addeo Bakers are hand’s down the best I’ve ever tasted. Even though the sticks are made from day’s old bread, there is something so fresh and intensely …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… Fish tacos aren’t always my thing. Either they consist of greasy deep fried seafood or some grilled flaky bland white fish. Not always, but often. The octopus tacos at my new favorite hidden Mexican joint are a true revelation. Not only is each bite full …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… Good food doesn’t always have to pack a punch in terms of flavor. Sometimes delicate restorative flavors can be enough. This was the case for me with the surprising fish soup at East Village hot spot Hunan Slurp. The broth that is meant for dipping rice noodles …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… French cuisine can come across as tired. It had a heyday in the 1980’s in this city and since then it may have been overshadowed in the restaurant world by more exotic cuisines. But this year it came back with a bang! La Mercerie is one …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… SADLY, LLAMITA IS NOW CLOSED. I’ve had a calamari sandwich once before but it was nothing like this. My previous experience was in Madrid and it was basically fried calamari on a roll. It was great, but the spicy messy version served at hip Peruvian …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… The good news is this beer which I tasted earlier this year is back and available now at the brewery. The bad news is if you wait too long, you may miss it again. And you shouldn’t because Sleep Now in the Fire is …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… Before you choose one of the cute little Brazilian chocolate truffles known as brigadeiro at Brigadeiro Bakery, don’t miss the savory cheese puff called pão de queijo. Chewy and cheesy, the gluten free yucca-based specialty is not to be overlooked here. It may not …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… SADLY, LITTLE TONG NOODLE SHOP IS NOW CLOSED. The JB Melt is where buttery Beijing pancakes, Mixian beef shank, and American fast food collide. The brilliant sandwich, only available at the second location of Little Tong Noodle Shop, is a true New York creation. A jianbing is wrapped …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… There’s a slightly hidden festive Caribbean crab shack in Harlem that can’t be missed. Not only is the vibe and ambiance exciting, but the food is unexpectedly inventive. For their crabcake sandwich, not only do they use lump crab meat without much filler, but …
Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City I saved this little treasure until now so that I could make it the final Dish of the Week of the year. Not only has it been surprisingly memorable since I put my mouth around it, …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… I probably never would have discovered Tasty Pastry Shoppe if it wasn’t for the Dyker Heights Christmas lights. I was hired this year to bring a small group out there to marvel at the giant houses and their holiday displays. But since we were …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… Rita is one of the more exciting all-day cafés to open this year in the city. Everything they serve has a little Spanish twist on what you’d expect. Case in point is the excellent organic yogurt that is enlivened with the addition of tangy rich …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… There is something so perfect about cold marinated cucumbers at Chinese restaurants that gets me every time. Although Daxi in Flushing just might take the cake for this innovative approach. They curl the cucumber into rolls and then mix it with so much garlic, vinegar, and …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2018… There were a lot of beers to choose from at the brand spanking new brewery at Citi Field. Mikkeller NYC has over 30 of their housemate beers on tap (and more brewed in other locations). So I really lucked out when I chose the cleverly …