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 also writes 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.
This corner space in Fort Greene right outside the subway space is prime real estate. Pretty awesome and amazing that it now hosts its second hip vegan fast food chain. I do miss Broccoli Bar quite a bit, but no doubt the Atlanta-based Slutty Vegan has garnered more of a cult following with Tik Tok …
I often visit one of Lady Wong’s two locations to pick up a sweet sensation known as kuih, the bite-sized Singaporean treats usually made from rice flour and anything from brown sugar to pandan to coconut milk. They are a nice treat which I will write about on this blog one day, no doubt. But …
Midtown lunchers are always on the search for the newest variation of the bowl. Customizable grains topped with protein, vegetables, and sauces. Many chains, like Sweetgreen and Cava, have taken the concept across the region. I really hope dùndú, the latest foray into this bowl sensation, can make the leap to spread its food across …
When I heard about Cafe Spaghetti, I pictured a large fast, casual warehouse-like spot with an emphasis on kitsch and not much on food. I was totally wrong. I should have known better since this is from one of the original chefs of Bar Primi, which I quite liked when they first opened, and is …
Every once in a while, the trendy food halls of this city host an exciting new vendor that makes braving the tourist and business lunch crowds worth it. That was the case with Bark Barbecue when they opened their first permanent location at the Time Out Market in the crowded Empire Stores on the Dumbo …
We decided for this episode to combine two very nearby countries into one video. Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo are two neighboring countries divided by the river that gives them both part of their name. These countries in Central Africa have different histories, but a decent amount in common, especially their geography …
You’ve heard of ramen at this point. And you probably have even heard about the real ramen (not the stuff you subsisted on during college). But what about tsukemen? That has yet to become a household name. Tsukemen is the cousin of ramen and if Okiboru has anything to say about it, you’ll be hearing …
Bread and cheese is the dish this week? Not even a grilled cheese? That’s right. I was seduced by the art of simplicity and high quality ingredients at an undersung gem of a bakery in Midtown. I have visited Pavé three times now to try everything from their mushroom flatbread to the passionfruit brioche. All …
I love, love raw oysters on the half-shell, but I would rarely pick a plate of them as a dish of the week here in NYC, because they don’t usually reflect much more than good sourcing and storage. Sure, a chef has to be able to shuck them well and serve them quickly. There is …
When I was focused on my best dumplings in New York search, I was mostly concentrating in the multiple Chinatowns in New York City. Of course, there were a few spots scattered around the city that I examined, but the hub of it was around Canal Street, Flushing, Sunset Park, or Elmhurst (yes, I know …
I probably should have saved this post until Halloween next year, but I didn’t want to wait 5 months to share this bold unique Thai soup with you lucky readers. Forget about that activated charcoal craze of a few years ago, this naturally pitch black dish is a Thai specialty that you do not find …
You might think Whipped is never open. Every time I walk by the trendy ice cream shop adjacent to the Tenement Museum, its grates are down. Could this place really be only open in the evenings for the late night crowd? Doesn’t anybody eat ice cream in this neighborhood during the day? Turns out they …
I remember when this corner was Matty & Weg’s. The storefronts in the neighborhood of Cobble Hill change as fast as any other neighborhood in NYC, but lately, it seems like it has been for the better. Despite heartbreaking closures (like the recently shuttered Esposito’s Pork Store), the residents manage to mostly keep out the …
I mean if you travel to a place like Colombia and miss the street food, you kind of missed the entire reason to come to Colombia. On our week-long stay in Cartagena, we ate all sorts of fruits from carts and even drank some coffee. But, clearly the real deal was at the Frito carts. …
Once our taxi pulled up to the beachfront shack full of locals, we knew we had found the right place. We spent a week in the Colombian city of Cartagena, right on the Caribbean Sea. We saw fortresses, gorgeous beaches, plenty of churches, and lots of food vendors. Just like Lima, there are some fancy …
I never thought we would get so fancy on this journey, but tonight we had lobster in a vanilla butter sauce. Courtesy of a former French colony where both lobster and vanilla are plentiful on possibly the most beautiful smelling country in the world. Comoros produces vanilla, cloves, and the ylang ylang flower which is …
I totally stumbled onto something special the other weekend. Mắm had been on my list for a while as a new place to try. Their specialty are bowls of bun da (vermicelli rice noodles with an array of sides to dip) and on this particular Saturday, a bowl of noodle soup sounded great. I walked …
One of my favorite parts of vacations in Mexico, aside from the beach, mezcal, and the ability to practice Spanish, is the breakfast at the hotels. Without fail, we are offered a plate of what some might call nachos. In reality, these are chilaquiles and they are a great way to eat chips for breakfast. …
That corner spot in front of a busy subway station is prime real estate for a quick and fast NYC joint. And Flé Flé Grill lucked out here when they opened in 2018. Set up like a Mediterranean Chipotle, this is quick and cheap and on the healthier side of fast food. I hear good …
Potluck Club is one of those new Asian restaurants designed to feel a bit like a night market. It’s a very welcoming intriguing ambiance when you step inside. It lies in a unique area of the city that is really where Chinatown and the Lower East Side come together. You can see the hip LES …