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 2015… SADLY, TAKASHI IS NOW CLOSED. If you’re squeamish, but curious about offal, Takashi is the place to go. And the best thing to order at the Japanese-Korean grill palace to beef is the chef’s selection. You’ll get five marinated cuts ready to grill all of …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2015… SADLY, RAMEN LAB IS NOW CLOSED. Every month Ramen Lab brings in a different ramen chef to hone their craft. I was lucky enough to visit when Chef Luca Catalfamo was doling out bowls of noodle. He’s the chef behind Casa Ramen in Milan. I …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2015… Wildair has been turning out some of the most exciting food this year and the place even sells itself as mostly a wine bar. We didn’t even drink any wine, but we loved all the food, including their take on typical fried squid. The calamri …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2015… I might have to claim Oiji, the modern refined Korean small plates joint, the best new restaurant of 2015. All the food is excellent! One of the highlights for me was a luxurious bowl of rich, seafood broth with a hint of truffles. It’s …
SADLY, DUMPLING GALAXY IS NOW CLOSED. The shopping malls in Flushing are the best. You won’t find any generic fast food chains (no Chick-Fil-A or Sbarro) – only regional Chinese food. Dumpling Galaxy is one of my new favorites if only for the sheer variety of dumpling fillings (close to 100). The best I tried …
Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City SADLY, FRANCOIS PAYARD BAKERY IS NOW CLOSED. Years ago when my parents came to visit me, I made them walk about 30 blocks from where we had lunch to the Upper East Side to visit Francois Payard …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2015… I love getting creative with ice cream, but in my mind, the most perfect ice cream flavor is coffee. Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream currently has a menu that features four different variations of this perfect flavor. My favorite was the Coffee Crisp which has …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2015… For years, Doughnuttery has been quietly frying mini-doghnuts to order and tossing them with innovative flavored sugars (like lavendar/pistachio or coffee/banana/coconut). It’s all been happening in a corner of Chelsea Market and at a few food markets around town. I had no idea how …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2015… I really don’t have a good excuse as to why I’ve never officially reviewed one of the city’s best ice cream makers, Ample Hills. But I can’t ignore their great concoctions. This year, I was blown away by their toxic sludge inspired chocolate ice …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2015… SADLY, AREPA FACTORY IS NOW CLOSED. For years, the very popular Caracas had the stronghold on Venezuelan snacks in the East Village. Recently Arepa Factory opened a few blocks away and gave the old stalwart a run-for-its-money. Their toasted corn cakes known as arepas come …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2015… Studded with crispy, spicy rounds of pepperoni, Prince Street Pizza makes a case for the best slice in Manhattan. This is a the replacement for the very original Ray’s (yes, the very original one) that closed a few years ago. And it is a …
Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City Listen, I’m just as excited about the latest trend as everybody else. I’m super stoked to see the new Star Wars movie and I’ve been dying to try David Chang’s super hyped fried chicken sandwich since it …
Come back every Wednesday for another funny, informative video documenting my inept food adventures. In Locals Know, I explore a new city through the tours of Urban Adventures. Beyond Broadway is New York Urban Adventures’ newest tour and it’s the perfect one to document in the first episode of what I hope to be a long-running …
My search for the best pickles in New York continues…. I don’t normally review food businesses outside of the five boroughs unless it’s part of my travel section. The one exception was when I started reviewing breweries, I decided 90 miles outside of the city was a fair limit since there were very few NYC …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2015… Bara is a fun, hip new restaurant that brings the flavor of France, Japan, and the US together. In their well-regarded fried chicken, buttermilk soaked chicken is battered and fried. The juicy meat and salty, crisp skin would be memorable on its own, but the chili …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2015… This was the year of the fried chicken sandwich. People waited in line for David Chang’s version at Fuku, barbecue restaurants started frying up fowl, and Shake Shack introduced a brand new non-burger item. The ChickenShack is only available at their Brooklyn locations and …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2015… People don’t often realize how delicious chicken can actually be. Marc Forgione has mastered the art of revealing every ounce of flavor from the poultry. Half a chicken is pan-roasted under a brick and ensures the bird has the crispiest skin possible and the butter, lemon, …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2015… Most soup dumplings have a thick skin to prevent breakage, but at The Bao, a new cheap eats destination in the East Village, they are head-scratchingly thin and tender. Somehow the soup stays inside until you bite it to reveal soft minced pork with rich …
I’m counting down the 100 best dishes I tasted in 2015… Mable’s is one of the older of the new movement barbecue joints in the city, but I just got there for the first time this year. The owners hail from Oklahoma and although the smoking technique most closely resembles Texas-style, there are a few …
Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City It’s been a while since we’ve been out for a moderately priced hip New York restaurant. We’ve been sticking to cheaper take-out options. But it was time to splurge (at least a little bit) and we …