Food Adventuring Around NYC
The Place: I try not to go in for viral foods or dishes that are trying to go viral, but I am as curious as the next NY eater. I actually really wanted some soft serve or fro yo or something on a recent sweltering day and of course, the line for frozen yogurt was …
The Place: It’s very easy to miss Lev NYC since it is dressed up with generic Sabrett umbrellas and doesn’t even seem to have a Google profile. I had stumbled across this somewhat decked out food cart on the northern edge of Soho (in front of the REI store) and felt so lucky to have …
The Place: Beto’s Carnitas & Guisados, which is a husband and wife owned business (they’re usually on premises and very friendly), looks like a cramped take-out spot but actually has a pretty sweet hidden eating area in the back. This place feels very much like a welcoming neighborhood mom-and-pop business. I truly wish I was …
The Place: I have such a strong connection to this particular storefront. It used to be my regular haunt for some amazing goat’s milk soft serve (way before the kids waiting in line for fro yo today called themselves New Yorkers). Then it transformed to a cool soup take out, then a charming Japanese gluten …
The Place: In the early days of my food adventuring around NYC, we discovered this great little ceviche and cocktail bar called Desnuda. It felt like a secret little spot that was doing something specific and great. It’s been closed for a long time now, unfortunately, but I have been hoping someday that something would …
The Place: Interactive food is always the most fun. Starting with my pre-teen dates at The Melting Pot, I’ve always loved when you get to cook your own food, or pick out your food, or play with your food. Hot pot and Korean BBQ are in the regular rotation in our household. But the Manhattan …
The Place: I believe Diljān had those crazy long lines when they first opened, but they have now settled into being a true neighborhood spot on an unassuming side street in Brooklyn Heights. If you didn’t know this spot was here, you really would miss it. The interior counter is a little dark and oddly …
The Place: Food halls have come and gone in the city, but below the streets of Columbus Circle, Turnstyle Market is still turning out a few good lunch options. It’s been a while since I’ve found anything down here worth descending for, but the falafel I recently tried from Falafel Plant really surprised me. Might …
The Place: Despite all the hype-machines and Tik Tok fueled lines, certain international cuisines in NYC are actually getting stronger and more diverse. That is certainly true of fast-casual regional Mexican food. Los Burritos Juárez opened last summer in a small storefront in Fort Greene, Brooklyn to long lines and lots of hype. And I’m pleased …
The Place: Dim sum is not meant for solo diners. I know that, but here I was trying to get a quick meal before a tour and it was my one opportunity to eat at this well-regarded dim sum hall in Chinatown. House of Joy is, as you expect, a large banquet hall that seems …
The Place: The smell once you walk into Justin’s Salt Bread lets you know you’re in the right place. Somewhere between a coffee shop, a bakery, and a communal gathering space, the vibe is comfortable and trendy. You probably won’t find a seat, but you’re here for the namesake specialty and maybe one of their …
The Place: 46 is not the number the kids were going crazy for last year (that was 6-7), but maybe it should have been. This unassuming little shop (46 Mott) is almost like a Chinese bodega selling homemade Cantonese pastries, snacks, and frozen food. It’s a great place to stop by to look around and …
The Place: I’ve mostly missed the pop-up phenomenon that started during COVID as I no longer have the time and patience to handle insane wait times and special instructions. However, I was very happy to experience Amanda’s Good Morning Café, which seems to have turned into a sort of permanent pop-up. Certain mornings of the …
The Place: I am not generally a fan or frequent visitor of Midtown steakhouses. I worked at one for many years and I think I’ve had my fill of artery-clogging overindulgence. Plus, most are very corporate, absurdly expensive, and more about the location than the food itself. I figured I’d make an exception with Cuerno …
THE PLACE: Most of the coffee shops along Steinway Street in Astoria have puffs of sweet hookah smoke wafting out of the doorway. Mokafé and a few other new Middle Eastern shops (including one up the street with a very similar name) focus more on the drinks and pastries than the flavored tobacco. My friend, …
THE PLACE: Even though I had read about and bookmarked Fonty’s, it felt like a real undiscovered hidden gem when I accidentally wandered by one day in the maze-like streets of the West Village. Inside there are lots of tempting food products (mostly Indian or Indian-inspired and influenced) with colorful designs and intriguing flavors. The …
THE PLACE: Claud is a cozy upscale wine bar owned by a team that has since opened up some other well-regarded sister restaurants all around it. Upstairs is Penny (the seafood haven) and a few blocks north is the brand new Stars, which is a more intimate space with a greater focus on the wine. …
THE PLACE: I miss the Brooklyn of my era when food and drink artisans were working to bring farm-to-table food production back to the borough. It became a bit of a parody with the hipster baker or brewer. But Brooklyn Granary is not something to laugh at. They are doing some really exciting things by …
THE PLACE: I knew Nounou Noodles was new but I didn’t realize it was “new new”. The waiter told me they opened just a few weeks ago. When I came for a weekday lunch, it was just me and one other table, but I could envision this place filling up for the evenings. It’s a …
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 …