The Next Best Thing To Ireland

On a gray, wet day, what I really want to do is teleport to an ancient Irish pub on a windswept cliff in Dingle. But I’ll gladly settle for Molly’s, the century-old Gramercy establishment with a fireplace, worn wooden booths, a stick-to-your-ribs shepherd’s pie, and one of the best pours of Guinness in the city. Also, great name. —Molly Fitzpatrick

Rainy Day Spaetzle

Maybe it’s just coincidence, but I always end up on the Upper East Side in the rain. I love popping into Heidelberg, a kitschy German restaurant where the steins are heavy and the sausage is plump. It feels like a tavern in a Grimm brothers story. It’s a nice spot to sit at the bar, but coming with a group, splitting a wurst platter, and leaving a trail of pretzel crumbs is my favorite way to enjoy this spot. —Will Hartman

Leisurely Lunchtime Wine

If I wasn’t at a computer right now, I think I’d go out for a gloomy, leisurely lunch. Salvo’s comes to mind immediately, maybe because the last time I ate there I paired a sausage and gorgonzola sandwich with lunchtime wine (perfect to me). But Barker Cafeteria for a soup and sandwich, pasta at Via Carota, and The Odeon for a burger and, let’s be real, probably a martini, would also be considered. —Willa Moore

A Movie & A Luncheonette

Absolutely any classic diner will do, but one of the most useful places to come out of the diner-esque restaurant trend a couple of years ago remains Revelie Luncheonette. They don’t take reservations, but it’s surprisingly easy to get a table given the location, opposite older sibling Raoul’s in Soho. Their easy cocktails, $55 bottles of wine, cheeseburgers, and haystack zucchini (which comes out in 20 seconds), are exactly what you want while discussing the movie you just saw at nearby IFC, Angelika or Film Forum.

For cafes, Hungarian Pastry Shop is my coziest pick, with old-fashioned cookies, a hot water dispenser to top up your tea, and squeezed-together communal tables where you can pretend to read while eavesdropping on the hopes and dreams of Columbia students. —SS

The Perfect Weather For A Little Research

I hate standing in lines, but if I must, wet days are best. Raindrops tend to scare people away. Will I get some frozen yogurt at Madison Fare this week? Probably. I might also check out the latest Myka location, try some martini soft serve at Unnecessary, or see if I can grab a bar seat at Capitaine, a new West Village spot that was packed the last time I stopped by. —Bryan Kim

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My local slice shop just shut down. It’s being replaced by Luckin Coffee, a Chinese chain that’s opened 18 NYC locations since last summer. If I prefer, there’s also a Blank Street Coffee a few blocks east, a Starbucks two blocks south, a La Colombe around the corner, a Joe & the Juice 100 yards away, and a Gregory’s Coffee right across the street.

I don’t mean to be alarmist, but from where I’m sitting—working from home, within 1,000 feet of a Chopt, Just Salad, Sweetgreen, and Cava—the city does seem to be losing some character. In our roundup of the Q2 dining trends of 2026, we labeled this phenomenon the same-ification of NYC.

Of course, Starbucks and Sweetgreen aren’t anything new, and Luckin Coffee already has over 30,000 outposts worldwide (mostly in China). What makes the present situation interesting is that so many upstarts are making the leap from one or two locations to four, five, or, in the case of 7th Street Burger, 24 locations in NYC alone. Whether they’re selling bagels, smashburgers, or kale caesar wraps, the blossoming chains of the 2020s are expanding at an unusually rapid pace.

Wonder is the most egregious example. The delivery-and-takeout operation offering grim simulacra of restaurant-quality dishes has launched 25+ NYC storefronts since 2023. There’s also PopUp Bagels, Little Ruby’s, Pura Vida, and Skinny Louie, which is about to open its fourth and fifth smashburger shops since arriving from Miami last year.

When discussing restaurant trends last spring, I asked, “In five years, will every neighborhood look the same?” I’m leaning toward yes.

Is this a bad thing?

The answer is obviously subjective. I’m not a fan of PopUp (largely because they refuse to sell individual bagels), but I know some people who are. It’s also complicated. We can’t throw all of these chains and mini-chains into the same bucket.

When a second Bar Pisellino opens in Flatiron next year, you’ll probably find me drinking there. And I’ve already been to the new Le Dive several times. It’s just a block from the West Village location of Apollo Bagels. I’m a fan of that place too, but good as the bagels are, I’d rather not see them in every neighborhood. What I’m saying is: patronize your little neighborhood spots before it’s too late. Same-ification is coming for you. Best-case scenario, you get a Mariscos El Submarino. The worst case is obviously Wonder. —Bryan Kim

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An Evening At NYC’s Newest Boatstaurant

The team behind Grand Banks knows their schtick. They’ve cornered the market on floating venues, and, gimmicky as it is, I find their dedication to the “boatstaurant” charming. Their latest is Fireboat, a converted FDNY fireboat docked at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. I stopped by on a weekday, and it was a very mellow scene. Just a few folks hanging out at the horseshoe bar, a small group at the bow, and someone reading alone on the upper deck. The sun gradually set, the Staten Island Ferry sounded its horn, and the waves of the East River nudged the vessel side to side with such force that I was afraid I’d stab myself with my prawn skewer. Do you need to go here? No. But I do think you’d have fun. Fireboat is silly and unique, and I’d bet $20 that someone who’s had too much vodka and watermelon juice will fall off the side by season’s end.—Bryan Kim

This Pasta Flies 4,000 Miles To Reach Your Plate

Uovo, a restaurant from the Kazu Nori and Sugarfish people, opened last month in Nomad, and they’re flying pasta from Bologna—where it’s made by some grandmothers in their kitchen—every day. I get being fanatical about your sourcing, but here’s what’s confusing: they’ve paired this very handmade pasta with a completely automated cooking process, which is on full display in their open kitchen. That process cooks their noodles inconsistently—I had some past-al dente tagliatelle in two different dishes. The restaurant, which has a couple of locations in LA, would be fine for a walk-in dinner after work, but to me, the pasta doesn’t feel worth the customs bill. —Will Hartman

What’s A World Without Kiki’s?

In case you missed it, as of last week, Kiki’s is—mostly—closed. I saw at least one funeral for the Chinatown/Dimes Square Greek restaurant on social media. The smaller, secondary dining room across Division is still alive and well (at least for now), but when I stopped by after the Knicks parade for a carafe of wine and some octopus, I couldn’t help but wonder: What’s a New York without Kiki’s? Or, more specifically, what’s a New York without the ability to walk into Kiki’s? If you can’t get into Cervo’s or Sunn’s, where will you go? Will people sit on each other’s laps outside Clandestino? Will Le Dive start taking reservations, and will they be impossible? As a bonafide Kiki’s apologist—if you saw mold on the corner of your menu, no you didn’t—a world without Kiki’s is not a world for me. —Willa Moore

One Week, Three Profiteroles

I love ice cream. I love pastry. I hate choosing between them, and why should I have to, anyway? QED: Profiteroles are good. I didn’t set out to eat them at three different NYC restaurants in the course of less than a week, but that’s sometimes how this job goes. (Please, spare me your sympathy.) First, I went to La Mercerie for background while working on my review of sister restaurant Marcel. I love how floral their vanilla ice cream is, and how it’s served not too cold, at a perfectly pliable temperature. Then I brought a visiting friend to Sailor, one of our Top 25 restaurants, where the profiteroles doused in salty, slightly bitter caramel sauce proved to be the best I’ve ever had. Last but not least, I was back at Cleo for a second visit. The profiterole there is a soft chocolate cloud stuffed with vanilla soft-serve. It’s enormous, but I could have happily eaten three of them. —Molly Fitzpatrick

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Last week, we had a brilliant idea. Mexico was playing South Africa, and we knew the perfect place to catch the match: Socceria, the new Greenpoint cantina from the Taqueria Ramirez team. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same thought. We didn’t get in. But we did watch the match at Border Town up the street, where, maybe due to the humidity outside, my ranch water had a celestial quality. Willa ate her fourth taco of the week (more on that later), and Will paced himself with just one michelada, because he had another watch party at 10pm. Read about his night, get the rundown on a new subterranean cocktail bar, and hear the latest on my quest to eat at every Upper East Side Italian restaurant below.—Bryan Kim

Eating At Every Italian Restaurant On The UES: Nicola’s

It all started at Elio’s. After a meal there, I started counting the number of Italian restaurants on the Upper East Side and gave up around the time I reached number 70. I’ve been to about 20 of them thus far, and I’m starting to suspect that every block of the neighborhood has its own decades-old institution with a celebrity clientele and bottle of Drambuie that hasn’t been touched in years.

Pretty sure I love Nicola’s. There’s just something about the odd stained glass windows, the manager scribbling in the reservations book, and the quarter stick of cold butter they provide with the free bread. The food doesn’t keep pace with the nerdier, more regional stuff the city’s now accustomed to, but that’s fine. I’d never ask Nicola’s, open since 1991, to change. I like the substantial, standard-issue plate of chicken parm, and I don’t care that Lyonnaise potatoes are definitely French and not Italian. Order them. They’re incredible. Crackly on the outside and steamy in the middle. —BK

Watching Korea Win At K-town Pocha

Bryan’s pick to watch South Korea’s soccer games this summer was rocking from kickoff to final whistle, thanks in no small part to a truckload of soju and Terra. They handed out shirts to almost every customer (they ran out before I could get one), and the only time it was quiet was when Czechia scored in the 59th minute. Eight minutes later, Hwang In-Beom put on a one man show, and the pocha erupted with people chanting “Daehanminguk!” We ate lots of fried chicken, a seafood pancake, and some tteokbokki. I would highly, highly recommend coming here for another South Korea game—just make a reservation, and wear clothes you don’t mind sweating in/getting beer and soju spilled on. —Will Hartman

The New Most Expensive Taco In NYC

Every single time I have talked about how much I love Santo Taco, someone brings up the price of their steak trompo taco ($6.95). That someone should probably avoid Tacos Domingo, an East Village newcomer from Mexico City that sells carne asada tacos for $7.95 each. ($10.95 if you want cheese). They’re on the larger side for what it’s worth, and the freshly made flour tortillas are worth seeking out. The fact that the place is open until 3am is a huge plus—I added the place to our Hit List. —Willa Moore

Drinking History At Undercurrent

I recently drank, and loved, a spritz made with 1950s Italian aperitivo, and a Ford cocktail made with 1960s Bénédictine—both at Undercurrent, a 20-seat tasting room below sister bar Echo Lake in Williamsburg. When I asked the bartender (owner Paul McGee) how vintage Bénédictine compares to the modern version, he immediately pulled out both bottles and poured side-by-side samples on the house. I also tried a vintage fernet so brain-joltingly bitter that I briefly heard colors and saw sounds. Will I sell off one of my less-essential organs for a pour from a 1930s pre-embargo Cuban bottle? Stay tuned—and make a reservation if you’re in the mood for a night of drinking out unlike anything else. —Molly Fitzpatrick

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Waiting in silly lines for silly little treats is somehow my adult job that gives me health insurance, so it was only a matter of time before I tried dotcakes, the viral dessert trend that’s essentially Funfetti (or a cortadillo) in a different tax bracket. And so, last Wednesday, I found myself on the Upper East Side, waiting for a little cup of cake and frosting covered in rainbow nonpareil sprinkles. Read on to find out if it was worth one hour of my wild and precious life—as well as two OK restaurants Bryan wants you to know about, and Willa’s thoughts on a certain former president’s dining decisions. –Molly Fitzpatrick

2 OK Restaurants You Should Know About!

Sorry for the exclamation point. I’m still workshopping the title, which I’ll eventually use for a guide to spots that are mostly fine and pretty useful. In the past week, I visited two new ones, and while I probably won’t put either on the Hit List (one is borderline), you might be able to get some mileage out of them.

Sadie’s is in the South Street Seaport, and it serves American-ish food that is entirely unremarkable. I’d dock them for that, but I’m pretty sure the food was never the point. The place has two stories, a wraparound patio, and a bar outside where people who work nearby like to gather and spritz away their professional frustrations. There’s also a TV the size of Guernica in the middle of the cobblestone street. When I stopped by, it was playing a Yankees game.

Georgie’s is a new place in Chelsea from the team behind Café Maud, a two-location micro-chain that’s cute, reasonably priced, and just good enough. I’m not a huge fan of Café Maud, but I do like this place—which is weird, because it’s a very similar concept. The biggest difference is that Georgie’s feels more like a pub (a cute one, of course). Also, the crowd seems a little older than Maud’s, and the burger here has a single 8oz patty, as opposed to two smashed ones. At $20, it’s a good deal. To be clear, this is not a place you take someone you need to impress. It’s a spot to drink a Guinness and eat a $6 happy hour pizza with a few friends you’re stuck with for life. Forgettable, but useful. —Bryan Kim

I Went To Fumo After Joe Biden Went To Fumo

I wonder if Joe Biden also listened to Rihanna’s “Work” followed by Rihanna’s “Disturbia” while he ate his pasta. My penne alla vodka was $14 (a Sunday and Monday special), which I ate at a table in the front window while staring at Elio’s, which happens to be directly across the street. The rest of the dining room was dominated by young men in backpacks, sharing a few pies before catching Game 3 at Dorrian’s.

Joe Biden, if you’re reading this, I am not judging the fact that you went to the third location of an Italian mini-chain. Not at all. I am only saying that on your next visit, I’d like to offer my services. As many have pointed out, Elio’s would have been a good place to start (I have even seen some insinuate you mistakenly walked into Fumo, shame on them), but the Upper East Side is crawling with Italian restaurants with richer history and better soundtracks. Actually, Bryan’s eating at all of them—maybe he can help out next time. —Willa Moore

The Full Dotcakes Experience

On Wednesdays and Saturdays, each Butterfield Market is stocked with 640 dotcakes —imported from the original Long Island bakery—which sell out within an hour. Our social media manager Angie arrived at the Madison Avenue location by 9:45am for their 11am Wednesday drop. She was fifth in the line, which stretched to 80 people and at least one news crew by the time the cakes actually went on sale. Things might be dying down though. The previous Saturday, the line stretched from Madison to Fifth.

We waited with a crowd of almost entirely women aged 16 to 40, dressed almost entirely in matching athleisure sets. It never got any less embarrassing to tell curious passersby what we were waiting for, but overall a pretty uneventful experience—except for when someone’s Saratoga Springs water bottle shattered into blue glass shards all over the sidewalk.

Customers were limited to two $11 dotcakes per person, but the woman ahead of us didn’t realize there were four flavors available: classic white, chocolate, red velvet, and vanilla chip. She panicked at the takeout window, “Wait—I’ve waited two hours for my daughter, and I have no idea what flavors to get!” A trio of preteens in matching Uggs behind us, who turned out to be veterans of the OG Roslyn bakery, advised us all to get chocolate and vanilla chip.

Angie said it best: “It’s... cake.” And cake is good. The crunchy layer of sprinkles, colorful as a Discovery Zone ball pit, is fun ASMR. I’d happily eat a dotcake again (especially the chocolate), but there is no universe in which I’d wait in that line again. —MF

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Where We’re Watching The Finals

I caught one of the recent games at Whiskey Tavern in Chinatown. Great time. Not too crowded. They even made me a Knicks sign with my name on it. They also made everyone else a sign, but that didn’t diminish the gesture. —Bryan Kim

I watched the last game on a projector screen at Focal Point. I brought my dog, who didn’t love the roars of approval that greeted Jalen Brunson’s every step. May try again with the earmuffs we bought her to wear on the subway. —Molly Fitzpatrick

The only answer is Wingbar, with several pitchers of beer, and several bowls of wings and fries. —Willa Moore

If I can manage to get in, my favorite place to watch a Knicks game is Roebling Sporting Club in Williamsburg. It’s small, it’s loud, and their wings are actually spicy. —WH

5 Perfect NYC Restaurant For The Knicks Starting 5

People say Jalen Brunson is undersized. People also say that about Ha’s Snack Bar. And just like Brunson, who’s lethal in the 4th quarter, Ha’s desserts are unbeatable. It’s not on our guide to Brunson’s favorite post-game restaurants, but it should be.

Karl-Anthony Towns is 7’1” and yet his game is all finesse. If the Knicks win, he should celebrate at The Grill, where the ceilings are sky-high and the service is completely dialed in.

Just like Mikal Bridges, who transferred from the Nets, Borgo is from a Brooklyn restaurant group that made the move to Manhattan. Both are now equally integral to the scene, and the restaurant is perfect for a celebratory lunch.

Bánh Anh Em is chaotic, but when it hits, it hits hard. Josh Hart plays downhill basketball, and when he’s playing well, the Knicks are unstoppable.

Quiet. Reserved. Exceptionally strong. British. Both OG Anunoby and Hawksmoor are good at pretty much everything. —WH

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The Aperol spritz has been around for decades, but it does seem to have had a resurgence over the past 10 years. Now, Gen Z has discovered it. More on that below, along with some large format options, frozen variations, and predictions for spritz of the summer. For additional warm-weather ideas—Memorial Day plans, maybe—check out our just-published list of The Spots Of The Summer. —Bryan Kim

2 New & Unfathomably Busy West Village Spritz Destinations

A little over two weeks ago, I popped into Casa Piada, a new counter-service spot in the West Village specializing in Italian flatbreads. It was empty for the most part. I got a few flatbreads (aka piade) and drank a $5 happy hour spritz out of a plastic cup at a table on the sidewalk. “This is something people should know about,” I thought.

A week later, I stopped back in, and the place was mobbed. The crowd leaned young, sunglasses were worn indoors, and the outfit of choice was the classic combination of jeans and a top. Casa Piada is Gen Z Bar Pisellino, and it’s the most affordable place to drink a spritz in the West Village right now.

Around the corner from Casa Piada, there’s a new location of Dimes Square wine bar Le Dive. It’s more spacious than the original, with a patio on 7th Ave lined with bistro tables. If you want to get one of those, best of luck. By 5pm last Wednesday, it was already full. All the seating is walk-in-only, so you’ll need to leave work early or take a personal day if you don’t want to have to wait to drink on the sidewalk. The crowd is significantly older than the one at Casa Piada, and the spritzes are more substantial. As they should be for $18. —BK

Huge, Head-Turning Spritzes Everywhere

Last year, Molly, Willa, and I ordered two off-menu shareable spritzes at Nem’s Japandi. We only needed one. But I’ve been seeing performatively large spritzes all over town this year. The folks at Brooklyn Crab will sell you a “Mega” spritz with bendy straws. And if you’re a germaphobe but still want to share a spritz with seven of your closest friends, Houston Hall does spritz towers. But the big spritz I’m most morbidly curious about is at Leonetta in Murray Hill. It comes… in a handbag? —Will Hartman

The Slurpee For Grown-Ups

A frozen spritz combines my childhood love of Slurpees with my adult appreciation for amari, aperitivi, and other things that taste admittedly similar to poison—all in one frosty package. They also offer great plausible deniability as walking-around drinks. No brown bag required. Broken Land’s frozen Aperol spritz has never failed me, and I had a good, lightly bitter frozen orange wine spritz at L’Industrie recently. I still think of the frozen “Spritz-ish” at Adrienne’s (not on their menu at the moment) I had a couple of years ago—not least because I got to drink it overlooking beautiful Jamaica Bay. Peak summer. —Molly Fitzpatrick

So What’s The Spritz Of 2026?

We hit peak Aperol spritz awhile ago, but each summer brings fresh attempts at innovation. There’s the Hugo spritz (still going strong), and I’ve heard rumors of a limoncello spritz (aka Amalfi spritz) resurgence. I generally prefer to keep it classic. I will, however, entertain the idea of the Campari spritz as the spritz of this season—a little less sweet, a little more bitter, but still highly drinkable.

But maybe we’ll abandon the spritz, and take our Aperol elsewhere. I’m seeing more and more spaghetts (High Life + Aperol), which are easier and cheaper—a recession indicator, maybe, but a recession indicator that’s fun to bring to Prospect Park. At Richie’s the other night for the Knicks, my friend drank a High Life with Campari. And another colleague just told me that if I swap the Aperol for amaretto, I’ll end up with something called a Flaming Dr. Pepper. I’m intrigued, and plan to try one asap. What’s your go-to spritz? Let us know in the comments.
—Willa Moore

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Just like we once did at Court Square Diner, our team spent 24 hours at Veselka, which recently resumed round-the-clock service on weekends. From 9am Friday to 9am Saturday, we split the day into 12, two-hour shifts at the East Village Ukrainian institution—as you can watch for yourself right here. These are some of our favorite behind-the-scenes moments from a late night (and early morning) of pierogi, prosecco, and people-watching. –Molly Fitzpatrick

9-11am: Bryan’s Shift

I got to kick things off with my coworker Brandon at 9am, when there was only one other party in the dining room. Never seen the place so empty. An ideal morning. Servers were chatting and leaning against fridges. Carafes of coffee were lined up and ready to go. I took my time ordering, and wound up going with pancakes, a reuben, a Ukrainian omelet, a BEC pierogi bowl, and two sides: kielbasa and fruit salad. An hour in, another coworker showed up and got a schnitzel sandwich (nice crunch). We then watched as a kid seated outside disemboweled a piece of toast and stuck his arm through the hole. In the context of 10:30am, it was a very exciting development.
—Bryan Kim

11pm-1am: Sonal’s Shift

The highlight was our server Chris. From the second he interrupted my notetaking to say “I’m just making sure you’re not being ignored!” and then told me ”It’s your house, not mine,” I knew I was in good hands. After bringing out a burger, he passed me the “secret ingredient” of ketchup through the heart-shaped grill by the entrance, because “it’s more fun this way.” When he saw I’d only finished half, he said “I’m rooting for you! I believe in you.” I heard him encourage a few more tables this way. Gotta love a waiter who turns eating into a competitive sport. Chris said it was his third day, and he also bartends at a fusion bistro in Brooklyn. He called my second round of food the “encore course,” and offered me some whipped cream for my french toast, then made sure I could film the crucial squirt shot. He was a little disappointed we couldn’t finish the omelet. “I was rooting for you…” Thanks Chris. We wouldn’t have made it without you. —Sonal Shah

1-5am: Will & Willa’s Shifts

My first order of business: a plate of latkes. My second order of business: figuring out my beverage situation. I ended up with a very savory borscht bloody mary and a giant iced coffee, while my friends all ordered chocolate egg creams. Willa showed up with some more friends and immediately ordered a bottle of prosecco. Her end of the table said that most of what we ordered was “10/10,” and I was on the same page—hearty Ukrainian food and diner food go down easy at 2am. Our amazing waiters Jack, Katherine, and Vladimir told us that they stop serving alcohol at 4am, so we got one last round before tucking into some carrot cake. —Will Hartman

I was late to my shift because I was busy singing my heart out at Montero with Amethyst Valentino. Who can blame me? And also, I knew Will would be on time and I love him for that. Much of the evening was rather unforgettable (it is not every day that you get the chance to occupy Veselka for four hours after karaoke at Montero with Amethyst Valentino). If you watched the actual video and want to know how much my bill was, the answer is $510.30. —Willa Moore

7-9am: Molly’s Shift

I went to bed extra-early to make sure I’d be fresh as a daisy for my morning shift, but instead ended up repeatedly waking with a start throughout the night thinking I’d overslept and missed it. Fun, restful! When I finally did get up, I was greeted with a pair of 4am voice memos from Willa and Will (which I kept, and will treasure forever) saying that they’d reserved the dubious honor of ordering the grilled chicken just for me, thanks to my recent chicken price research. I get it. It was totally fine—I’m not sure anything at Veselka is bad—even if I can never imagine a scenario, in this or any universe, where I’d order it again instead of just pierogi-maxxing. Highlight of my meal (food category): The stuffed cabbage swimming in mushroom gravy. Highlight of my meal (non-food category): Watching a little girl—who’d arrived via kick scooter, wearing a sparkly pink helmet—run laps around the dining room while her dad just blinked, still half-asleep, over his coffee. —MF

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The other day, we spent $376 on delivery (receipt below) for a total of 16 items, which we then ranked, excluding two desserts. It started off strong, but by the end, at least a few of us were dreaming of ThisBowl. The full ranking will be on our IG soon, but in the meantime, here are the five dishes we liked the least, plus one that Molly and I just couldn’t agree on. —Bryan Kim

Chicken Caesar Wrap

I love a chicken caesar wrap and I love having opinions. (I guess I’m in the correct job.) The spicy picante from Lenwich is the best. The Bobwhite Counter one is just okay; the fried chicken is really unnecessary. The Milano Market Upper East Side location makes a good one, but the Milano Market Upper West Side’s is better and saucier. The one at Winner (with Vato flour tortillas) was a revelation, but it was just a weekly special. I might be well educated on the matter, but I’m confident that even someone who’s never ingested a single caesar wrap would be able to tell: the Goop Kitchen one was aggressively mid. Completely tasteless. Side of calabrian chili caesar dressing mostly tasted like lemony olive oil. —Willa Moore

Fancy Mac-n-Cheese

Obviously I love macaroni and cheese, because I’m a human being with a mouth, which made this unforced error of a dish all the more depressing. It’s largely flavorless and gloopy, like coagulated milk—and then the brown rice flour noodles are an unexpectedly nutty jump scare straight out of the aisles of a ’90s health-food store. Ranks somewhere sub-Shallow Hal in the broader Gwyneth Paltrow oeuvre. –Molly Fitzpatrick

The Goop Teriyaki Bowl

The mushy umami rice certainly lives up to the Goop part of its name. Everything else in this “bowl” feels paltry, from the chicken with a vaguely sweet glaze, thin teriyaki sauce, limp avocado, and broccoli that’s not particularly garlicky (as advertised). No trace of the sesame marinated kale. —Sonal Shah

Miso Salmon Bento Box

For the most part, the portions at Goop Kitchen seemed fair and sometimes even generous. Not here. In my notes, I wrote “NPC food,” and while I’m not sure what that means, I think I was trying to express how this bento made me feel as if Goop didn’t take me seriously as a person. A small approximation of a human-style meal. That’s the best way to describe it. Not only was there not much to eat, but also the wasabi was brown, and the salmon was deeply oceanic (too strongly salmon-flavored, if that makes sense). Notes of cat food. A desperate seagull might question if it’s worth it. For what it’s worth, a few members of our LA team are enormous fans. It could have been an off day. —BK

NYC Chicken Salad Wrap

I consider myself a bit of a chicken salad connoisseur, and my preferences run the gamut. I enjoy everything from bland diner-style chicken salad to slightly less bland coronation curry chicken. I did not like Goop’s NYC Chicken Salad Wrap—big chunks of grapes, and an undeniable coconut flavor made it sweet in a way that I just can’t get behind. Don’t order this. —Will Hartman

The One Thing Molly & I Couldn’t Agree On

Molly said she liked the turkey bolognese. “Which turkey bolognese? That turkey bolognese?” I thought. Every five minutes from that point on, I made sure to remind everyone that I wasn’t a fan (an annoying, panicked reflex as I saw the dish climbing our ranking). Decaying as if it couldn’t go on, the gluten-free pasta was so wet and slippery the sauce wouldn’t stick. Sweaty. That’s the right word. Also, the bolognese was almost indistinguishable from the chili. —BK

I’m invoking the nostalgia defense on this one: This is exactly what a quick weeknight pasta tasted like in my house when I was growing up. Is Bryan correct in pointing out that the bolognese is identical to the chili? Absolutely he is. Is it also, for some reason, very salty? Extremely. But it makes me feel like I’m back in middle school, eating whatever jar sauce was on sale at ShopRite, topped with a generous dusting of pseudo-parm from that green plastic canister. And that’s a very nice place for me to be. –MF

Here’s The Receipt

Until we release our full ranking (coming soon), here’s a receipt for you to enjoy.

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Caputo’s Has Served Its Final Loaf

Caputo’s Bake Shop (not to be confused with Caputo Fine Foods, which is thankfully alive and well) closed suddenly, after over 120 years in Carroll Gardens. The news spread quickly on Slack, where comments ranged from, “Where will Court Street Grocers get its bread now?” to “best rainbow cookies in the city.” A huge loss, and a good reminder to finally work on that old-school Italian bakery round-up we’ve always wanted to do. Drop your favorite in the comments, please! —Willa Moore

Who should take over? The Cafe Spaghetti people or the Frankies people. A Long Island Bar employee is actually taking over nearby Sam’s Restaurant, which reportedly uses Caputo’s bread, so maybe they should think about this too.

Last Saturday At The Steak House

As with so many classic New York restaurants I care about, I was inducted into the cult of Donohue’s Steak House by Robert Simonson’s old Eater column, “Who Goes There?” In turn, I think I’ve turned more people into lovers of this Irish steakhouse than any other restaurant.

The first time I visited was with Willa, en route to a Rao’s attempt that never actually happened—thanks to the inertial mass of the Donohue’s martini. I’ve since been on Christmas Eve, on a three-burger Upper East Side crawl, and a few more occasions. Each time, I asked if the rumors that they’re closing are true, and each time I got a different answer.

Last week, Simonson himself broke the news about Donohue’s closure (this June), and when I wandered in out of Saturday’s rain, the place was packed, the phone cameras rolling. We got a corner barstool and ordered martinis from Johnny, the veteran bartender who—when a woman next to us asked for a lemondrop—cursed so unapologetically that she immediately backtracked to a pinot grigio. He poured that out for her with a shaky but generous hand.

She and her friend were talking Swanson soups, metal TV tables, roast beef Sundays, and SOS (Shit on a Shingle) as they ate their meatloaf and baked potato. “I don’t want to use the word solid,” one said, “but maybe authentic? Something my grandma would have made.” Pretty soon we were all chatting together about Upper East Side restaurants, local happy hours, and “that one time I met Tony Bourdain.”

Lots of speculation about who will buy, and what will happen next. Someone said the wooden bar itself is definitely going to the Hamptons. One guy sat down, announcing that he’d been drinking here since his mother was pregnant with him, and that his son was the fourth generation of Donohue’s patrons. He’d been in at lunch too, with eight other people, trying to game out whether they could all pool in to take over.

“The beauty of this place,” he said to no one in particular, or maybe to his martini, “is that you have a billionaire on one side, and an off-duty 19th precinct cop on the other. I just hope whoever buys it doesn’t make it only for the billionaires.” Cheers to that. —SS

Who should take over? The Frenchette people, the Red Hook Tavern people, or again, the Long Island Bar people. Just hire that guy and his friends as consultants.

A Nice Save: Montero’s

I don’t want to speak for Molly, but I think one of my proudest moments as a New Yorker (...as an American?) was when we took our London colleague Heidi to Montero in Brooklyn Heights and she drank her first ever Miller High Life. That’s why when I heard Montero, a perfect dive with a lot of nautical decor and often no music unless it’s karaoke night, is set to become a part of the Crew team’s vaguely preppy, boat-themed arsenal, I was worried/confused/devastated. But the new owners are only closing it for six days, so I can’t imagine they’ll be able to clean it up too much? And also, Amethyst is still on karaoke duty (Thursday, Friday, Saturday), so I think we’re in good hands. —WM

Willa can absolutely speak for me on this. We did our country proud. –Molly Fitzpatrick

And From Across the Pond…

About those London colleagues of ours—they’ve just launched their own Substack, which is great timing because it seems like half of NYC is in London right now, and I’m about to be there too. Check it out (and comment with your London reccs). —SS

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Doves Diner is a new-and-buzzy spot in Ancram, just off the Taconic, so it’s a good stop, even if you’re going further north. The prices are not diner-in-New-Jersey, but feel affordable enough that they’ve hung onto their regulars. The food was bangin’: highlights were the corned beef sandwich, the hash brown patty, the matzo ball soup, the lemon meringue pie, the tuna melt, the 9am martini and the bloody mary so…basically everything? We ordered a lot of the menu.

27 Cafe is a cafe in Catskill with a listening room in the back, and everyone inside has tiny tattoos and lived in Bushwick at one point. It’s ridiculous but I loved it. You can get an afternoon coffee and sit in the front room and do work, or you can go to the all-red, very fuzzy room in the back, drink wine, and vibe.

Next up, Merkin, the Cafe Mutton wine bar that everybody thought was an April Fool’s joke. It’s so not! It is, however, basically just a garage in Hudson with a record player on some crates that’s making better sandwiches than most sandwich shops. I wish it was in NYC so I could drink wine there every weekend night, but then it would probably have an hour wait.

Hudson Diner for dinner. It’s from the people behind Meat Hook and Mel the Bakery, and it really reminds me of Long Island Bar. Incredible chicken tenders. So moist. And lowkey amazing cocktails too… everybody here was drinking margs with a salt rim.

Hemlock in Catskill for post-dinner drinks. I love bars Upstate because they are really full of every age, and every age hangs out with one another. My friend ran into her mom’s best friend. Isabel ran into everyone she knows. The bartenders (who also own it) were dancing and having so much fun, and everyone was talking about how Esquire had named it one of the best bars in America. Perfect cosmo.

Morning pastries at Mel, and then it was back to the city. Updates to our upstate guides (Hudson Valley, Catskills, Hudson) coming soon.

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Anyway, more on that later, because if we spend too much time talking chicken, we might not spend enough time drinking outside. (I recommend Bar Pisellino for people-watching, Banshee for a backyard, and Zombie Hut for a piña colada.) But if you’re just here to check in on Bryan’s Upper East Side Italian research, he hit another one with an iconic bolognese. And also, Allie consumed the city’s largest cinnamon roll, Molly ate incredibly well for exactly $13, and Will went to a Brooklyn institution’s new location that’s been thoroughly Park Slope-ified. And I had my best meal of the year, even though it involved paying $25 for banchan. —Willa Moore

Eating At Every Italian Restaurant On The UES: Sfoglia

I know a lot of people from the Upper East Side. They love their neighborhood spots, to the extent that they tend to overestimate how good they are. That’s why it took me so long to eat at Sfoglia. Friends would tell me about this place, and I’d nod and say, “Oh wow, sounds great,” with no intention of going (one of my classic moves). But now that I’m cataloging every Italian restaurant on the UES, a visit made sense. Sorry it took me forever. Everything here is a little different, including the iconic bolognese with beef, lamb, pork, and chicken liver. I’ve heard a lot about pricey half-chickens lately, and it should be noted that theirs is $45.32 (or $44 if you pay cash). It’s worth it. Not for a casual weeknight, of course. This is more of a date night kind of place. —Bryan Kim

The Best Meal I’ve Had All Year

I finally went to Sunn’s—for fun on Sunday night—because my friends and I have always wanted to go. And I think this was possibly the best meal I’ve had all year. Every single thing we ordered was so delicious—especially the crab and chicken mandu—and you already KNOW I love a too-tiny restaurant. (See: Bong, Lillo, Ha’s Snack Bar.) The $25 banchan with no refills is diabolical. Hurts so bad, but also hurts so good… will be back here again soon. I want to put my name in here, have a pre-dinner drink at Le Dive, get ice cream after at Julia Jean’s, and then walk home over the Manhattan Bridge. —WM

Rolling Up At Loser’s Eating House

I got roasted pretty bad (by my friend) for buying a cinnamon roll from what looked like a window where I could have been buying drugs, or idk, something that is slightly less embarrassing than a giant cinnamon roll. Maybe that’s why they call this place Loser’s. (I’m sorry.) Also, I’m not squeamish about eating things that are plainly bad for me, but I feel like this took a year or two off of my life. I feel shamed by this review that says it is intended for six people. (The photo is from their residency at Jean’s. I did not get a pic because it got kinda destroyed in my bag. There’s a whole section on their website that says don’t put this in your bag or it will get destroyed.) —Allie Conti

A Perfect Pivot

After failing to walk into Odo, I pivoted to an East Village institution I’ve been meaning to check out for years—and had a dinner with a different vibe and number of digits on the bill than I’d anticipated. Not that I’m complaining: Punjabi Deli is such a special place. I paid an extremely reasonable $13 for three vegetarian dishes (the chana masala was my fave, but all were good) over a large plate of rice, plus a samosa. It was a very interesting, very local crowd, including an EMT on his break, and day-drinking early 20-somethings talking about how one of their parents is about to visit and so they need to cut down on ketamine. —Molly Fitzpatrick

The Park Slope Pies ‘N’ Thighs Is Scooter Central

I saw more scooters at Pies ‘n’ Thighs’ new Park Slope location than I can pretty much remember seeing anywhere—they were mobbed with children on Saturday night. It was actually pretty hard walking in the front door. Kids love chicken and waffles, I guess. They’re so new, and so busy, and the fried chicken suffers from it. Lots of soggy bites of breading, but I think it’s just because they’re overwhelmed right now. It’s going to be a good pre-Barclays spot once things calm down here. —Will Hartman

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My Philly colleague Candis was first to find a soft serve margarita, with our Atlanta team and Austin teams following up with versions in their cities. And I’m happy to report I also finally got my hands on this dessert beverage in Throggs Neck in the Bronx, which currently has two different Mexican restaurants churning up the treats. You can read all about the ones I tried here. Meanwhile, Molly jumped in on the Chinese head spa craze (followed by some soup dumplings), and Willa tried two non-algorithm-driven mozzarella sticks that were actually good. Also on our trend radar: personal seafood platters. —Sonal Shah

Mozzarella Sticks Are Back & Better Than Before

The other night I went to S&P Lunch for dinner—yes, they’re doing dinner now, until 10pm on Thur-Sun—and ate their night time-only mozzarella stick. It’s latke-encrusted. Free will is amazing. But also, it wasn’t the first mozzarella stick I had eaten in the past week. In Williamsburg, JR & Son just launched a bar menu, and what’s on it? Fried mozzarella. They’re calling it a mozzarella “stick,” but it’s really more like mozzarella en carrozza. Either way, the mozzarella sticks over at Bernie’s should be scared.

For what it’s worth, S&P has been pretty quiet at night so far. Flatiron’s best kept secret? Let’s blow it up! I’m a fan of their stroganoff with pastrami—also a good dinner-only burger that’s different from the Dinkelburger tourists line up for at lunch. Unclear on how I feel about the shrimp cocktail sandwich. —Willa Moore

The Sailor Burger Demystified

I heard the burger at Sailor tastes good, so I recently went to confirm. The rumors are true. But there are a few things to know before you go. During dinner, the burger is only available in the bar room—either at a table or the bar itself—and it’s made with lamb (like the burger the chef used to do at The Breslin). That’s the one I had. Love the thick patty and chewy bun. At brunch, the burger is beef, and you can get it wherever. Haven’t tried that version yet, but Will loves it. Says it’s “drippy.” —Bryan Kim

Chase A Scalp Massage With Soup Dumplings

I woke up on Sunday morning, picked up my phone, and watched at least the 100th video the algorithm has shown me lately of people getting elaborate scalp massages at head spas. My fiancé and I snagged a same-day appointment at Guifei Head Spa in Flushing, then wandered in a blissed-out daze to Shanghai You Garden for soup dumplings, the never-not-comforting culinary equivalent of a head massage. The classic crab meat and pork dumplings were good, with a light and flavorful broth. I’m still curious to try their quirkier varieties with rainbow-colored wrappers, so I guess I have no choice but to schedule another treatment. —Molly Fitzpatrick

Trend Watch: Solo Seafood Plateaus

Ordering a seafood tower is pretty much the restaurant equivalent of getting bottle service at a club. It’s a little performative, and you’re probably getting a bit ripped off. But ever since Penny’s Ice Box in 2024, I’m noticing more seafood plateaus, served as trays and priced individually. Crevette has one with oysters, clams and shrimp, for $30 per person. Entre Nous offers theirs in two sizes, starting at $37. And two I haven’t tried yet: Jeffrey’s Grocery Le Duchess ($29), which includes what looks like a substantial bowl of tuna conserva, and another plateau for $30 at Miss Alice, an LES bar that opened last week. —Will Hartman

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Fancy froyo is currently inescapable, and Bryan has some thoughts on that in our first quarterly trend report of the year, as well as below. Personally, even if the rest of NYC is not, I’m ready to move on to the next version of swirly cold stuff in a cup… So if anyone knows where I can find one of those viral margarita soft serves, let me know in the comments. (I’ve got Tipsy Scoop on my radar already.) —Sonal Shah

Notes From The NYC Frozen Yogurt Resurgence

At the new Mimi’s in Greenwich Village, I spent $24 on my cup of froyo. By far the priciest stop on my recent froyo crawl, but I did add chopped cinnamon roll and brownie bites, and I also used the Nutella fountain. In terms of quality, Madison Fare, a few blocks away, is my top pick. It actually tastes like Greek yogurt. Birdie’s, in the West Village, is fun, good, wholesome. Big fan of their Biscoff crunch. Interestingly, Spanish chain Myka is opening across the street in mid-April, I think. The Pinkberry at 6th and 13th? Flames. It’s better than some of the other spots, like Mimi’s. Plus, no line. But also no Nutella fountain. —Bryan Kim

Standout Frosting At Little Cupcake Bakeshop

Doing some back-burner bakery research, and I’ve always been curious about the Prince Street location of this spot—people on Reddit love it. Everything was solid, but I really love their (famous) Brooklyn blackout cake. Don’t think it’d necessarily make the best bakeries cut overall, but I’d definitely put that cake on a dish guide, or highlight it for birthday content. The frosting is top notch. —Molly Fitzpatrick

It’s Nearly Clam Pie Season

Andrew Bellucci’s Pizzeria can most definitely stay on the pizza guide. That clam pie is really good. You have to preorder which requires a lot of planning, I know, I know, but they have it ready for you upon arrival and then they just finish it off with olive oil and parsley and so much lemon. But I also tried a plain slice and a vodka ’roni, both of which were great too. The crust is just insanely good. And on the plain, they finish it with a bit of sauce, which then gets all caramelized when they put it in the oven. The place is covered in pictures of Andrew Bellucci (who has since passed, may he rest in peace), to certify that this, not the other Bellucci’s, is home to the real Andrew Bellucci pizza. You cannot escape them. They are even in the bathroom. In case anyone isn’t familiar, read up on the lore. —Willa Moore

Cabbagemaxxing at Kelang

I could eat an entire meal of that charred cabbage, and I’m not typically a cabbage guy. The char siu was so dang good. The hype might have built a bit since we wrote about it... At least on Friday night it didn’t seem like the type of place that’s easy to get a table. Tons of people standing around the bar and on the sidewalk outside waiting. That said, I was initially quoted an hour-ish wait before they texted me about five minutes later, so maybe things move fast. —Jonathan Smith

First time at Rezdôra! Snagged a solo reservation and they sat me in the very cozy back room. The pace was a little too slow personally for solo dining—there was like a 20 minute wait in between two courses and I was like, just twiddling my thumbs. The food was really good, but not great. It’s just fancy pasta, and other places in NYC do it better. 8.0 feels very right. I will say the hostess was a literal angel, and grabbed my 20-pound backpack for me that I checked, and brought it to my table when I realized I left my wallet in there. Embarrassing, but she was so cool about it. Love the lil taste of lambrusco they give you when you sit down—a nice touch. —Ciera Velarde

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But we’re looking east, towards Europe for our warm-weather fantasies. Jonathan went Basque mode, eating boquerones piled on egg salad at Eel Bar. Willa had a lingering, drinksy dinner at Tashca, a tiny Portuguese restaurant that mostly hosts private parties for now—and still manages to feel like one even when it’s open to the public. —Molly Fitzpatrick

The NYC Bakeries Are The Best Thing About This LA Import

I got texts all weekend about the Prospect Heights line of the moment—and it wasn’t at Radio Bakery. While I was waiting (around 30 minutes) outside Canyon Coffee, I realized I have been to the one in LA, and I remembered the coffee there tasting like coffee. The coffee here also tastes like coffee. They were out of the flash brew (their cold brew) which was devastating to me, but we got a drip coffee, the draft oat latte, the draft pistachio matcha, and an iced cortado. Matcha pretty meh, everything else solid but I think we reached peak iced oat milk latte a while ago. They should have opened in 2021!

I WILL say the best part about this place is their pastries, which come from Elbow Bread and Amanda’s Good Morning Cafe. I don’t think I’ve ever been into an establishment that stocks two amazing bakeries and I dig it. The coffee was good too, I just would never wait on line for it again, and you don’t need to either. Villager has the best coffee in the general area by far. —Willa Moore

Cart Action At The New Dim Sum Spot

This new dim sum restaurant (with carts!) in Chinatown was the spot that piqued my interest most in last week’s openings. So when I read Robert Sietsema’s glowing early report of 100 Feast this weekend, I grabbed three friends and hightailed over on Sunday. Got seated right away at 2:15, though they had run out of a few things, like the red crunchy shrimp rolls. Dim sum was pretty good—notably fresh. Well-stuffed dumplings, soft wrappers. Especially the custard buns above, not dry like the ones I’ve had at Golden Unicorn. Service was a little messy (and they’re still hiring, according to a sign downstairs). They’ve crammed a lot of tables in here, and as a result, we had to run around grabbing things off the carts ourselves. Annoying and exciting in equal measure. Seating can really make or break dim sum, so next time I might try to maneuver into the middle lane. No lazy susans, sadly. —Sonal Shah

Checking In At Virginia’s

A silly restaurant. Wants to be Jean’s, wants to be Bernie’s—those places are newer, but they do it better. I took my roommates, both of whom ran into people they knew, who came over to our table and were pretty sloshed. Virginia’s famous burger tastes deeply of caramelized onions, and not a whole lot else. If that’s your jam, go for it—but I prefer beef. Bummer that you have to order fries on the side. I was also disappointed in their steak frites, but who cares—it’s a fun place. Drink a mezcal negroni. Eat a gooey skillet cookie. Drink another mezcal Negroni. —Will Hartman

A European Vibe At Tashca

A very fun evening at this tiny Portuguese restaurant on Elizabeth that’s currently only open on Thursdays and for private parties. Mostly feels like a private party though even on public Thursdays because it is tiny and most seating is at two communal tables which actually work (people were meeting, flirting, etc). One caper martini turned into two bottles of wine. We were there for so long, in a fun way. My friend thought it was like a European vibe, like, oh we want you to take your time, but I'm pretty positive it was just because they are still figuring everything out. Two different interpretations, same great time. Excellent place to play “Are they New York-famous or just tall?” Every single person in the restaurant smoked outside at some point. They told me that in the summer they'll open all the front doors and windows and the party will spill onto the sidewalk. Great codfish fritters, good brothy clams, good steak frites for two (for four), they make their own bread and it's real tasty. I'm sure some of the above will change if they open for real, but I'll take it for now. Also the toilet seat was like fabric/cushioned which skeeved me out, but that’s my only complaint. —Willa Moore

Eel Bar Is A Great Place To Eat Rainbow Trout

I feel like this is the easiest of the Hart’s restaurants to get into. Walked in on Friday at about 7pm and got a bar seat immediately. Just a really great place to eat rainbow trout. Also they don’t have the deviled eggs on the menu anymore but they do have boquerones served on top of an egg salad. Really good and quite substantial. For $14 it’s a real steal. —Jonathan Smith

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In other news, I’ve personally spent the past year or so wondering if Bryan was joking about going to every Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side, and folks, he is not. His update, plus more on Sonal’s most dramatic restaurant visit, below. —Willa Moore

The Upper East Side Italian Update: Mezzaluna

It’s not a bit. I really am eating at all 70+ Italian restaurants on the Upper East Side, and eventually I’ll have a definitive ranking. Mezzaluna could wind up near the top. Think neighborhood trattoria with wobbly tables, baskets of free bread, and couples who stopped making small talk over dinner several decades ago. It’s more casual than other UES Italian staples like Lusardi’s and Elio’s, but the pasta is just as good. Really liked the trofiette in pesto. Their wood-fired pizza’s great too. Neapolitan-style, but bigger, crispier, and more charred than usual. —Bryan Kim

An FDNY All-Hands At A Live Fire Restaurant

Got the best seats* in the house, opposite three wood-burning fires at Saverne, Gabriel Kreuther’s new Hudson Yards restaurant. One of the most exciting open kitchens I’ve sat at: Flames in front of you, a team of badass chefs pumping food out at scale—this ain’t no dinky wine bar kitchen, it’s “Oui, Chef,” and “Fire three hanger, two squab,” and someone flipping fat, hot pretzels out of a blazing oven onto a plate with bare hands. I wrote in my notes, “Like watching an episode of The Bear, but everything is going well.”

Shortly after that, the first fire alarm went off. Log fires immediately quenched by sprinklers. At least two squabs and three steaks ruined. The fire handler throws his hands up like, “Je ne sais pas...!” The fire safety director comes on the PA, with that fire drill message you usually ignore. Mild confusion. Fire department guy investigating. We’re still sipping our wine and waiting to see if they’ll take our dessert order. Eventually, the alarm stops and they start one of the fires back up.

A couple seconds later, it’s sirens again. The expediter shouts “Cut, cut!” One chef grins at us as he tears open boxes of kosher salt to dump on the flames. It starts to get a bit smoky, and we’re all escorted out of the restaurant, via the coat check. Kreuther on his phone, marshaling people, still smiling at diners. Staff impressively calm.

In a few minutes there were at least five trucks on the scene—eventually 46 units responded. Kreuther, charmingly unflappable, thanked us for coming as we stood outside, watching the FDNY do their thing. Off we went, no dessert, no check, but definitely one of the most memorable restaurant nights of my life. The PR (and a recorded phone message) says they hope to open again soon, and when I walked by last night, the lights were on. Who wants to come with me to the $120 ice cream tasting (and to leave the staff a really big tip) once they’re back? —Sonal Shah

*When you make a reservation, add a note requesting to sit in the dining room with the kitchen.

An Unexpected Line In Elmhurst

I’m used to a line for a new bakery in Lower Manhattan. I was not expecting to see one on a Saturday morning at Bukas Cafe, a Filipino coffee shop in a very residential corner of Elmhurst. They were out of their adobo melts by the time I got in, but I did have a delicious iced coffee with demerara syrup and tultul salt, a pimiento melt dunked in condensed milk, and a kalamansi-cinnamon ensaymada. —Will Hartman

And A Tip For Avoiding A Line In Park Slope

We’ve seen lines outside the newest Mariscos El Submarino, and on a Saturday night, Kelsey couldn’t open the door because it was so packed. But it was so quiet earlier in the day that I just loafed for nearly three hours. My first time at this newbie location, love it just the same. I would go weekly just for the platter of shrimp, the guac, and the super chill stay-as-long-as-you-want vibe. —Kym Backer

After a very buttery, hearty, family-style “chef’s choice” meal at the new location of Kjun, they bring you a mini Yakult with the dessert. So thoughtful. —SS

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And one more happy hour thing: Someone on Reddit just shared this very cool and very timely NYC happy hour tracker that they built for fun. I’m excited to use it, and also to hear about your favorite drink deals in the comments. —Sonal Shah

Nacho Happy Hour At Commodore II

Commodore’s $10 happy hour nachos are some of the best I’ve had anywhere. So many radishes. So much queso. Found the fried chicken lacking seasoning in the batter, but enjoy that you get two hot sauces (one sweeter, one more vinegary).

I also have to mention that the vibes in there on a Wednesday night were...interesting. They have one of the smallest TVs I’ve ever seen above the bar and it was playing Jackass. So while I’m trying to order a kolsch beer and a hot breast sandwich, I had to watch a guy puke in snow and then eat it, and Bam Margera put a toy car in a condom and then shoved it all in a place that should not have a toy car anywhere near it. Also at 8:45pm sharp, a DJ came on and played, at a very high volume, “Hi Bitch” by Bhad Barbie. —Carlo Mantuano

Oyster Happy Hour At Flex Mussels

I went to Flex Mussels twice for their happy hour and I will be back. $2 oysters, ordered a dozen for myself both times. Shared their parma mussels and old bay fries—so good. Lots of couples and friend dates here. Vibey, low lit. Service is fast. Good music: ’90s R&B. Poppin’ both times on a weeknight in the freezing cold. —Angie Chavez

A Last-Minute Res At Tatiana

Got lucky and got a 5 pm res on Saturday day-of through ResX. I think our updated review + new rating nails it. Service was jarringly bad to start. Our server was short with us, seemed annoyed at questions, didn’t take our drink order, etc. First bites and dessert took a long time to come out (I think they maybe forgot to put them in) but they noticed and gave us some jello shots on the house at the end, so turned it around!

Food makes up for all that though! Prawns and pastrami are insane, obviously. Eating goat patties while Kendrick Lamar is blaring in the background feels like a religious experience. The ice cream outshines the brownie in the bodega special—it should be studied by scientists. —Akshay Mirchandani

A Post-Blizzard Lunch At Torrisi

I was checking in on some of my bucket-list reservations after the snowstorm when I saw a table at Torrisi for lunch the next day. I nearly strained my thumb in the approximately one micro-second it took for me to grab it. To my surprise, I did not fall in love.

It turns out a last-minute, inclement-weather rez can be a bit of a devil’s bargain: A half-empty dining room in broad daylight admittedly did not do the vibe any favors. Our server said he’d never seen the restaurant slower in all his two years working there. But the food also failed to wow me, with the exceptions of the raviolini and especially the affogato, which, as a dessert freak, is one of my favorite things I’ve eaten so far this year. —Molly Fitzpatrick

Dining Dilemma

Hi V! I lived in Stuytown for two years; here’s where I did most of my off-the-clock dining. David’s Bagels—the line at Ess-A was always too long for me. I love Rockmeisha’s excellent Hakata-style ramen and other izakaya classics, and Saperavi is a fun spot for Georgian food. Sao Mai’s phở and bánh mì were takeout staples. Chim Chim is a Thai cake bakery—pick up something from there if you’re planning a picnic in the oval. —Will Hartman

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That meteorological in-between makes this an interesting moment to eat and drink around the city. I’d lean into cozy-maxxing before this too-long, too-cold winter finally hits the road. Go get some fondue. Order hot chocolate. And eat some noodle soup, possibly at the spot below where they let us try our hand at pulling the noodles. —Molly Fitzpatrick

Over A Year In, Bar Snack Is Bumping—And Expanding?

Bar Snack was bumping on a Thursday—I got the last bar seat. Fun to sit there and take it all in. The snaquiri was great. I love that they have it, plus reg size, plus a pitcher. Also a great happy hour. And the page at the back of the menu where they just plug other (food and non-food) establishments in the neighborhood is really charming. I don’t know if i would send a straight-up cocktail nerd here—they might be overwhelmed by the vibes. (Kidding, mostly.) But kinda feels like a cocktail bar For The People. Will definitely be back.

Sat next to these two very drunk ladies (who were going to Paradise Lost after, feels inadvisable), and they got to talking with one of the bartenders . He was just helping out for the night but seems to work for the Bar Snack hospitality group, which is currently forming. He said they’re opening a sake bar in Williamsburg (April) and a cocktail bar in LES (end of the year). —Willa Moore

A James Murphy Night At The Four Horsemen

My first time! Walked in right at opening quite easily. Ran into @burgerchild who was such a sweetheart—he literally pulled up an email exchange from years ago, asking to be our intern. He was at I Cavallini earlier in the night so this was his second dinner. He says he “Tries to have a James Murphy night once a quarter to keep his spirit alive.” —Britt Lam

Eating At Every Italian Restaurant On The Upper East Side: Sandro’s

As part of my ongoing push to eat at every Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side (currently around 25% complete), I recently visited Sandro’s on 85th Street. Around in some form or other since 1985, the place is a textbook example of the UES Italian genre. We’re talking thinly pounded veal, straightforward pastas that come in half portions, and patrons who choose practical quilted jackets to layer over their conservatively tailored blazers. The food, which has a Roman emphasis, was very good, but I still prefer Lusardi’s. And in terms of atmosphere, I’ll take Elio’s every time. If Sandro’s is your top UES Italian pick, however, I won’t fight you on it. The veal saltimbocca oozes butter, and the free breadsticks (grissini) are a very nice touch. —Bryan Kim

Two Izakaya Reservations Currently Humbling Us

Odo East Village continues to humble me. This teeny kaiseki-izakaya hybrid spot in the East Village has just 24 counter seats and when I recently tried to walk in, I was politely turned away. But one of my many reservation notification alerts is going to pan out soon—I can feel it. —MF

I’m still looking for a Hori regular to take me to this eight-seat Midtown izakaya from the chef behind now-closed Sarashina Horii. Reservations are only available to people who’ve dined there before and their guests, and so far, I can’t find such a person. If you have an in (and are not a PR person, or the owner), please let me know. —Sonal Shah

Lanzhou Hand-Pulled Noodles

1915 Lanzhou Hand-Pulled Noodles feels like going to dinner and a show—all for under $20. I was having so much fun watching the chef pull the dough that Mr. Chef gave me my own ball of dough so that I could also try pulling it. We did not share the same level of expertise, but it was indeed a very nice touch. —Dianna Shen

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It Started With A Rumor

Back in December, the local newsletter What’s Good Miami broke the news that 4 Charles was going to open up in Swan’s former Design District home, citing vague “industry sources.” The rest of Miami food media aggregated the story without confirmation. But I wanted proof. I searched online for licenses and permits. The Miami team and I even went by the space to see if there was a posted Notice of Commencement on site. Nada.

So I emailed their marketing team. The response was vague:

It wasn’t a confirmation, but it gave me just enough confidence to plan a visit to 4 Charles in New York.

I convinced our accounting department to fly me up to NYC. Kidding. Their generosity has limits. We were actually going to be in town anyway for our annual full team gathering. It felt like the perfect excuse to see if I could get some intel. There was just one gigantic problem: I didn’t have a reservation.

The Investigation

Bryan, NYC’s editorial lead, who wrote the 4 Charles review, said getting a reservation was impossible. He was right. The moment they went live, they were gone.

I’d almost lost hope, but then he gave me a tip. It involved eating at 4pm and waiting in line.

After dropping off my bags, I stuffed my pockets with hand warmers and booked it to the West Village. I got there at 2pm and was second in line. I waited for two hours in 20-degree weather. When they finally opened at 4pm, they only took four of us in and turned away everyone else.

It’s small in there—just nine tables—which is why it’s so hard to get in. The servers wear three piece suits. Mine had slicked hair and was highly proficient in tableside banter. He slid his entire body into my booth to talk to me (it was more charming than weird). 4 Charles servers treat you like an old friend, and my old friend told me everything he knew about 4 Charles Miami.

What I Learned

The food at 4 Charles is fantastic, but the service is everything. My server was an absolute pro, and after telling him about the restaurants I used to work at in DC and Palm Beach, we bonded, and he asked me where I live now. I said Miami. That’s when he lit up, dove into my booth, and said, “Oh! We’re opening a 4 Charles in Miami!”

🦩 Yes. It’s happening. They’re calling it 4 Charles Miami (naturally), but we learned that there will also be another concept attached to the space called The Flamingo Room. Our best guess is that it will be some sort of cocktail lounge that’ll take advantage of the upstairs bar at Swan, which very much feels like a space begging to be called The Flamingo Room.

📅 It’s supposed to open by the end of this year, which Miamians know really means the beginning of next year. He mentioned something about redoing the kitchen, so don’t expect to be eating at 4 Charles Miami this winter.

⚖️ Don’t expect an exact replica of 4 Charles Prime Rib in New York. That place is very dark and very small. 4 Charles Miami is going into the old Swan space, which is much bigger and brighter. It won’t have that same Manhattan magic. But it will have a lovely patio, should they choose to use it. It won’t be hard to get into because of the space. It will be because of the hype.

🍔 That burger is coming, and it will be worth it. I’ve had every gimmicky burger in Miami. But this is the best burger I’ve ever had. It’s all about the thick bacon and the white glove theatrics. If you get in here, you’re ordering it, along with their creamy mac and cheese and chocolate cream pie. A couple of vespers are also a great call, especially if you’re on an investigative mission and can’t feel your toes.

🗽 Why is this happening? Fomo. My server name-dropped a few high profile New York transplant restaurants: Rao’s, Carbone, and Cote. They figured: Why not 4 Charles? I wish them the best of luck. And I really hope they don’t lose their personality. It’s easy to give in to cliches, and I hope they stick to what they do best: personal, confident service and amazing steakhouse dishes.

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Personally, I’m going to be exhausted after hanging out with colleagues from LA, London, and everywhere in between—who are flying in for our annual team week—so I’m preemptively booking a spa day next weekend. Preferably somewhere with a good cafeteria, so that my cold-plunging, steaming, and soup-eating can all take place within the same four walls. What with all the team bonding and Presidents’ Day, we’re taking a short Substack break, but will be back February 24. Meanwhile, I’d love to hear about your long weekend plans in the comments. —Sonal Shah

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What We’re Excited About

Phê, the cafe and bánh mì shop from the people behind Mắm, is taking shape. They told us they’re taking things slow, but on Friday, they did a bánh mì pop-up in their future space. If you missed it, don’t despair: They’ve been dropping freshly baked baguettes off with their neighbors Bistrot Ha, so if you see bánh mì on their specials board, act accordingly.

Also, two of us have been to Mắm’s wine bar Lai Rai in the past two weeks, and both times they’ve had bánh mì pâté on the menu. I paired mine with a Portuguese pét-nat, and when I finished, the bartender asked me if I had any thoughts on the baguette that she could relay to the owners. No notes. —Willa Moore

What You’re Excited About

In January, we published 32 first looks and rated reviews, but this short blurb, for a spot that’s slated to open next month, was read more than any of those, by far. You might recognize the chef from Culinary Class Wars, where his final dish was inspired by post-bathhouse meals with his dad. —SS

The 2026 London Imports Power Ranking

We have some big names coming over from London this year. As I mentioned last week, Ambassadors Clubhouse will be opening on February 11, and it’ll be followed by the immensely popular mini-chain Dishoom and IG-famous Strakers. But first, slop bowls. Fast-casual import Farmer J recently opened across from Rockefeller Center, offering gochujang salmon and maple-spiced sweet potatoes. When reached for comment, Infatuation London’s Jake Missing enthusiastically described the place as “Sweetgreen adjacent, but tray instead of bowl.” I disagree. It’s more like Dig Inn. On a recent visit, I enjoyed some roasted broccoli, quasi-healthy mac and cheese, and harissa chicken that really did almost taste like harissa. Don’t go out of your way to eat here, but do keep the place in mind for a decent Midtown desk lunch. Farmer J is fine and useful, and it’s currently at the top of my London Imports Of 2026 Power Ranking, purely because the other contenders aren’t open yet. —Bryan Kim

Last Chance: Barbetta, Nasrin’s Kitchen

What’s going on with Theater District closures? Last month, I wrote about Chez Napoleon, which shuttered after 65 years on West 50th Street. (If the Le Veau d’Or team is reading this, please consider bringing it back?) We also lost Café Un Deux Trois on 44th, after 48 years.

This month, it’s Barbetta. Run by the same family since it opened in 1906, and dripping with chandeliers, this Italian spot literally hosted the inauguration party for the 46th Street Restaurant Row in its townhouse backyard (that was in the ’70s). They’re closing on February 27, after the recent death of owner Laura Maioglio, so my coworker Tiffany and I went to pay our respects last week. We left wobbly on wine, and deeply concerned about the fate of the phone booth with a direct line to 1973, their porcelain “truffle dogs,” and the lady who’s been working the coat check for over 30 years. Tiffany thinks it’s the perfect opportunity for the Cafe Spaghetti people (who are revamping another old-time Italian spot) to make their first foray into Manhattan. Brilliant idea.

Barbetta is going out with a bang—there’s a swing band and dancing on Valentine’s Day, and they’re offering half-off all wine listed at $200 or more. When we visited, one group had at least four bottles on their table.

And one more notable Midtown closing, a little further north: Nasrin’s Kitchen only opened in 2023, but its Gilded Age mansion was one of the most unbelievable settings for a restaurant I visited that year. They’re closing this month too, citing building issues. The mansion is likely destined for demolition, so go take a peek—and eat some tahdig—while you still can. —SS

Get Thee To A Piano Bar

Why aren’t we all spending more time at piano bars? On a recent Saturday, I wanted to get a drink around the West Village, but was in no mood to wait 20 minutes for the privilege of drinking a fussy cocktail with 20 ingredients. We wound up at The Duplex, wedged right next to the piano. What a blast. Our server belted Olivia Newton-John as she entered orders into the POS. A Benson Boone sound-alike took the stage to sing “Drivers License,” and then 15 minutes later his 76-year-old father performed “Like A Rolling Stone”—reading the lyrics off his phone—and brought the house down. A perfect evening, especially considering that every drink here tastes like a double, and the doubles taste like you should cancel the workout class you signed up for in the morning. (I did.) –Molly Fitzpatrick

This Week We Were Haunted By …

PopUp Bagels really did start out as a pop-up. That was back in 2020. Now they have over 20 locations across eight states, with plans to open 100 by 2027. Even if I find their bagels pleasant enough in an insipid sort of way, I’ve never been a fan. Their refusal to sell individual bagels is unforgivable, the sort of scheme you’d expect from Lionel Barrymore’s greedy robber baron character in It’s a Wonderful Life. We don’t have to put up with it, and we definitely don’t have to put up with their ill-conceived limited-edition lemon pepper schmear. It’s a collaboration with Wingstop. And now I like both chains less. —BK

Dining Dilemma, Valentine’s Day Edition

Nice lunch walking distance from Brooklyn Museum/Brooklyn Botanical Gardens —Amy, DM from Instagram

If it’s a weekend, Cafe Mado does brunch, though they recently stopped lunch service. For something quick, grab a slice from La Flor, or a sandwich from Prospect Butcher Co. or Gertie. But if you’ve got a little time, the answer is Agi’s Counter, for a Dirty Ovaltine and the best tuna melt in Brooklyn. —WM

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