Haters Gonna Hate: 15 Go-To Restaurants to Make Your Stank Friend Love NYC
Everyone’s got a friend who hates New York. That friend who says things like, “I like to visit, but I could just never live here,” or, “I just need to see trees sometimes,” or, “I can’t believe you use half of your refrigerator as closet space,” or, “Yeah, but I have a garage“. Like all great things (overalls, Taylor Swift, nail art, chia pudding) New York City has got #haters. So, while your friend may “just not get” why you’re content to live in a place that smells like garbage for most of the summer or why you’re okay with the fact that you’ve lofted your bed so that your “living room” can sit underneath it, there is one thing that every human understands: good food. Here, a list of NYC restaurants guaranteed to make anyone (or at least her tummy) fall in love with NYC.
Breakfast: Here we’ve covered the staples: the bagel and schmear, the all-American joint, and the “I feel like I’m in Sex and the City” breakfast.
(Just Gotta) Russ & Daughters
Order This: The Classic with a Bagel, Super Heebster Bagel Toast
(Relatable) Bubby’s
Order This: The Griddle Special, Buttermilk Biscuits
(Swanky, but Not Annoyingly So) Balthazar
Order This: Bread Basket, Eggs en Cocotte, and also another Bread Basket
Lunch: Gotta hit a Jewish deli (even if you had the bagel for breakfast), a low-key downtown spot, and an uptown spot that is worth the cab ride.
(Classic) Katz’s Delicatessen
Order This: Corned Beef Sandwich on Rye, Pastrami Sandwich
(Oh, This Old Place?) Jack’s Wife Freda
Order This: Greek Salad, Grilled Haloumi, Cantaloupe Mimosa
(Uptown) Via Quadronno
Order This: Any Panini, Crab and Asparagus Salad, Tartufata, Tiramisu
Dinner: Three places where the food and the vibe will totally impress, but where “showiness” isn’t the whole point.
(Cool Kid) La Esquina
Order This: Octopus Tostadas, Tuna Tostadas, Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak, Barrel Tequila
with Tomato Juice Chaser
(Sushi) Sushi Seki
Order This: Omakase – Ask for double toro with roasted tomato and onion
(Italian Feast) Carbone
Order This: Veal Parmesan, Penne alla Vodka, Made for the Table Caesar Salad
(Ramen) Ippudo
Order This: Yamitsuki Goma Kyuri (delicious cucumber app), Pork Buns, Akamura Modern
Important Food Groups: There are certain things NY just does better. Burgers and pizza are two of them.
(Burger) J.G. Melon’s (Uptown or Down)
Order This: Cheeseburger, Cottage Fried Potatoes
(Pizza) Roberta’s
Order This: Bee Sting Pizza and everything else on the menu
Late Night: It is extremely important to show NYC haters that you can get anything in New York at any time. Here are some places that will drive home that point.
(Street Food) Café Habana
Order This: Grilled Corn Mexican Style, Steak Sandwich
(4th Meal) Blue Ribbon Brasserie
Order This: Fried Chicken, Roasted Duck Club
(Eating at the Bar) Fedora
Order This: Oysters, Cheddar Grilled Cheese