This shrine to moist cake doughnuts also has some of the best fried chicken north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Insiders know to arrive before noon when the fried chicken is often sold out. Read more.
Breakfast (sandwich) of champions and chef favorite, the Hickory Town, features a fried egg, slices of sweet Lancaster bologna, Amish cheddar, mustard-seed-studded gherkin mayo, and crispy onions. Read more.
The chicken-liver rigatoni at this Philly hotspot marries Italian and Jewish culinary styles so well that you'll forget about finding the perfect cheesesteak!
If the wait's long, put your name on the list and hit its sister wine bar. Once the food arrives, though, nothing else will matter. Guard your plate - spaghetti with clams is irresistably delicious!
A revelation in texture and flavor, the sticky, salty-sweet, umami-rich glazed cult dish is then topped with crispy deep-fried caramelized garlic. Read more.
A classic New York pizzeria for a reason. There are no fancy toppings or lavish decor, but sharing a pie with friends on the red-and-white checkered tablecloths is all you'll need for a good time.
Authentic Hong Kong–style dishes such as salt-baked soft-shell crab, duck with flowering chives, wonderful noodle dishes, and killer suckling pig with fragile, crunchy skin. Read more.
The decor may be kitschy and the service often perfunctory, but the soft-shell crabs, pho with beef and scallions, and barbecued pork chops are magnificent - a Vietnamese standout in Chinatown.
This tiny little venue has tiny little prices for their delightful dumplings. The sesame pancakes are also great, and perfect to grab to-go on your way to picnic in the park, just a block west.
Top slightly sweet and perfectly moist sweet potato bread with caramel and aleppo-spiced pecans and you've got the most addicting slice of breakfast loaf on the planet. Read more.
Possibly the most famous NYC food landmark, this Jewish deli excels in each dish, from snappy hot dogs to giant pastrami sandwiches. Hint: don't forget to tip your carver!
Brunch is the highlight for this East Village classic, but don't expect an omelet - robust dishes like grilled merguez with oysters and nine kinds of Bloody Marys are de rigueur here!
Start with an order of the monkey bread that's served with both whipped rosemary lardo and seaweed butter. Then order at least one of Cipollone's superlative pastas. Read more.
Beef tartare topped with rings of hearts of palm is just plain sexy, a hulking plate of beef that is slow-cooked to an impossibly tender finish. Read more.
We crave their beef tongue with gribiche sauce (like herb-flecked tartar sauce), partridge with chanterelle mushrooms, and the signature plate of fresh pappardelle bathed in braised rabbit. Read more.
Chances are you'll have to wait on line outside to secure a spot at the squeaky-clean counter & eat silky clam chowder, briny fried oysters and mayonnaise-drenched lobster rolls. Read more.
Lean pork marinated with guajillo chiles and pineapple in a fresh chewy maize tortilla creates a uniquely sweet and spicy taco that is equally delicious adorned with plenty of fresh cilantro. Read more.
It should surprise no one that this Mario Batali restaurant has some of the best salads, pastas and pizza in NYC. Even better: you can take home a cookbook and recreate your favorite dishes at home!
Coffee is served alongside comfort fare like a Berkshire pork katsu or a tamago sandwich (Osaka's answer to egg salad). Read more.
Forget authenticity here: Chang, who trained at Cafe Boulud and Craft, delivers a creative mishmash of Korean, Japanese, and New American, and his fans wouldn't have it any other way. Read more.
Want to fully nerd out? They'll prepare any of their coffees on your choice of gadget—Bee House ceramic dripper? Italian-style Moka pot? If you can dream it, you can drink it. Read more.
This popular NYC cafe is a lunchtime staple. Try the Mulligatawny soup, a Tamil recipe with curry and other delicious spices.
This location is the best of them all, with truly authentic Sichuan-region flavors informing every dish. Leave your comfort zone and try something new - you won't be disappointed!
This classic eatery hasn't been around for 100 years for no reason - the smoked fish, latkes, and friendly waitstaff are legendary. But beware - you'll never settle for subpar lox ever again!
Grab those sauce-dripping chili crabs with your hands and get messy; gnaw on the bones of salty and succulent chunks of "fatty duck." You'll think you've died and gone to Kuala Lumpur. Read more.
Enjoy $3 tapas at the bar from 4–6 PM daily, as well as 10-midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
