Beyond Rao's, the famous Italian restaurant that could make even a Goldman Sachs executive feel like a peasant with its notoriously impossible policy of opening doors in the city, Uptown Manhattan is traditionally known for its food for the soul, exemplified by long-standing institutions such as Sylvia's and Melba's. A decade ago, celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson added a contemporary touch to this comforting cooking style with the opening of Red Rooster, which still draws crowds to the neighborhood. In recent years, Harlem has received a new injection of culinary talent, especially at The Cecil, where chef JJ Johnson prepares incredibly interesting African-inspired dishes, such as tamarind, oxtails and Mountain Bird, which takes the art of preparing poultry to unprecedented levels. The new addition B2, with its elegant setting and fresh seafood, maintains the momentum.
There's no doubt that it's a booming restaurant area, but Harlem still completely lacks the critical mass of some of its downtown neighbors. What sets Carroll Gardens apart from its neighbors in South Brooklyn, practically indistinguishable and leafy and bordered with brown stone, is the greater concentration of restaurants worthy of a destination. Among these are a couple of places where you can eat Southern-style fried chicken at Northeaster-style prices (Buttermilk Channel and Wilma Jean), as well as a popular pizza place, Lucali, known for attracting local power couple Jay Z and Beyonce. But perhaps the most defining place is Frankies 457, a neighborhood restaurant par excellence that alludes to the area's past as an Italian-American working-class enclave, while offering all the modern refinements of today's bourgeois and bohemian reality.
Korean food, particularly KBBQ, has never been more popular in New York. Flushing is home to some of the best (are you seeing a trend in this case?) , but Manhattan's Korean Quarter is still its own (albeit small) gastronomic destination. The heart of the area is the tiny strip of the W 32nd, between Broadway and 5th Avenue, where you'll find places like Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong, the popular South Korean mini-chain that began in Flushing and has another branch in Los Angeles (and which, until recently, was run by Momofuku's veteran chef, Deuki Hong). The rest of the Strip is mainly comprised of no-frills restaurants open 24 hours a day, such as Muk Eun Ji, known for its kimchi, and Shilla, which promotes some of the best pork belly in town.
If you're looking for more modern Korean food, Her Name Is Han is just around the corner. Of course, the best time to eat in the neighborhood is after karaoke, preferably around 2 or 3 in the morning. The Pocha 32 night spot is ideal for this. Flushing is also the birthplace of one of the city's most addictive and fastest-growing restaurant chains, Xi'an Famous Foods, home to spicy, hand-torn lamb noodles that tickle the tongue, which could soon reach ubiquity at the juice bar level in the city.
With 11 locations (and counting), there is now a bit of Flushing in both Manhattan and Brooklyn, but practically nothing of Manhattan and Brooklyn in Flushing. You could spend an entire day here eating the neighborhood's diverse international mix and still spend less than one meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Midtown. It's the epitome of New York City's dining destinations, and the closest you'll get to Hong Kong without having to fork out for the 16-hour flight. All you need is a subway card.
Something like a New York classic, Café Habana is a casual but vibrant Cuban restaurant on a busy corner of Nolita. Always full of people, Havana serves things like corn covered in cotija and chili, fish tacos and pork sandwiches. Pasquale Jones is located in one of the best corners of Manhattan. Right in the center of the charming Nolita, the team's second restaurant behind Charlie Bird focuses on its wood stove and wine.
The guide is divided between the five boroughs of New York, namely the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. San Francisco has the first Chinatown in the United States, but New York currently has the most impressive. For old school New York, head to Katz's, Russ & Daughters, John's of 12th Street, or Veselka. Also, don't forget to follow my Instagram to see more of New York's best food neighborhoods.
The whipped ricotta appetizer is practically one of the best things you'll ever eat, and homemade pasta is one of the best in New York. Now, the owners, better known as “The Franks”, are known all over the world, as they often collaborate with different chefs or simply do what they do best here in New York. So it may not be the safest dining destination, but it sure is on the list of the best gastronomic neighborhoods in New York. A team from Montreal runs the small space, and their Canadian bagels deserve a spot on the list of the best foods in New York.
But there are so many dining options, from the West Village to Chinatown, that these are some of the best dining neighborhoods in New York. In addition to the best pastrami sandwich and the best bagel with smoked salmon, which both locals and tourists can't wait to wait for an unthinkable time, the neighborhood is also home to a number of new places that have helped shape (or reshape) New York's food culture. . .
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