Best New Restaurant <\/p>\n
UWS<\/p>\n
Nai Brother Sauerkraut Fish<\/p>\n
2817 Broadway<\/p>\n
www.naibrothersauerkrautfish.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n 646-895-1015<\/p>\n Food trends, and food combinations, are a funny thing. While the former, driven by publicists or \u201cviral\u201d social media, are best taken with large grains of salt, the latter are what makes exploring diverse world cuisines such an adventure and joy. How the German word \u201csauerkraut\u201d gets onto a 21st-century Chinese menu is a mystery, but this amalgamation has appeared in the name of more than one Manhattan restaurant\u2014what does it mean? Turns out that, while pickling is pickling, this \u201csauerkraut\u201d isn\u2019t really hot dog ready but rather the pickled mustard greens one is already familiar with from Sichuan and other cuisines. Nai Brother, meanwhile, is their signature soup, which includes noodles, cabbage, green onions, hot peppers, and bean sprouts and, of course, fish, which they call \u201csole\u201d or \u201csnakehead.\u201d On the restaurant\u2019s spiciness scale\u20140) Don\u2019t Worry; 1) I\u2019m OK; 2) Hot; 3) Oh No\u2014this dish rates a 2. For the fire-averse, the Sun Dried Tomato soup stands out, while fire chasers must try the rich and fiery Mao Xue Wang, with beef tripe, ham, and a variety of vegetables. Ample portions in a clean, bright, utilitarian setting add to the excitement.<\/p>\n UES<\/p>\n Cafe Commerce<\/p>\n 964 Lexington Ave.<\/p>\n www.cafecommerce.com<\/a><\/p>\n 212-390-8106<\/p>\n Helmed by chef Harold Moore, who ran a well-regarded West Village restaurant named Commerce from 2008 to 2015 before returning to kitchen duties elsewhere, Cafe Commerce opened in January 2025. The 55-seat bistro dishes up modern American fare with myriad French, Italian and other twists. Some highlights from the daily menu include Chicken Noodle Soup (\u201cgrandma\u2019s vegetables & chives\u201d), Marinated Hamachi (\u201cavocado, ginger, jalape\u00f1o & yuzu\u201d), and Sweet Potato Tortelloni (\u201chazelnuts, pomegranate & beurre noisette\u201d. Among the entrees the Braised Rabbit Pappardelle (with bacon, olives & sage) hops quickly to the front, with the Commerce Cheeseburger and Charred Salmon also appealing. Daily specials include BBQ Pork Rib, fried chicken and Beef Stroganoff and as for the desserts, they don\u2019t call it Harold\u2019s Famous Coconut Cake for nothing.<\/p>\n DT<\/p>\n Tradicioanale<\/p>\n 156 Ninth Ave.<\/p>\n www.tradicionalenyc.com<\/a><\/p>\n 917-300-8875<\/p>\n Speaking of fantastic food combinations, that\u2019s nearly the very definition of Filipino cuisine, which has a new home in Chelsea called Tradicionale. Billing itself as a \u201cmodern Filipino-Spanish bistro and bar,\u201d Tradicionale opened this past September and some of the fare will be familiar from same restaurateurs\u2019 Tradisyon, their still extant \u201cFilipino comfort food\u201d joint in Hell\u2019s Kitchen. Tradicionale is a bit fancier but for foodies\u2014and parade lovers who know the glories of the annual Filipino Independence Day Parade along Madison Avenue\u2013this is no problem. To the contrary, it\u2019s an honor and an excitement to try dishes like Kare-Kare (braised short ribs, peanut sauce, bokchoy, green beans, eggplant, crispy garlic shrimp paste); Pork Humba (pork belly, soy, vinegar, bayleaf, black pepper, boiled egg, crispy garlic, shallows, scallions) or Lobster Palabok (vermicelli noodles shellfish bisque, squid, shrimp, crispy garlic scallions, crispy pork rinds.) Run, don\u2019t walk\u2014and don\u2019t miss that Filipino Independence Day parade<\/a>, the first Sunday in June either.<\/p>\n Best Salads<\/p>\n UWS<\/p>\n Essen <\/p>\n 519 Eighth Ave.<\/p>\n [No Website]<\/p>\n 212-290-11515<\/p>\n Located in the hard-beating heart of Midtown, where grit meets glamour near Eighth Avenue and the corner of West 36th Street, Essen is a miracle of convenience, quality, and pleasantry. That it\u2019s just a short skip from Penn Station, Madison Square Garden, and the NYPD Midtown South Precinct adds to its ambience and intrigue. Exactly how they hire and maintain such a pleasant and professional staff across their various stations, from the cash-register women to the sandwich-making men and everyone in between is unclear, but it\u2019s very noticeable\u2014and very welcome at any time of day. Also noted is the music the store plays, which is always high-quality jazz piano or small group jazz guitar in a swing to bop style: blow, daddy-o! While Essen is more than just salads, few persons wanting a salad bar (priced by the pound) will be disappointed: greens, fruit, pasta, soups abound. Breakfast at Essen is a delight at well\u2014bagels and whatever made to order, smoothies, yogurts, coffee and more\u2014while seating in the upstairs mezzanine makes the whole visit feel like a show. Ten stars, and a must-visit when in the area.<\/p>\n UES<\/p>\n Isle of Us <\/p>\n 1481 Third Ave.<\/p>\n www.isleof.us<\/a><\/p>\n 917-694-6401 <\/p>\n Opened in November 2022, the evocatively if somewhat enigmatically named Isle of Us describes itself as a marketplace and cafe founded to \u201cmake healthful living easy and empower the community through food.\u201d Sounds good, but how does it taste? The answer, happily, is it tastes dee-lish! Chef Matt Aita, a veteran of Jean-Georges and the vegetarian restaurant Little Beet has a strong hand in this, including the Isle\u2019s three superb salad offerings: Citrus and Fennel; Marinated Kale and Chicken; and Vegan Cauliflower Ceasar. Bowls like Salmon Rice (slow baked salmon, sushi rice, pickled red cabbage, bok choy, avocado, marinated cucumbers, sesame seeds, nori) and Lemongrass Chicken (roasted Green Circle chicken , herbed super grains, green papaya, carrot, cucumber, roasted sweet potato, coconut-cashew chili crisp, scallion, mint, basil, lemongrass dressing) also up the ante of what one expects from \u201csalad.\u201d Add in coffees, teas, excellent sandwiches and this breakfast reporter\u2019s choice, Eggs and Hash Burrito (Sullivan County Farm eggs, hash brown potatoes, pickled jalape\u00f1o, roasted garlic & cheddar, charred tomatillo salsa on the side) and you\u2019re likely to exclaim \u201cthe Isle of Us is the Isle for me!\u201d<\/p>\n DT<\/p>\n Blue Park Kitchen <\/p>\n 70 Pine St.<\/p>\n www.blueparkkitchen.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n 646-921-9909<\/p>\n Following food trends can be a funny thing, not funny hah hah, but funny curious. On the one hand, it sometimes seems there are infinite cookie and cupcake stores\u2014these can be fun but oof, are they sugar bombs. On the other hand, there\u2019s the rise of salad chains like Chop\u2019t, Just Salad, and the expansion of Whole Foods with their ample bar that proffer healthier fare. While all these have chains have their merits, not lot least proximity and consistency, for something a little different and more personal, a salad that will put the proverbial \u201cmeat on your bones,\u201d in the Financial District there\u2019s no greater destination than the independently owned Blue Park Kitchen. Two pick hits from a menu that suggests one could indeed live on salad alone: Turkey Meatballs & Lemon Ricotta (with couscous, arugula, balsamic vinaigrette, charred broccoli, toasted chickpeas, radish) and the gluten free Baked Falafel & White Bean Hummus (Herbed Brown Rice, Mixed Greens, Lemon Vinaigrette, Falafel, Roasted Cauliflower, Feta, Pickled Onions). You can of course build your salads too. Blue Park has a midtown location at 666 3rd Avenue, next to the Chrysler Building.<\/p>\n Best Bagels<\/p>\n UWS<\/p>\n Kossar\u2019s<\/p>\n 35 West End Ave.<\/p>\n www.kossars.com<\/a><\/p>\n 212-767-0285<\/p>\n Shout it loud and proud, West Siders, the bialys are back in Our Town! Much as we adore the oldest Grand Street Kossar\u2019s, which holds down the appetizing tradition in the once overwhelmingly Jewish Lower East Side, the specific delights of Kossar\u2019s has always deserved wider distribution than that one location allows. Thus their happy expansion and, in some ways, improvements, for where Grand Street is essentially, if not unpleasantly, utilitarian (and its proximity to Seward Park is fantastic), their Upper East and now two Upper West Side stores\u2014this one, opened in April 2025, and the other at 270 W. 72nd St., opened in May 2024\u2014offer a little more room to stretch out. While the range of expected sandwiches, bagels, lox, cream cheese, cookies, rugelach and whatnot are all fine or better, it\u2019s the bialy\u2014the mighty bialy\u2014that reigns supreme. Where other bagel joints offer only the onion variety, Kossar\u2019s digs deep into our collective Bialystok roots to offer three kinds: onion, garlic, and everything; buy a dozen and freeze the rest. If you\u2019re traveling with kids, don\u2019t miss the challah French toast.<\/p>\n UES<\/p>\n Tompkins Square Bagels<\/p>\n 1159 Third Ave.<\/p>\n www.tompkinssquarebagels.com<\/a><\/p>\n 212-203-4862<\/p>\n While Tompkins doesn\u2019t supplant the traditional Jewish bagels and appetizing store like the holy Russ & Daughters, it doesn\u2019t try to. Rather, Gravesend, Brooklyn, native Christopher Pugliese offers an expansive Italian-American-influenced vision of what a full-service, modern bagelry can be. Not that its Jewish roots are ignored\u2014there\u2019s lox and cream cheeses (some quite non-traditional) in abundance. As for the bagels themselves, they are big, a smidgen crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Unlike some other bagel emporiums where the staff is largely anonymous with no apparent investment in their wares, the workers here are engaged and enthused, so if you see a line don\u2019t worry: It moves like a conga line used to in the old Latin jazz clubs of Pugliese\u2019s collective Brooklyn youth. Among the named sandwiches, standouts include the Odd Couple-loving Murray the Cop (pesto, eggs, roasted peppers, and fresh mozzarella), The Rocco Sac (ham, mozzarella, roasted red peppers, lettuce, tomato, onion, oil, vinegar, salt & pepper), and The Brooklyn Gino (pepper-crusted sirloin, cheddar, onion, roasted peppers).<\/p>\n DT<\/p>\n Russ & Daughters<\/p>\n 179 E. Houston St.<\/p>\n www.russandaughters.com<\/a><\/p>\n 212-475-4880 <\/p>\n You can never say, sing, or write enough great things about Russ & Daughters. Established in 1914, when it seemed the whole Lower East Side spoke Yiddish, this specific location stands as both one of the city\u2019s great bagel shops and a testament to the ongoing vitality of the Eastern European Jewish \u201cappetizing\u201d store. What is appetizing? The genius graphic designer Milton Glaser, of \u201cI Love New York\u201d logo fame, among much other brilliance, once co-wrote\u2014and designed\u2014the New York magazine cover story, \u201cA Gentile\u2019s Guide to Jewish Food,\u201d a framed copy of which hangs on the wall here. The cover shows a whole salmon poking out of a toothsome brown bagel. It\u2019s brilliant, which is to say appetizing is basically a fish and dairy version of meat-oriented delicatessen, with a variety of sweets and snacks like black-and-white cookies, babka, and dried fruits added. While all Russ & Daughters bagels are excellent, the pumpernickel is a standout, likewise that most holy of Jewish bread, the onion bialy. (Their challah is very good too.) Order nova lox also and you\u2019ll see true artists of the knife at work, getting your slices of glistening pink fish just right, down to the ounce. Although takeout only, Russ & Daughters have a breakfast and lunch cafe around the corner at 127 Orchard St. There\u2019s also a second appetizing store at 502 W. 34th St. at Hudson Yards.<\/p>\n Best Brunch<\/p>\n UES<\/p>\n Penrose<\/p>\n 1590 Second Ave.<\/p>\n www.penrosebar.com<\/a><\/p>\n 212-203-2751<\/p>\n Already beloved as a bar and a gastropub, the inspiration and consistency of Penrose\u2019s owner, Irish-\u00e9migr\u00e9 Ruair\u00ed Curtin, reaches into the morning-after hours with superb brunch offerings too. How does he do it? \u201cEver since I was a kid, I always wanted to be in hospitality,\u201d Curtin told Our Town. \u201cI was drawn to it. In a way, my lack of experience was a blessing. . . . My two business partners and I took a completely fresh approach to the bar business. We\u2019ve built bars that felt good to us, where warm hospitality, a beautiful environment, and good conversation were the cornerstones of our establishments.\u201d Available Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Penrose\u2019s brunch menu includes such highlights as Bacon, Egg & Cheese Deluxe sandwich (Smoky Sauce, American Cheese, Frizzled Potatoes, Banana Peppers, Poppy Kaiser Roll); Eggs Benedict (Smoked Salmon, Avocado or Country Ham on English Muffin with Hollandaise), Steak & Eggs (Hanger Steak, Sunny-Side Eggs, Chimichurri, Arugula, Home Fries). For greens and fish lovers, the Kale Caesar salad (Croutons, Radish, Cantabrian Anchovy, Parmigiano Reggiano with roast or fried chicken) will likewise fortify you for the day or night to come.<\/p>\n UWS<\/p>\n Caf\u00e9 Luxembourg<\/p>\n 200 W. 70th St.<\/p>\n www.cafeluxembourg.com<\/a><\/p>\n 212-873-7411<\/p>\n It can be difficult sometimes to hear in the Big Apple that Luxembourg really is a country\u2014no offense meant or implied to Luxembourgers! Edward Steichen was among our favorite photographers, Charley Gaul will always be among the true legends of bike racing, and the Schleck brothers, Frank and Andy, were no slouches either. In the caf\u00e9 that, since 1983, has proudly represented their nation on the Upper West Side, brunch is available Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The menu is wide ranging. On the breakfast-y side there\u2019s Eggs Benedict (English muffin, two poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce, with Canadian bacon, or smoked salmon, or spinach, choice of mixed greens, frites, or breakfast potatoes), Buttermilk Pancakes and Three Egg Omelette (Choose four between fines herbes, tomato, spinach, onion, mushrooms, asparagus, ham, bacon, cheddar, ch\u00e8vre, Gruy\u00e8re, Roquefort, mixed greens or frites). Also alluring: the Country Fris\u00e9e Salad (Fourme d\u2019Ambert cheese, croutons, bacon lardon, bacon vinaigrette, poached egg); the Luxumberger (Brioche bun, lettuce, tomato, onion, chipotle mayonnaise); and the Purple Sticky Rice Bowl (Avocado, kale, shiitake mushrooms, broccoli rabe, Sriracha broth)\u2014with, the menu notes, $1 from each bowl sold will be donated to Edible Schoolyard NYC.<\/p>\n Downtown<\/p>\n Miriam\u2019s<\/p>\n 140 Seventh Ave. South<\/p>\n www.miriamsrestaurant.com<\/a><\/p>\n 516-760-3972 <\/p>\n Born in Brooklyn, where it quickly became a Park Slope institution, this inspired Israeli caf\u00e9 lost nothing in its leap across the East River, while it gained it a figurative Maccabean Army of new friends. Remarkably, all of Miriam\u2019s locations are superb: Upper West Side, Upper East Side and their most recent Manhattan opening way down south in Greenwich Village. What to get? If the real answer is everything, a Miriam\u2019s starter kit would have to include Challah French Toast; Traditional Shakshuka (Poached eggs, hummus, tahini, shug, pita); Jerusalem Breakfast (Herbed scrambled eggs, zaatar-labneh, avocado, tomato salad, Syrian olives, sesame bread); Lamb Shawarma Terracotta); Lamb schwarma terracotta (Majadra rice, slow-roasted tomato, harissa, yogurt sauce, almond; and the Falafel Platter (hummus, green tahini, chopped salad, chopped salad, mango chutney, pickles, pita). Recommended Israel-themed reading if dining alone. even if Miriam post-dates the novel\u2019s publication 1993: Philip Roth Operation Shylock.<\/p>\n Best Cocktails \/ Sake<\/p>\n UWS<\/p>\n The Wolfe<\/p>\n 425 Amsterdam Ave.<\/p>\n www.thewolfenyc.com<\/a><\/p>\n 646-876-1004<\/p>\n Not to be confused with Laser Wolfe, the acclaimed Israeli restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, whose name pays homage to a Fiddler on the Roof character (really)\u2014The Wolfe took its name from New Journalism pioneer and novelist Thomas Wolfe\u2014really! This slightly worn but still spry \u201cBest of\u201d journalist who, by complete coincidence, had recently returned to Wolfe\u2019s early two early collections\u2014The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby (1965) and The Pump House Gang (1968), and his first book-length masterpiece, Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (1968)\u2014was at first skeptical, then astounded, that this was true. What\u2019s next, a Thomas Pynchon-themed brasserie called The Bodine Pig with a drink menu including house cocktails like Old Bloody Chicklitz, Maxine Tarnow and Wicks Cherrycoke? For now, West Side moonshiners, surfers, outlaw bikers and hippies alike will celebrate a broad bar food menu touting \u201cThe Right Stuff,\u201d which they can wash down with Wolfe-ian concoctions like the Bronx Inferno (jalape\u00f1o-infused tequila, g\u00e9n\u00e9py, lemon, agave), the RYE-TAI (Rittenhouse rye, bacardi black, amaretto, pineapple liqueur, lime, pineapple, tiki bittersthe) and the Garden Party (neversink, montenegro, cucumber, ginger, lime, celery shrub) which sounds like a Ricky Nelson reference but who knows?<\/p>\n UES<\/p>\n Sakagura<\/p>\n 211 E. 43rd St.<\/p>\n www.sakagura.com<\/a><\/p>\n 212-953-7253<\/p>\n Heralded by Japanese New York insiders like Jacob Margolies for its exceptional balance between high quality and affordability, this Midtown jewel is the near-ideal place to enter the highly specialized but highly rewarding world of sake. Call it an \u201cizakaya\u201d if you want to impress your friends, but first you have to find it: Fear not, however, this is the right address, so walk right in and you\u2019ll find that Sakagura in the basement of a 26-story office building\u2014which is also home to number of well-reviewed Thai massage therapists, so as far as one-stop rejuvenation goes, few Midtown buildings can beat it. What might at first seem intimidating to Americans raised on Manischewitz wine and Pearl beer, is a revelation at Sakagura, which has been wowing sake innocents and satyrs alike since 1996. Among its more than 260 sakes, highlights include, on the proletarian side, unpasteurized Dassai Blue \u201cNama\u201d sake (\u201cSuper fresh, directly from the brewery!\u201d) and UBOTA (\u201cA Sake Brewery in the Heart of Niigata, One of Japan\u2019s Premium Rice-Growing Regions\u201d). There are also heavy hitters like Naohiko Noguchi (Limited Edition 01, 2018, Moruka Nama Genshu, Ishikawa) at $1455 a bottle. For ballast, Sakagura has an impressive Japanese lunch and small plate dinner menus also, including sashimi and soba.<\/p>\n DT <\/p>\n Warren Peace <\/p>\n 77 Warren St.<\/p>\n www.warrenpeace.com<\/a><\/p>\n 845-592-5334<\/p>\n With a name like Warren Peace, it\u2019s got to be something, right? Great? High spirited? Ridiculous? Turns out, the only ridicule here is for the skeptical cocktail reporter, for nearly all local Tolstoy enthusiasts and thirsty Tribecans agree that Warren Peace is a rarity: a great restaurant \/ bar that also makes great cocktails, all with a quality and style that fully embody its owner, a well-tattooed Albanian named Briken Fezjullai .Among the signature cocktails are Luchador (Tequila, Ancho, Cherry, Cacao, Lemon, Mole, Walnut, Chamoy & Taj\u00edn rim) and the prideful Balkan Breakfast (Rak\u0131, Black Sesame, Borghetti, Licor 43, Banana, Cold Brew). As for American breakfast, they don\u2019t serve that but Warren Peace\u2019s food menu is no joke either: from sides like Qofte Pazari (Beef and Pork Kebab, Aioli, Pickled Onions, Pita, Traditional Blend of Albanian Herbs) and Lamb Comlek Sliders (Pulled Lamb Shoulder, Vidalia Onions, Scallions, Garlic Confit, Goat Cheese, Arugula) to Penne All\u2019arrabiata (Tomatoes, Calabrian chili peppers, garlic, parsley) and Albanian F\u00ebrges\u00eb (Albanian Ricotta Cheese, Red Pepper, Tomatoes, Onions, Beef Cheeks, Ciabatta). Hail, Albania!<\/p>\n Best Bakery<\/p>\n UES<\/p>\n Orwasher\u2019s<\/p>\n www.orwashers.com<\/a><\/p>\n 308 E. 78th St.<\/p>\n 212-288-6569<\/p>\n Some think of Orwashers as a bagelry, and that\u2019s not wrong: Their bagels are excellent, likewise their take on the holy bialy (with caramelized onion and a sprinkling of poppy seeds) and challah. If you don\u2019t mind self-referentiality, don\u2019t miss the New York Breakfast (a bagel schmeared with dill cream cheese, lox, onion, chives, and lemon zest). But Orwasher\u2019s is more than this too: hand-filled donuts, cakes, pastries, cupcakes, coffee, juice. As for their glorious other breads: Russian Pumpernickel is a must, likewise the Challah Pan Loaf, with the fluffy Whole Wheat Pan Bread not far behind. (Braided Challah is available Friday only, just as Orwasher\u2019s Cinnamon Raisin and Righteous Rye Breads are only available Saturday and Sunday.) Surprise a friend with a gift of Tomato Focaccia and don\u2019t forget black-and-white cookies for the kids!<\/p>\n UWS<\/p>\n Hungarian Pastry Shop<\/p>\n 1030 Amsterdam Ave.<\/p>\n