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Experience NYC
My list of favorite finds in NYC, including restaurants, museums and the hidden gems.
I added a couple outside of Manhattan excursions too, because, why not?
Purposely not listed are places that are already well-known and overcrowded: Statue of Liberty tours, Katz Deli, Times Square, the vessel, stuff that's been on Broadway forever (Chicago, Wicked).
91 Places
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Wendy’s 5-star review: Our go-to soul food restaurant in Harlem for the following reasons: 1. Not just black-owned, it's owned by a black woman chef, Melba. (Unlike Amy Ruth's) 2. The crispy, spicy crust on their fried chicken is amazing. 3. It's not impossible to get a seat (unlike Sylvia's or Red Rooster). 4. They take reservations (highly suggested for Sunday afternoons). 5. It's not overly frequented or over hyped by tourists. 6. The whipped butter on their waffles. 7. The ambiance of the restaurant is nice without the exhorbitant prices. 8. They have healthy salad options. The best thing to get here is their mouth-watering fried chicken and waffles. The fried fish is good, but not as memorable as the chicken. So why wait in line for two hours for Red Rooster when you could be already seated and eating at Melba's? Did I mention the chicken? -
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Wendy’s 5-star review: My favorite Ethiopian & Eritrean restaurant. In addition to incredible flavors for all their dishes, the service is incredibly welcoming. They were very patient to accommodate our large party of 11 complete with kids and someone with accessibility needs. They walked us through the menu and also allowed my toddler to walk around and follow them. My favorites here are the lamb, the lentils, and the potatoes with greens. The injera tastes delicious, warm, and is perfectly chewy. A great reason to head to Morningside heights for dinner!
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Wendy’s 4-star review: It only took me about a week to realize Harlem hops is not the same as Hop House Harlem. I am glad I got to check out Harlem hops tonight for the first time as part of Harlem Restaurant Week. The beers I tried were the wheat ale and the wit ale. They were out of the widow Jane bourbon :(. I enjoyed both beers I had. They were interesting and yummy and -- for a petite under 5 foot person like myself -- just the right size at 5 ounces each. I often don't like going to bars because I can't drink much. The 5 oz servings is easy on my wallet and my low tolerance. Not to mention their food is quite tasty! I enjoyed the pretzel bites and the tangy artichoke dip. Our party also enjoyed the veggie empanadas and the bratwurst. They get the pretzel dough right here. Will definitely be back if I can find another excuse to come back soon! -
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Wendy’s 4-star review: Let's go, cheesecake central! I loved both the Italian cheesecake with ricotta cheese. The slight tang you get from the ricotta along with some pleasing texture make this one of the most unique and enjoyable cheesecakes I've had. It would be second only to their NY cheesecake, which is light, smooth, and tastes like you just bit into a ray of sunshine. Dare I say even more memorable and enjoyable than Junior's? While this spot is very touristy and had a 45-minute wait just to order from the counter, it's worth it. Next time, I'll order ahead and just pick up. Next time, I'll also order extra tiramisu because somehow I bought some today, but my family ate ir all before I had a chance to try some. Must've been good! The person behind the counter also recommened the chocolate overed cannolis, and I have to say, as someone who doesn't really enjoy cannolis, I really liked this one! I would skip on the millefoglie. Someone recommended it to me, but I don't think I'm a fan of the contrasting textures of layers of crispy puff pastry and really soft custard/cream. Maybe this connects to my lack of preference for cannolis as well. In any case, there's something delicious for all different tastes here!
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Wendy’s 5-star review: It's time to head back to Ginjan (pronounced with a hard "G" like in ginger). They are back after a hiatus from covid closures and not only have the same delicious drinks that they had before, but now have wraps and bowls that are a welcome addition to their menu. They don't do a great job of checking for vaccinations, but to each their own, I suppose. My go-to drink is the ginjan with oatmilk. I haven't found anything like this drink anywhere else.. So, naturally, I'm hooked. They have a lovely indoor décor so it's a really nice place to work for a bit as well. -
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Pineapple BBQ Pork Bun.Wendy’s 5-star review: The best spot in NY Chinatown hands down for baked bbq pork buns (char siu bao). And while you're there getting the addicting pork buns, grab a pineapple bun with bbq pork (bo lo char siu bao). For those who don't know, there is no pineapple in a pineapple bun. It's a sweet bun with a sweet topping baked on top that is reminiscent of a pineapple. Leave it to Mei Lai Wah to combine these two delectables, the pineapple bun and charsiu bao to make the ultimate Chinese bakery sweet and savory treat. Their famous bun is very satisfying in a mellow way, with the layers of bread pulling off and producing a light, fluffy and yummy chewy experience. I hear their everything bun (steamed bun with egg, chicken etc) is also very good, basically a full meal in one. The bow on top of it all is the prices. They are so low I feel bad making it out of there with 5 pork buns, a couple famous buns, two bolo baos for $12. As someone who has made pork buns and other milk products at home, I know they are very labor intensive. The prices don't add up! I suggest tipping extra to recognize their hard work and return the favor. -
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Macanese Egg Tarts!Wendy’s 5-star review: Five stars for their Macanese Dan Tat. This was the first chinese bakery dan tat (Dan tah, egg tart, portuguese egg tart) I've had since the start of the pandemic and it was heavenly. The crumb wasn't that cumbly, but the smooth, just eggy enough custard in the middle was perfect. I'm drooling writing this. Their other pastries were excellently executed: baked char siu bao (cha sa bao for mandarin speakers, bbq pork bun), hot dog buns, egg cake. Their style is more on the lighter style of Fay Da and Sheng Kee and less gritty SF chinatown (where the pork char siu baos are meatier and juicier and denser). I called to pre-order the egg tarts so they were there waiting for me when I got there in a box next to the register. The cashier was like, why not make it 6 to get a full box? Good idea. When I was in the store, I also picked out other things to order and the person behind a table went and grabbed everything I pointed at. Good covid precautions. We ate everything so quickly I didn't have a chance to snap any pictures. Will have to go back again! -
Worth the wait and hassle to grab a pie! Classic NY wood fired thin crustWendy’s 5-star review: Top of its class when it comes to classic NY-style wood-fired pizza. The pizza at Lucali's starts with a tenderly thrown thin crust that is a feat in an of itself. It is then topped with incredibly flavorful tomato sauce that can only be achieved with the finest ingredients. Add some quality, fresh mozzarella and then wood fire the pie to perfection, achieving both a lovely thin crust chew and those delightful charred bubbles that pack a ton of fragrance and flavor. It is then topped with a handful of fresh basil. Often it is served with a side of New York attitude. Go ahead an ask the person taking cash and handing out pies if they also can take an order. The eye rolls only make the pizza feel more authentic. A beautifully executed pizza that highlights it's simple ingredients. A plain large is now $28, with pep adding a pretty $5. We went during COVID times so we couldn't eat there. Made an impromptu picnic area in the trunk of our SUV. Worth it. We ordered at 5:15 p.m. and they said the pizza would be ready at 6:05. It was closer to 6:15 but no big deal. With a big family, it's not likely we'd make Lucali's a regular stop, as my kids enjoy pizza moto around the corner just as much (or, if I'm being honest, maybe a bit more), and don't have to worry about waiting. I can't stop thinking about that pie. What an amazing display of craft and artistry.
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my favorite pastrami sandwich in NYWendy’s 5-star review: Definitely skip Katz Deli and just come here for the pastrami sandwich. (Unless you prefer waiting in long lines, squeezing into tables at crowded restaurants, and paying 50% more just for the tourist factor). Our favorites: 1. Pastrami sandwich. Perfect flavor and texture. 2. Philly cheesesteak. Savory to the max, dripping with cheese sauce and the perfect balance of meat o bread ratio The brisket was good, but the gravy tasted a tad burned. Great spot for a warm sandwich on a cold day! -
Classic and historic Jewish deli -
In the summer enjoy the view of the Hudson and a beer on the terrace.Wendy’s 4-star review: Lovely spot to stop at during the warmer months. They are closed over the winter so check before going! The food is a-ok and the alcohol is just fine, but the view adds so much to the entire experience. -
Try their Jerusalem Bagel and their eggplant carpaccioWendy’s 5-star review: Our journey through a delightful orchestra of flavors started with the warmed soft bread of the Jerusalem bagel. The bass notes of this chewy starter covered in a crispy sesame seed crust and flavored with cumin and a mixture of hummus and olive oil resonated in my bones. "Welcome home," it said. The next stop was at the Pani Puri. This delightful interpretation of an Indian street food was one of my favorite dishes of the night. The foamy yogurt inside the crispy shell was a perfect balance to the shell and the tuna tartar tower on top. My only wish was for the shell to be slightly thinner. It may be impossible for it to carry the foam with a thinner shell, but it would be nice. The foil presentation also didn't speak to me. Maybe if they had smoothed out the foil or mixed the foil with some wood underneath, it wouldn't have looked so out of place. Third, we lingered over the eggplant carpaccio. If the Jerusalem bagel was all about bass notes, this appetizer was full of high notes dancing across my taste buds. The delicateness of the eggplant mixed with the crunchiness of the nuts and the sweet and savory notes all played off of each other for a wonderful compilation of flavors. It is a cold dish (as carpaccios are) so don't expect a warm, heavy eggplant dish. Instead it is a wonderful remix of the traditional carpaccio tune. Next, we enjoyed our entrees, the scallops with gnocchi and the chickpea octopus. Out of these two, we enjoyed the octopus dish a bit more. I am a huge fan of sesame and the generous flavors of sesame complemented by the smooth, mashed chickpeas, the lightly crunchy bulgur wheat, and the surrounding sauces were just amazing. The keffir lime oil brought in a surprising note that worked with everything else. No one flavor dominated the dish as I alternated between the light foam and lemony flavors and the savory deep-fried chickpea "cigar" which reminded me of a savory toron. The roasted cauliflower on this dish were fine but left something to be desired. If they were thinly sliced they would've complemented the delicateness of this dish and competed less with the octopus for volume. The scallops with gnocchi continued our flavor journey with herb crusted tops, an intact raw egg yolk and a stunning green foam. I was impressed by how every dish hit so many different complex notes while still keeping everything in harmony. The light and airy gnocchi was a fun twist on this traditional potato pasta. My date didn't prefer it, but I loved it! We ended the night with the complementary dessert truffles. The light marshmallow with the fragrant edible flowers on top paired with a delicate chocolate truffle complete with a hidden nutty crunch were a nice little arpeggio to end this musical evening. -
amazing brunch optionWendy’s 5-star review: Welcome to the world of "Honey, I Blew Up The Brunch". The Lumberjack french toast breakfast comes with generous portions of fluffy challah french toast, 4 sausage patties, 4 pieces of bacon, and 3 sunny side up eggs. My guess is 1,500 calories worth of food. This dish is $18, but definitely could feed 3-4 people. Everything was cooked to perfection. The texture of the French toast was dreamy and the flavorful syrup on the table was delicious--not overly sweet or corn syrupy at all. The Reuben French dip was also extremely large. They took a 15-inch roll and loaded it up with delicately sliced cured beef, onions, sauce, toasted gruyere, and sweet mustard grains. The au jus brought everything together with a nice savory, umami note. This dish also probably is enough to feed 4 people. My guess is 2,000 calories, easy. At $22, it's pricey but if you're down with sharing, this could easily be for 3-4 people as well--2 if you're hungry. The seating area was really beautiful as well, white wooden tables with warm, brown, wood flooring and clean craftsman-ish lines. The service was excellent and I will definitely be back if ever in the area! -
Wendy’s 5-star review: You've got to be kidding me with this fish taco. As a Californian I don't expect to find delicious fish tacos in NYC. But breakroom gets it right with the crispy crunchy texture, refreshing pickled onions and creamy aioli. Skip the pork belly tacos (nice and smoky but a bit dry) and go for just the fish tacos. That and any burger with an egg on it. Throw in the affordable prices and the fact that this is a little foodie oasis that you can retreat to during lunch break for jury duty and they definitely deserve the five stars. I can still leave the fries and the drier chicken in the breakroom burger, but all in all, I can trust that I will walk out of this spot happy.
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yummy ribs. Good spot for a group or folks who want a sit down dinnerWendy’s 5-star review: Dinosaur BBQ never disappoints. Whenever we have visitors from out of town, we try to make sure there's at least one dinosaur meal. Here is my usual order for 6 adults and 2 children: orders sesame hoisin wings $14.95 X 2 = $30 2 orders Sweetheart deal for 2, $62 (3 mac cheese, 2 greens, 3 beans and pork) Texas Brisket Plate (17.95 ), 1 cornbread+extra cornbread Total: $110 I usually order to go and then supplement at home with roasted broccoli to add more vegetables to the menu. If my family liked spicy food I'd replace one order of hoisin wings for the garlic chipotle wings. The fried green tomatoes are good fresh but not that great for to-go (also not that filling). Our favorite sides: the cornbread (duh), the Mac and cheese, beansand pork, and the greens. Skip: the succotash Hm... I'm hungry again. -
a ways out of the city but worth the photos and experience -
great selection of coffee, cheeses, pickled things, spreads etc. Historic grocery store and Jewish deli in NY -
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something addicting about their cakes! -
fun to walk around, but can get really crowded. Food is yummy but slightly overpriced. -
The Original Shake Shack!
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