It’s been another year of memorable, waistband-expanding eating in the hyperactive restaurant capital that is New York City. When we reflect on the year’s openings, some major benchmarks stand out: The splashy arrival of the NoMad, for example, where the team behind Eleven Madison Park resurrected the tradition of the grand hotel dining room, or the influx of trendy New Nordic influences at spots like Acme and the short-lived Frej.
But buzz doesn’t necessarily translate to food you want to go back and eat again and again. Here, the First We Feast teams celebrates the places that we just couldn’t get out of our heads in 2012.
From neighborhood spots to ambitious modernist kitchens, and easy comforts like fried chicken to obscure regional flavors from China, there’s a lot to dig into. All the spots selected (and listed in no particular order) are ones we think should be in your rotation even when the next wave of newcomers starts flooding the scene in 2013.
Written by Chris Schonberger (@cschonberger), Sophie Brickman (@sbrickman), Hannah Norwick (@HannahNorwick), Shanté Cosme (@ShanteCosme), Erin Mosbaugh (@JayBlague), DJ Dieselboy (@DJDieselboy), Kristen Tauer (@ktauer), and Elyse Inamine (@elyseinamine)
It’s been another year of memorable, waistband-expanding eating in the hyperactive restaurant capital that is New York City. When we reflect on the year’s openings, some major benchmarks stand out: The splashy arrival of the NoMad, for example, where the team behind Eleven Madison Park resurrected the tradition of the grand hotel dining room, or the influx of trendy New Nordic influences at spots like Acme and the short-lived Frej. But buzz doesn’t necessarily translate to food you want to go back and eat again and again. Here, the First We Feast teams celebrates the places that we just couldn't get out of our heads in 2012. From neighborhood spots to ambitious modernist kitchens, and easy comforts like fried chicken to obscure regional flavors from China, there’s a lot to dig into. All the spots selected (and listed in no particular order) are ones we think should be in your rotation even when the next wave of newcomers starts flooding the scene in 2013. Written by Chris Schonberger (@cschonberger), Sophie Brickman (@sbrickman), Hannah Norwick (@HannahNorwick), Shanté Cosme (@ShanteCosme), Erin Mosbaugh (@JayBlague), DJ Dieselboy (@DJDieselboy), Kristen Tauer (@ktauer), and Elyse Inamine (@elyseinamine)
Perla
Neighborhood: West Village Address and phone: 24 Minetta Ln. (212-933-1824) Website: perlanyc.com Restaurateur Gabe Stulman has demonstrated his Midas touch time and again, colonizing a small swath of the West Village—dubbed ‘Lil Wisco in honor of his Midwestern roots—with perpetually mobbed dining rooms like Joseph Leonard and Jeffrey’s Grocery. But while his scene-making talent has never been in question, Perla may have be the first truly great restaurant in his oeuvre. Sure, the Italian grub served here is slightly easier to love than the Quebecois party food of Fedora (another of his white-hot joints), but nothing should be taken away from chef Michael Toscano, the former Batali-Bastianich lieutenant who heads the show. Lusty and bold pasta dishes include pappardelle laced with foie gras and duck, and garganelli in a chili-inflected sauce of tripe, tomato, and guanciale. Toscano is also a master with meats, whether balancing rich slices of lamb saddle with yogurt and salsa verde, or braising beef tongue to tender perfection. Add in a crackling scene and excellent cocktails (try to the Sazerac riff with Twizzler bitters), and Perla is the type of place you’d love to be a regular, if only you could afford it.—Chris Schonberger
Neta
Neighborhood: West Village Address and phone: 61 W 8th St (212-505-2610) Website: netanyc.com When eating at a pricey sushi bar, anything beyond flawless nigiri and sashimi can seem superfluous. Yet Neta succeeds in respecting tradition while incorporating its own creative take on things. If you can afford to splurge, go for the $95 or $135 omakase, a multicourse tasting of mostly raw fish, like a just-warmed scallop served in its shell with dots of briny sea urchin. One of the head chefs was previously in charge of fish buying at Bar Masa, so it makes sense when buttery toro, served in its purest form atop vinegary rice, is revelatory. Equally as memorable are the cocktails, like the Owl of the Woods, made with liquor distilled from Hitachino Nest White Ale, then infused with maitake mushrooms and mixed with buckwheat tea. It’s savory and earthy rather than herbaceous, botanical, or sweet—just another way in which Neta defies expectation.—Erin Mosbaugh
Empellón Cocina
Neighborhood: East Village Address and phone: 105 First Ave (212-780-0999) Website: empellon.com If there was one spot that every seeker of new and exciting food in NYC needed to visit this year, it would probably be Alex Stupak’s Empellón Cocina. The backstory has been rehashed countless times: Crazy-talented pastry chef from wd~50 and Alinea opens a (not-your-average) taco spot, then follows-up with a more ambitious, taco-less Mexican restaurant. But what’s great about the place is that you don’t need to intellectualize it to enjoy it—the flavors are delicious and playful without slapping you in the face with their cleverness. Wavy homemade masa cakes twist between pink shrimp and uni cream, guacamole is rocketed into another stratosphere with the addition of pistachios, and sensational desserts come courtesy of the chef’s wife, Lauren Resler. Dishes are fired at will, with the kitchen taking full control of how plates arrive. The whole experience is a daze of mezcal and combinations of flavors and textures that tend to stick with you, even if you aren’t paying too much attention in the moment.—Hannah Norwick
Rosemary’s
Neighborhood: West Village Address and phone: 18 Greenwich Ave (212-647-1818) Website: rosemarysnyc.com There are a lot of easy reasons to discount Rosemary’s at first glance: If the gaggles of rich girls flitting in and out don’t get your hater muscle twitching, the bouncer at the door who quotes you a two hour wait (on a Wednesday no less) probably will. But that feeling subsides as soon as you sit down, sip an aperitif, and thing, Why can’t every Italian restaurant in New York should be more like this? The prices are shockingly reasonable, with simple yet satisfying pastas—orecchiette with crumbly sausage and braised greens, linguini with chilis and just the right amount of acid—all hovering in the $12 to $14 range. The ingredients, some of which are grown on a rooftop garden, are exceedingly fresh, a fact which turns a soup as humdrum as minestrone into something vibrant and exciting. And let’s face it—the clientele is sexy as hell. Our advice: Take that chip off your shoulder and just enjoy the scene.—Chris Schonberger
Almayass
Neighborhood: Gramercy Address and phone: 24 E 21st (212-473-3100) Website: almayassnyc.com Why should white-table cloth dining be reserved for European fare? This Lebanese import—an offshoot of the famous Beirut original—is a worthy special occasion destination for those with a taste for Middle Eastern specialties like kibbe (rough-cut raw beef mixed with bulgur) and silky hummus, probably the best we've had anywhere in the city. The deep menu, mostly made up of shareable meze plates, warrants exploration on repeat visits. So far, we’ve discovered standouts such as soujuk flambée (a spicy salami, flamed tableside for dramatic effect); mini yogurt-soaked meat dumplings called manti; and top-notch eggplant dolma. End with the showstopping ossmalieh, a traditional dessert that’s something like sesame cotton candy laced with shards of pastry and sweet custard.—Chris Schonberger
Forager’s City Table
Neighborhood: Chelsea Address and phone: 300 W 22nd St (212-243-8888) Website: foragerscitygrocer.com Foragers Market is a great stop for any urban gourmand looking to stock up on artisanal goodies like Empire Mayo, P&H Soda Co. syrups, and Blue Marble ice cream. But really, it’s the sit-down restaurant in the back of the Chelsea location that caught our attention this year, with its easygoing vibe and intriguing menu that weds pan-Asian flavors with sustainable ingredients in a way that brings to mind Momofuku, minus the loud music and long waits. Highlights include succulent seven-spice chicken wings, lamb-belly adobo, and pork crepinettes. The latter are mini patties of house-butchered pork sausage, wrapped up in a delicate layer of caul fat that sears beautifully; wrap them up in Bibb lettuce, then dress them with Vietnamese-style accoutrement like mint sprigs, fresh chilies, and sweet-and-funky nuoc cham dipping sauce.—Chris Schonberger
Maysville
Neighborhood: Flatiron Address and phone: 17 W 26th St (646-490-8240) Website: maysvillenyc.com Drinking wine with dinner is so 2 B.C. How about we kick it up a notch and pair our crispy pig's ears, oysters, and smoked trout with whisky? Enter Maysville, the brand-new Flatiron joint named after a Kentucky port town that just so happens to be the birthplace of bourbon. Chef Kyle Knall, formerly of Gramercy Tavern and the great state of Alabama, brings a refined hand to creative southern eats—arctic char is marinated with bourbon then served with golden beets and boiled peanuts, and duck confit with grits is nothing like the bistro standard you’re used to. All of this is complimented by an awe-inspiring selection of domestic brown spirits, which you can taste straight-up, on the rocks, or in well-made classics like Old-Fashioneds and Manhattans.—Sophie Brickman
Bobwhite Lunch and Supper Counter
Neighborhood: Alphabet City Address: 94 Ave. C (212-228-2972) Website: bobwhitecounter.com Fried chicken—Southern-style, Korean-style, even Questlove-style—is in no need of extra exposure in this town. Yet out on Avenue C, a little spot called Bobwhite managed to overcome fried-fowl ennui and make a name for itself this year. The key is simplicity: Virginia native Keedick Coulter marinates his bird in sweet tea then pops it into the pressure cooker to achieve light, crackling golden crust and impeccably moist, slightly sweet flesh within. It’s damn near perfect, and reason enough to visit the friendly, white-walled dining room. But if you bring an appetite, you’ll also want to get busy with the delicious pork-chop sandwich, seared and topped with a sweet-and-spicy chow-chow relish. Word to the wise: There’s a great bar—ABC Beer Co.—right next door for pre- or post-meal brews.—Elyse Inamine
Mission Chinese Food
Neighborhood: Lower East Side Address and phone: 154 Orchard St (212-529-8800) Website: missionchinesefood.com/ny/ Vast pools of ink have already been spilled over this San Francisco import, and it seems like barely 24 hours can pass without some big-name influencer—Andrew Zimmern, Martha Stewart, Rick Bayless—hopping onto the Twitter machine to declare their love for the place. Part of the appeal is its complete lack of pretension: Prices are low (and some of the money even goes to charity), the decor includes cheeky back-lit photos of take-out dishes, and those who brave the inevitable waits cram together in the entryway drinking from a free keg of crappy beer. But it’s the grub on the plate—dubbed “Americanized Oriental” by the insanely likeable chef, Danny Bowien—that has really hit a nerve in post-fusion New York, where loud music and multicultural cooking represent the Holy Grail. What Bowien does so convincingly is produce food that transcends arguments about authenticity by having a voice and personality of its own. It also happens to be damn tasty—fill your table with kung-pao pastrami, salt-cod fried rice, mapo tofu, and basically anything else for that matter, then strap in for the tongue-numbing, sweat-inducing adventure.—Elyse Inamine
Gwynnett St.
Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn Address and phone: 312 Graham Ave (347-889-7002) Website: gwynnettst.com This ambitious newcomer is the neighborhood restaurant redefined. Justin Hilbert—former pastry chef of modernist temple wd~50—tries his hand at savory, and the results are stunning. With an ever-changing menu of thoughtful dishes—think mushroom "steak" draped with lardo, chicken served with a hay-ash purée, and a pistachio tofu dish that straight up kills—Gwynnett St. is one of the restaurants pushing Williamburg’s dining scene into new terrain. Even the simplest opener on the menu, whiskey bread with cultured butter, is a knockout. But perhaps not surprisingly, the dessert menu steals the spotlight, with amazing creations that wouldn’t be out of place at the likes of Alinea. Believe the hype—Gwynnett St. is destination dining.—DJ Dieselboy
Pok Pok Ny
Neighborhood: Red Hook, Brooklyn Address and phone: 255 Smith St (718-852-8321) Website: pokpokny.com Everyone knew Pok Pok Ny was going to good before it arrived—chef Andy Ricker had already conquered Portland with his faithful renditions of dishes he encountered in Thailand, and he made no indication that he would stray from the script in Brooklyn. Yet still suspicious gastronauts made the pilgrimage out to Red Hook to make sure it wasn’t all hype, and almost all left as converts to the cult of Pok Pok. Papaya salads are pleasantly funky with fish sauce, and the now-famous chicken wings—a Vietnamese-style preparation—are as addictive as anything the Colonel ever created. But the menu, equipped with encyclopedic entries on each dish, will also introduce you to less familiar items, like coriander-rubbed pork neck served with a side of bitter mustard greens on ice—use them to wrap up the warm slabs of meat, then dunk each handful into spicy garlic sauce.—Hannah Norwick
Swine
Neighborhood: West Village Address and phone: 531 Hudson St (212-255-7675) Website: swinenyc.com Chef Phil Conlon, formerly of West Village brunch destination Café Cluny, harnesses the not-so-secret pleasures of pork in novel ways at this new venture in the same ’hood. There's a happy dissonance between Swine's barbaric name, its decor (think upscale dive), and the polished comfort food emerging from the kitchen. Homemade potato chips covered in silky cheese sauce, jalapeños, and pork belly are a worthy and inventive addition to the nacho canon. The charcuterie boards, which are the main focus of the menu, arrive laden with shareable housemade creations like duck rillettes and tongue pastrami, plus various locally made condiments. But it’s actually the burger that has the most star power—an indulgent mix of brisket, bone marrow, and beef that’s every bit as excessive as it sounds, and even more delicious.—Shanté Cosme
Gran Electrica
Neighborhood: Dumbo, Brooklyn Address and phone: 5 Front St (718-852-2789) Website: granelectrica.com People often talk about the Brooklyn dining scene becoming watered down, and Gran Electrica certainly took some shots from the ’hood’s detractors, particularly those who had problems with a bunch of white dudes preparing traditional Mexican food. But the whole enterprise exudes thoughtfulness, as the team behind hot spots Colonie and Governor seeks to combine real-deal South of the Border cooking with local ingredients fresh from the farmers market. So we say, haters be damned. Carnitas and lengua tacos are swaddled in hand-pressed tortillas; the torta ahogada is drenched in so much spicy sauce that diners rock plastic gloves to eat it; and the pozole, a rich stew of pork and hominy, gets added dimensions from tomatillo and pumpkin-seed broth. Add in some of the best margaritas in the borough, and we’d say they’ve got a hit on their hands.—Hannah Norwick
Boukiés
Neighborhood: East Village Address and phone: 29 E 2nd St (212-777-2502) Website: boukiesrestaurant.com When Christos Valtzoglou’s Heartbreak closed just two days before receiving a Michelin star, many thought the location had been cursed by restaurant gods once and for all. But this new endeavor from the same owner is one helluva comeback. The focus is on “Greek meze cuisine,” which translates to a smattering small plates plucked from different parts of the peninsula. Go with a group so that you can sample as widely as possible, fighting over standouts like smoky shrimp toasts with cauliflower cream, fried saganaki elevated by squirts of lemon, and eggplant dolmas stuffed with cinnamon-tinged ground lamb. Glasses of hard-to-pronounce whites round out the whole experience, which might not warrant a Michelin star, but will hopefully outlive its predecessor.—Hannah Norwick
The Pines
Neighborhood: Gowanus, Brooklyn Address and phone: 284 3rd Ave. (718-596-6560) Website: thepinesbrooklyn.com Beyond the swamp that is the Gowanus canal, and two doors down from his first hit, Littleneck, chef Angelo Romano has struck again with the Pines. The place is unapologetically Brooklyn, with Ghostface Killah on the speakers and an explicit neon painting on the wall. But we’re more concerned with the unexpected combinations happening on our plate: Apples dressed in sheep’s milk, a rich brisket agnolotti that manages to be delicate, and lamb’s neck swimming in mascarpone that satisfies a deep need you didn’t know you had. Yes, this all happens in Gowanus, but get over it already. While you hesitate, we’ll be sitting at the bar, scarfing down whatever chef Romano whips up next.—Shanté Cosme
L’Apicio
Neighborhood: East Village Address and phone: 13 East 1st St (212-533-7400) Website: lapicio.com Joe Campanale, one of the forces behind L’Artusi and dell'anima, has another bonafide hit on his hands, this time across town in the East Village. L’Apicio came onto the scene late into 2012, but it has hit the ground running with top-notch Italian comfort food—soul-enriching stuff like gnocchi with chicken ragu, cavatelli with wild boar, and pork-meatball polenta. Simply put, the restaurant makes food that you want to eat, drunk or sober. The fish and meat offerings run deep, appetizers and sides are as delicious and they are varied, and the wine and cocktail list is on point. Even in a city overrun with Italian joints, L'apicio stands out.—DJ Dieselboy
Niu Noodle House
Neighborhood: West Village Address and phone: 15 Greenwich Ave (212-488-9888) Website: niunoodleny.com We had to reserve at least one spot on this list for an outlier, and Niu Noodle House definitely fits in the category of sleeper hit. Due in part to some weirdly corporate branding, a crappy TV-lit front bar area greeting customers, and a rocky opening after the chef was sent home to China to sort out visa issues, it lacks the buzz that means so much to a West Village restaurant. But we just chuckle when people pass it by, knowing that they are missing out on what is essentially an ingenious mashup of a ramen joint and dim sum parlor. The owners are from Hong Kong, and their take on ramen (originally a Chinese invention) is built with not-too-heavy meat broths, outstanding handmade egg and rice noodles, and toppings like grilled flank steak and braised duck breast. The dim sum is handmade too—some traditional (plump steamed shrimp dumplings), some new-school (pan-fried steak and cheese dumplings), all delicious. And to seal the deal, Niu has one of the most insane interiors in the city, designed as an homage to the surrounding area, with a mural of a Washington Square Arch and stairs to the bathroom made to look like you’re descending into the West 4th subway station.—Chris Schonberger
Battersby
Neighborhood: Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Address and phone: 127 Columbia St (718-923-9322) Website: battersbybrooklyn.com The daily-changing menu and early hype at this intimate Brooklyn spot translated quickly into waits of over two hours for dinner, even on weeknights. But thus far, we're believers. Meals from chefs Joseph Ogrodnek and Walker Stern—alums of Alain Ducasse at the Essex House—begin with floral, rosemary-sprinkled foccacia and housemade ricotta, as well as clever amuse-bouche. As the meal progresses, the tiny open kitchen, on full display to the diners/spectators lucky enough to get a seat, turns out ambitious plates that are difficult to pin down geographically—some feel Italian, other Germanic, but all are executed with unmistakeable French technique. Past favorites have included a part-cooked, part-raw kale salad blanketed in a sweet dressing of bird chilies, sugar, and fish sauce; a thick-noodled pasta with hearty meat ragu and sofrito of herbs and vegetables; and beautifully cooked proteins like branzino to lamb. All the dishes are intriguing, with flavors that are pleasing even when they are hard to place.—Hannah Norwick
Yunnan Kitchen
Neighborhood: Lower East Side Address and phone: 79 Clinton St Website: yunnankitchen.com New York’s infatuation with Chinese food has traditionally revolved around Cantonese fare, with Szechuan and Hunan cuisines also making their mark in Flushing, Chinatown, and other pockets of the city. But this year brought an influx of novel flavors from Yunnan, a southern province known for its delicate, lighter dishes that make frequent use of wild flowers, spices, and herbs. Former Standard Grill manager Erika Chou and chef Travis Post (previously of Franny’s) have created the most exciting shrine to the region thus far, delivering brightly acidic, sometimes spicy dishes in categories of cold, hot, shao kao (grilled skewers), and rice and noodles. Salads are elevated by bright mint, chili flakes, and woody mushrooms, while lamb meatballs are full of cumin and spice. Head-on shrimp should be consumed from head to tail, with fried lime leaves to accentuate the sweetness of the flesh. The place has the comfortable feel of a neighborhood joint, but the food is unfamiliar and exciting.—Hannah Norwick
M. Wells Dinette
Neighborhood: Long Island City, Queens Address and phone: 22-25 Jackson Ave (at MoMA PS1) Website: momaps1.org/about/mwells Unknowing visitors might enter M. Wells Dinette—on the first floor of contemporary art museum MoMA PS1—and think that they've wandered into yet another avant-garde art installation. The dining room, set up in the style of a classroom, pays homage to the space's former life as a public school—rows of desks serve as communal tables and the menu is written on a large wall chalkboard, next to a listing of (mostly French) wine options. Following the brief but hugely successful tenure of M. Wells diner nearby, chef Hugue Dufour brings his decadent French-Canadian cooking back to Long Island City with this new project. Some signature dishes have been resurrected, including balls-out Québécois creations like bone marrow covered in escargot. Other items mash up Asian and Western influences to glorious effect: The "Bi Bim Wells" is a fresh take on the Korean staple bibimbap, built with oysters, poached egg, and bonito flakes. And you shouldn’t hesitate to pop in for sweets and coffee: Banana-cream crème brûlée, set in a pillow of whipped cream, is a reminder of how dessert should be: utterly indulgent.—Kristen Tauer
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