Jake Cohen

We eat and drink a lot—it's one of the perks of the job—so we take this list of NYC's buzziest and best dishes and drinks really seriously. Luckily for us, our fair city is constantly churning out new classics, from mouthwatering main courses and desserts to creative cocktails and inspired additions to the best brunch in NYC. Discover what you need to get in your belly below. Hungry for more city essentials? Check out the 101 very best things to do in NYC. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in NYC

New Yorkers don’t discriminate when it comes to our love for ice cream, from classic scoops to ice cream sandwiches, but we do have a particularly sweet spot for delicious soft serve. Cooling down with a picturesque cone from the city’s best bakeries and finest ice cream shops is one of the best things to do in the summer in NYC. Whether you’re in the mood for festive toppings, a dipped cone or a chocolate-vanilla swirl, here’s where to find the best soft serve ice cream in New York. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best ice cream in NYC

With everything going on in the world, it’s no surprise that a wave of nostalgia-suffused dishes has rolled onto the scene, offering a little comfort in this already high-strung city. (For proof, see our list of the best dishes and drinks we tried this year.) And what could be a better capstone to this food pyramid of solace than the mighty slice? We’re not talking about the lackluster dollar slices you devour with drunken fervor at 4am. This year, some real powerhouses stepped away from fancy pies and stuffy sit-down experiences in favor of individual servings in fast-casual settings. “Our wood-burning place serves pizza that doesn’t travel well at all, so we had to stop doing takeout,” says Greenpoint pizza guru Paulie Gee, explaining why he decided to open his spin-off, Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop. An homage to the spots he grew up with, the parlor fully embraces the 1960s aesthetic, from the faux-wood Formica tables and letter-board menu to the red plastic trays and the paper plates on which each slice rests. The only difference is the updated menu, which features the Hellboy ($4.25), a pepperoni slice doused in chili-infused honey for a sweet-and-spicy twist. Hot honey is just a taste of the unique toppings that make those lukewarm buffalo-chicken slices look even sadder. At Sauce Pizzeria, owner Adam Elzer found a loophole to dotting pizzas with the divisive pineapple: He cooks the fruit so that it disappears into a rich sauce, which is then adorned with slow-roasted pork f

We live in a walk-and-talk kind of town—I get it. When I’m on my morning commute or running between meetings, you can bet your ass I’m using that precious time to “catch up on calls,” which is code for “calling my mother.” However, I see more and more people roaming the streets while FaceTiming. This behavior is unacceptable. RECOMMENDED: See more New York rants Listen, I can understand that the occasional tourist would want to share their trip to the Best City on Earth through the lens of their iPhone for someone back home. But this is not what’s happening here. These distracted lollygaggers are always discussing some meaningless nonsense (personally, my conversations are witty, informative and brief) with some groggy pal in a disheveled bed right here in the tristate area. While I get the allure of a face-to-face convo, these FaceTimers are pinballing into pedestrians and completely ignoring the flow of traffic. Must I get bumped around so that you can whisper sweet nothings to your boyfriend in Yonkers? Let’s bring back the days when New Yorkers just obnoxiously shouted into their phones with a robust disregard for others. At least then they would see where they were going.

I’ll admit it. I’m not a very good tipper on delivery. As someone who cooks at home half of the time and eats out for the other, the occasional ordering of Thai or kabob right to my couch is an infrequent splurge. I’ve been a standard $4 tipper on delivery for as long as I’ve lived here (granted I get delivery from within a 3 block radius) and have never questioned my routine. However, a recent discussion about the importance of tipping on restaurant meals made me rethink my delivery practice and question whether I was giving enough. That’s why I took to asking our editors and the Internet to see how much New Yorkers should be tipping on delivery orders. Let’s break it down into a few different discussions address the issue at hand: Percentage or set number The most popular answer to this question was 20% on the order, no questions asked. However, many stated that they struggle with giving a delivery person the same gratuity as a server in a restaurant because they don’t inherently feel like that they’re receiving the same level of service (something I would say I agree with). While these folks typically fell in the set $3-5 tip range, further discussion brought up other reasons for why you may want to be more generous (hint: you may get your food faster). “This former pizza delivery driver knows too well what can happen if you don’t tip. ALWAYS tip, even if it’s just $5. I saw colleagues…do things to the pizzas. This really doesn’t require elaboration. Also, this happens a l

While Shake Shack has become an international burger powerhouse, let's not forget it all started in NYC right in Madison Square Park. The fast-food chain is still a cult favorite for loyal New Yorkers looking for the best cheap burgers in town or a next-level milkshake. Hell, we're even fans of their Chicago-style hot dogs. There's so much to choose from, so we went ahead and ranked their entire menu to make your next visit a little easier. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in NYC

Like Batman needs Robin, Gotham’s best burgers need their trusty side of golden french fries. In New York, those crisp potato wands can be found in all different forms, served in restaurants that have some of the best dishes in NYC to tried-and-true cheap eats standbys. Whether you like them shoestring skinny or hand-cut meaty, with ketchup or with mayo, these are the best french fries in NYC to try right now. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in NYC

New York City may be home to the World’s Best Restaurant, but amidst all the fancy tasting menus and gourmet, fine-dining restaurants, let’s not forget the little things that make New York City great. The best burgers, for one. And while great burgers (or veggie burgers) can be found at top-notch establishments for upwards of $30, spending your entire food budget on a single burger is totally unnecessary when there are so many great cheap burgers throughout the boroughs! RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best cheap eats in NYC

We don't know about you guys, but when watermelon soft serve and queso-dipped waffle fries make their summer debuts, our beach diets go straight out the window. Knock these seasonal treats off your bucket list at outdoor restaurants and ice cream shops across the city while you're still sporting your short shorts and strapless rompers.   RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in NYC

The best burgers in New York are a hot-button issue—Time Out has got our own Battle of the Burger to prove it. But passionate discourse over those cheap-eats patties aren’t relegated only to meat eaters—where to find the best veggie burger in NYC is also a topic of contention, with options made by some big-name toques and at some of the city’s best vegan and vegetarian restaurants. RECOMMENDED: See more of the best burgers in NYC

Our rats love New York pizza just as much as our citizens do, and with good reason: We sling a pretty stellar slice. But once you get your hands on a piece of the pie, do you fold the slice or not? I posed this question to the internet, using all of my personal social media channels and many of Time Out New York’s to get as many opinions as possible. Countless judgements on the matter were received (some of which bordered cyberbullying, but I can take it). The pool of 2,476 responses included Time Out’s editors and Tastemakers, Instagram influencers, James Beard Award-winning chefs, pizza experts, food writers, born-and-bred New Yorkers and every member of my family. As a former varsity captain of my high school’s speech and debate team, it would be only be fair to address arguments from both sides before declaring a winner. Let’s break down the fold and the beautiful. THE AFFIRMATIVE (Pro-fold) 1. It’s a matter of civic tradition. No matter whether it is right or wrong, you have to respect the eating etiquette of NYC. For New York natives like myself, that means following suit and not asking many questions. “Pro-fold. It is the most efficient way to tame a slice. This is standard early learning public school curriculum in Bay Ridge.” —Matthew Hyland, chef, Emily Pizza and Emmy Squared “For me, folding was a learned trait. My parents are native New Yorkers, so at an early age that's how I saw pizza consumed. I recall vividly the first time I encountered uncultured swine eatin

New York is the city that never sleeps, it's no surprise that the same goes for its food-and-drink scene. But we’re not talking about greasy, nasty, only-when-you're-drunk eats but sit-down spots offering comfort-food dishes at the best Chelsea restaurants, French fare in the West Village and the best pastrami in NYC. We've even thrown in some of the best diners in NYC that make the mark. So whether you're looking for a late-night snack or a full on feast, there’s always something to curb your appetite, no matter what time it is. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best restaurants in NYC

Middle Eastern food is finally having its moment in NYC and I’m here for it. Employing tangy yogurt, fragrant spices, zippy chilies and heaps of fresh herbs to build layers of flavors in complex dishes, it’s a cuisine that deserves to be celebrated, especially in New York. Miss Ada is at the forefront of this wave, serving some of the best Israeli cuisine on this side of the Atlantic in Brooklyn. No, Miss Ada isn’t the name of some chef’s grade-school teacher. Rather, it’s a playful twist on the phonetic pronunciation of misada, the Hebrew word for "restaurant." Located at the edge of Fort Greene Park, the cozy eatery feels like you’re eating at your Softa’s with pinewood banquettes and ample house plants, all surrounding the petit open kitchen where you’ll find chef/owner Tomer Blechman (Bar Bolonat, Gramercy Tavern) in command. On the weekends, Brooklyn dwellers flock for Blechman’s brunch offerings, including a wide range of heavenly Yemenite pastries. At night, the lights dim leaving candles illuminate the intimate space as nostalgic pop tunes play in the background. The cuisine is so much more than hummus and shawarma, but here you’ll find the best versions of all three. A verdant platter of herb-dyed green falafel is as as crisp on the outside as it is tender on the inside. The warm hummus masabaha topped with unctuous lamb shawarma is nothing short of a religious experience, especially when paired alongside their fluffy pita for scraping the plate clean. The dipping co

On a recent Sunday night at 5:30pm, I strolled into the Williamsburg eatery, without a reservation, optimistic I could squeeze in at the kitchen counter. Light flooded into the airy space, reflecting off the white brick walls and onto the light-wood counters, as a line of patrons stood, waiting to see if they could do the same. It was a relief to secure two seats for 7:45pm, since, for the next month, the reservation system’s earliest available tables are at 11pm. If you run into a similar waiting game, you can always do what we did: Walk across the street to the waterfront Domino Park, where you can grab a drink and people-watch, all while admiring the Manhattan skyline. By the time we returned, the setting sun had transformed the restaurant’s atmosphere, the now dimly lit dining room creating an intimate vibe for our meal. All eyes focused on the immaculate open kitchen, where chef-owner Missy Robbins, sporting a chic army-green jumpsuit, was sending out bowls of pasta. The menu comprises 10 vegetable antipasti and 10 pastas, and I highly recommend getting as many of both as your stomach can handle. An uncomplicated salad of shaved fennel and celery was balanced with sharp Parmigiano and a tangy vinaigrette for a dish that hit all the right flavor and texture notes. The vibrant veggies didn’t stop there: Beautifully tender chanterelles in olive oil sang with rosemary and garlic, while grilled baby artichokes got a pleasant kick from mint salsa verde. Life is about balance,

“Ohhh, I love the Four Seasons!” my grandmother exclaims upon hearing of my upcoming reservation. Opened in 1959, the restaurant—a date-night hot spot for my grandparents and other “seasoned” patrons—became synonymous with New York glamour, sending out fancy French fare in an ornate dining room. It was where you could find businessmen talking shop, New York’s elite throwing back martinis and even the occasional celebrity. So while it was sad to see the spot close in 2016 (the Grill and the Pool are there now), I was hoping the new iteration a few blocks south of the original would proffer even a small taste of that classic charm. When I entered the new Midtown East location, the host guided me and my dining companion through a long, spacious hallway, building up a feeling of grandeur, only to end in a rather lackluster dining room. Smaller than the restaurant’s former dining room, the space sports retro furniture underneath a modern, angular light fixture that, unfortunately, takes over the entire room due to the low ceilings. And while you still have a white-tablecloth experience, you now have the added benefit of being uncomfortably close to your neighbors. Our meal began with a $38 tableside preparation of a simple but pleasant steak tartare. A $32 tomato salad highlighted a lump of burrata surrounded by ice-cold, flavorless chunks of tomato. The most interesting starter was a salad of charred squid with beurre blanc, offering contrasting textures and a nice hit of acid.

Let’s be clear: There’s no secret door or password to this self-proclaimed speakeasy. Operating beneath its sister joint, the recently opened A Summer Day Café, this barbecue-focused spot from the owner of Tiny’s makes itself known with the red glow of a neon sign above its discreet (though advertised) entrance. And you’ll be glad it does, since you’re going to want to make a visit. After walking down the dark, wood-paneled stairway, I emerged into a space straight from the 1920s—except no flappers. Stools line up on the tile floor in front of the bar, where suspenders-sporting mixologists shake up libations. The retro-steakhouse aesthetic culminates in a red-leather banquette that divides the glossy, dark-wood tables from the eclectic old paintings, photos and needlepoints on the walls. The seating set up allowed for ample privacy—a rare occurrence in Tribeca and a greatly appreciated one, given the carnal mess that was about to take place. Starting with the bar fare, it was clear that vegetables would be taking a back seat this evening. The chewy and spicy beef jerky alongside tart pickles and crispy potato chips was a pretty flawless snack that will satisfy anyone’s saltiest cravings, offering a spectrum of textures from soft to toothsome to crunchy. Smoked wings, charred on the grill and slicked with an ever-so-light glaze, made for an addictive, elevated take on finger food. The smoky flavors lingered into the mains: platters of fall-off-the-bone ribs, Wagyu brisket dre

From the steaming rice-noodle bowls of the Yunnan province to the tear-jerking orders of spicy Szechuan dry pot, dining out in the East Village is a celebration of regional Chinese cuisine, and we’re here for it. Enter artist and Hunan native Chao Wang, who opened this slurp shop to bring a taste of his home to NYC. The space is like the opposite of a mullet: party in the front and business in the back. When you enter the dining room, large communal tables drenched in natural light are bordered by wood beams that wrap around the walls and ceilings, giving off casual, no-fuss vibes. As you make your way toward the back, individual marble tables, illuminated by warm hanging light fixtures, create a more intimate and formal atmosphere. Let it be known that the host seated me at a communal table before my dining companion arrived, bucking the militaristic protocol which dourly insists that said privilege must not be granted until the entire party is present. The meal began with traditional cold plates of sweet-and-sour spare ribs and spicy braised chicken feet tossed in chili oil. While flavorful, both dishes yielded too little meat to satisfy, even considering that they’re bone-heavy cuts. And though I’m all for the primal experience of gnawing on bones, I’m civilized enough to have liked a bowl in which to dispose of the remains. Shortly after our starters hit the table, the noodles arrived, allowing us to add to the symphony of slurping noises that could be heard in the dini

As if we didn’t put Danny Meyer on a pedestal enough, the successful restaurateur’s latest venture is perched up on the 60th floor of a building in Fidi, overlooking all of southern Manhattan and its waterways. On a recent evening, he could be seen walking around the dining room, welcoming guests and clearly kvelling. Of course he’s bursting with pride—he thought of every detail. Want to appreciate the views? They’ve got binoculars. Have your back toward the window? A mirror over the kitchen allows you to stare at the Hudson and ignore your dining companion. Want to have a party here? Manhatta has a private dining room, but there’s also an event space (the Bay Room) on the same floor for your next wedding or bar mitzvah. The menu in the dining room is made up of a three-course prix fixe, a format that can sometimes leave guests hungry at the end. Out of curiosity, I asked if we could tack on more courses; I was met with a stunningly soigné response from our server: “You can extend the experience however you want.” Though extending the experience isn’t remotely necessary, given ideal portions and the bottomless bread basket. Tender, house-made cavatelli is dressed in a bright tomato sauce, laced with specks of spicy sausage and clams bursting with brine. A fillet of turbot that flaked at the touch of a fork is served under a veil of creamy hollandaise and balanced with a verdant pop from fresh peas (the garnishes have since changed). The expertly seasoned Wagyu bavette (a fanc

On a recent Monday night at the new casual Moroccan spot from Einat Admony (Taïm, Bar Bolonat), a despondent crowd loitered outside—like me, waiting for a table at the walk-in–only restaurant. Every orange leather chair in the petite space, embellished with vibrant blue tiles, remained filled throughout the evening, with diners pouring in for one thing: couscous. But this isn’t your average bowl, since Admony and her team go through the laborious process of making the dish from scratch, a rarity in the NYC dining scene. Past the uncomplicated and slightly forgettable starters, including a swoosh of tahini-heavy hummus accompanied by house-made challah, lies the fluffy pearls of semolina piled up in your bowl and crowned with your choice of kosher meat, fish or vegetables. Lemony chicken tagine falls off the bone and mixes with jammy braised onions in a citrusy broth. A hollowed-out potato stuffed with ground beef and topped with fried potato sticks proves that the best companion for starch is… more starch. Unfortunately, every dish lacked the pool of broth or sauce I craved, leaving a good deal of the couscous untouched by the flavorful juices. During lunch service, takeout can be ordered at the counter, a format similar to Admony’s popular falafel spot, Taïm. I’d recommend picking up a not-sad-desk-lunch here, rather than having a sit-down meal, but you can take that with a grain of salt, er, couscous.

In an age when people lose their minds over speakeasies hidden in hot-dog shops and ice cream parlors, Atomix tops them all with the most New York way of hiding a fine-dining Korean restaurant: It’s tucked inside the foyer of a walk-up apartment building on the border of Nomad and Murray Hill. After walking past the entrance twice, I rang the doorbell, signaling a large black door to open and reveal the sleek, wood-heavy bar. My dining companion and I were ushered down a flight of stairs into the almost-futuristic dining room: Geometric couches are scattered around the stone-floor lounge, where you can enjoy snacks before heading to one of the 14 gray-suede chairs at the U-shaped, black-granite counter that overlooks the immaculate kitchen. It’s as if the average upscale restaurant in NYC got a dash of Tron. Atomix has no menus; instead, you collect a series of cards throughout the 10-course, $175-per-person tasting menu, served at 6pm and 9pm seatings. The meal began with a letter from chef JungHyun Park, who introduced his mission to embrace traditional Korean cooking while putting his modern spin on every dish. With each course, another card arrived at the table as if turning the page to the next chapter of the gastronomic story, meticulously describing the components of each dish alongside a little Snapple-cap–like nugget of history or culinary knowledge, like a profile on ganjang (Korean soy sauce) or how the spot’s chefs process their rice in-house to fall somewhere bet

For those New Yorkers who don’t flee to the Hamptons or the Hudson Valley at the first sign of warm weather, the annual hunt begins here in the sweaty, sticky city to find alfresco environs in which to eat, drink and embellish upon a daydream of being far, far away. Tucked behind the bustle of the Greenmarket, Union Square’s Pavilion now houses New York’s latest seasonal hideout: Bocce USQ. The mini limestone coliseum has a climate all its own, even foreign to someone (read: me) who frequents the area. The chirping of birds echoed through the space as light snuck past the cracks in the mint-colored blinds onto our marble table. Bocce balls clinked together on the outside court as guests clinked their spritz cocktails at the bar. “Where the fuck are we?” exclaimed my dining companion in wonderment. Under the lead of Roberta’s-trained chef Tim Meyers, Bocce concentrates on pizza and other summery Italian fare, all reliant on produce straight from the adjacent farmers’ market. A snap-pea Caesar salad’s grassy crunch balanced the creamy, Parmigiano-rich dressing. Sliced cucumbers dressed in white balsamic offered a sweet tang and a fiery-yet-pleasant horseradish tingle in the back of the throat. Even the typically heavy bowl of fresh pasta was lightened with delicate pappardelle tossed in a garlicky pesto with earthy pistachios. Before we even made a dent in our starters, two beautifully blistered pies arrived, overwhelming the table (and us) with a few too many plates. The peppe

“I have no idea where the hell this place is,” grumbled my dining companion over the phone as he tried to find the restaurant’s hidden entrance on Greenwich Street, a full block away from its pin on Google Maps. But when you finally make your way inside, floral wallpaper, red-velvet booths and a giant portrait of Peter Rabbit (after all the restaurant is named after him) generate the feeling of being tucked away in the Marais district of Paris, aided even further by the haunt’s elusive location in a familiar neighborhood. Bistro Pierre Lapin doesn’t exactly have an animated scene: Only about half of the dining room was filled for the entire evening, and the patrons that occupied the space seemed likely to boast AARP memberships. But some nights, that’s exactly what you’re seeking: relaxed vibes for a delightful meal in a spot where you’re not crammed in and dangerously close to sitting on a nearby stranger’s lap. The first few minutes at your table will conjure up a question not discussed enough in the New York restaurant scene: What ever happened to the glorious bread basket? In a city that frowns on freebies, let alone carbs, being greeted with a hunk of warm baguette, alongside a plate of pâté, house-made butter, olives and cheese, brings a rush of joy comparable to getting a free dessert on your birthday. While you’ll feel your arteries constricting as you glance at the menu of rich culinary classics, one of the brightest stars is a preparation of produce: When we ordered

Okozushi is a place you want to love. The service is warm and friendly. The price point is modest (omakase menus clock in at $25, $35 or $45 per person). There’s really only one shortcoming: the food. The new Kyoto-style sushi joint comes to Williamsburg via the team behind Okonomi // Yuji Ramen. Like its sister restaurant, Okozushi is walk-in only, spurring long wait times due to the mere nine seats in the all-wood shoebox. When we arrived, the friendly server informed us that we would have to wait 45 minutes, which we spent pregaming with a snack at next-door Concord Hill (the highlight of the evening). When we were seated, we saw that the spot is a well-oiled machine, with plates flying from the sushi counter. (We spent more time waiting for our table than we spent eating.) The first course of the most-intensive $45 omakase was a sashimi of clam with grapes, ginger, mint and soy. The delicate flavors blended well with the briny bivalves, but we spent too much time chewing on the thick slices to notice. Almost immediately after our plates were cleared, the main attraction arrived, consisting of six pieces of hakozushi (box-shaped sushi made in a mold) and two pieces of temari (ball-shaped sushi). The plating itself was a work of art, with a geometric arrangement of the rectangular and round pieces broken up by pops of color from the toppings, including blue cheese and wasabi, dill and olive, and pickled rhubarb. It’s said that you eat with your eyes first, but unfortunately

“So, let me tell you what we’re not serving tonight,” our server said with a grin as she approached our table for the first time of the evening. While it was a strange start to our meal, hopefully, she was just making sure we didn’t get too attached to the three items eighty-sixed from the menu of polished Nicaraguan fare. Deep into industrial Bushwick and marked by a lonely red neon sign that reads RUM, Chicha’s the only building on the block that’s not plastered in graffiti. But inside, you’ll find an Instagrammable paradise, with light pouring through towering windows onto millennial-pink tables, all watched over by a set of eyes painted into the tropical mural above the kitchen. The food and cocktails hitting your table are just as vibrant as the space itself. Quesillos, a traditional Nicaraguan street food of masa tortillas topped with hand-pulled cheese, are adorned with fluorescent pickled onions and microgreens with the option to add on chicken or pork (you can also get them with pitch-black squid-ink tortillas). A bowl of popcorn studded with grilled baby corn offers a visual stunner that will quickly get on your nerves as you struggle to fork at each kernel. After some of the on-tap cocktails, our stomachs were begging for something greasy. Luckily, the restaurant gets into its stride with all that is fried. Cured-egg–and-pistachio guacamole served with a mountain of crispy root-vegetable chips, yuca fritters showered with grated cheese, and umami-heavy arroz con po

When I first scrolled past this hunk of smoked watermelon on my Instagram, I rolled my eyes in disgust, thinking it was another food fad with hopes of riding the viral wave that is social media. We’ve seen everything from a spot using avocados as hamburger buns (who in their right mind would think that is a delicious or functionally-sound idea?), a bakery turning cakes into pinatas filled with sprinkles (I’d rather have a regular cake than a pile of crunchy, stale sugar) and ice cream parlors shoving plastic tails into their cones and calling them mermaids (are you fucking kidding me?). Each one is an example of eateries capitalizing of the need of millennials to live their best life on social, while throwing out quality, innovation and practicality. As I entered Duck’s Eatery in the East Village, I wanted to hate this watermelon. But I didn’t. I not only enjoyed it, but I found it to be a thoughtful, innovative dish that gave me hope that some viral food might not be complete trash. Chef Will Horowitz has been playing around with brining, lacto-fermenting and smoking whole fruits and vegetables to transform their molecules into something unlike what you—or your taste buds—were expecting. By going through this process, the resulting fruit swaps out a great deal of sweetness for a punch of sour and umami, mirroring much of the experience you’d get from meat. Okay, let’s be real, it’s not trying to be ham, other than its scored shape and the fact that it’s smoked. Instead, this

If you’ve never heard of an Italian polenta table, then you’ve been missing out one of the messiest and most-enjoyable culinary experiences out there. Polenta is poured right onto the table before getting embellished with meats galore, proving once and for all that plates are just an unnecessary middle-man between your mouth and your food. Fortina, located at the DeKalb Market Hall in Brooklyn, announced last week that they’ll be making this family-style feast available to diners. Silky polenta is poured right onto the large wooden table before getting topped with deep fried meatballs, braciole, spicy marinara sauce, wood-fired marrow bones, broccoli rabe and a blizzard of freshly grated Parmesan. We couldn’t miss the opportunity to get our hands dirty and head over to give this table a try. Let us warn you, it’s going to get a little messy. We’re not saying you’ll end up with polenta on your lap, but some grated cheese or sauce may makes its way onto you, so it’s recommended to refrain from wearing white. But don’t let a little schmutz discourage you from taking the polenta plunge. The polenta itself is rich and velvety, balanced by the sharp cheese and spicy red sauce. The deep-fried meatballs are juicy vessels of Italian comfort and braciole is tender AF. Most importantly, who doesn’t like a show? Watching the chef splash a Jackson Pollack of Sunday gravy on the table gives you an experience like if Nonna worked at Alinea. If you want to give a polenta table a try, parties

It’s been a few years since we’ve gone chasing after a Mister Softee truck, but we’re still all about that soft-serve life. That’s why we could not be more excited for today, as Dominique Ansel Kitchen’s soft-serve window officially opens up for the summer. The seasonal addition to the pastry powerhouse sports two flavors just as inventive as the cronut and everything else Ansel thinks up (fancy a cone of salt and pepper caramel soft-serve?). This year, Ansel is importing a creation from his outpost in Japan, bringing his What-a-Melon soft serve to NYC for the summer. A hollowed-out slice of watermelon is bedazzled with chocolate “seeds” before getting filled with watermelon soft-serve. Having made an appearance for only one weekend last summer, the chilled beauty gets an extend stay this year. We headed down to the shop to get a preview so we can officially confirm that it’s as refreshing as it is gorgeous. The combo of delicate soft serve and fresh watermelon is a welcomed upgrade to the classic summer fruit snack. If that’s not enough, the other flavor offered this year at the ice cream window will be burrata soft serve topped with balsamic caramel, micro basil and a confit strawberry (a returning favorite). Our pro move for you is to bring a friend so you can order one of each and share. Available Wednesday and Thursday from 3-9pm, Friday and Saturday from 12-10pm and Sunday from 12-9pm, you know where to find us this summer. Sign up to receive great Time Out deals in you

Let’s split the bill. At Time Out New York, we really love to dine out. Our food team is constantly scouring this culinary capital for the best dishes, so it’s only natural we have our favorites. But, as New Yorkers, we know that eating out can get expensive, often dipping into our rent money and avocado toast budget. Luckily, we have the restaurant offering of the century: Time Out ‘Table for Two’: Favorites Box.   Arriving as a box of ten cards (One card is no longer viable because of an unexpected restaurant closure. Find more details at White Gold Butchers below.), our Time Out ‘Table for Two’: Favorites Box gets you and a dinner companion 50 percent off the food bill at nine of our favorite NYC restaurants, from a Neapolitan pizza institution and omakase emporium to a rustic Greek spot and a Korean barbecue powerhouse. That means you can catch up with an old friend, plan a date night or finally get dinner with that aunt you’ve been putting off—all for the price of only one meal. Each box is just $71.99. Think about it: With the cost of an average dinner for two in New York, the box practically pays for itself in just one meal. And there’s no jumping through hoops to redeem the cards: For one solid year, you can use your cards any time you want (and you don’t even have to mention it when you make your reservation). At the end of your feast, just hand over the card to your server—or slip it to them while your date is in the bathroom. Each card is valid from July 1, 2018, u

You know that feeling when you’re so unbearably hungry, but you honestly can’t decide where to eat (we know, it happens to us all the time too)? Well, now imagine if you had a dining-and-culture hub with everything you could ever crave under one roof. You’ve used our restaurant reviews to plan your night out on the town, coming spring 2019 our curation will manifest itself in a brick and mortar cultural space in Dumbo where you can enjoy what our editors deem the best of the city—from perfectly-blistered pizza and velvety mezzes to tall stacks of flapjacks and tacos galore. Since we pride ourselves on bringing you the top things to eat and do in NYC as soon as we stumble upon them, you can imagine how hard it was to keep this secret of our first lineup of chefs and restaurateurs joining the Time Out Market. But now we can finally start spreading the word, so let’s walk you through the first 11 members of our market, we hate to flex but this is serious culinary squad goals: Juliana’s: Patsy Grimaldi is a New York pizza legend—he’s been spinning dough since the age of 13 and worked in or owned pizza places all his life. In 2012, he came out of retirement at the age of 81 to open Juliana’s together with his late wife Carol and long-time friend Matt Grogan. While we can talk about the nostalgia of their stellar egg creams or the fact that their pasta e fagioli tastes just like nonna used to make, we’d rather spend our time talking endlessly about how they’re serving up some of th

Popular scoop shop Morgenstern's has just opened a Soho flagship that’s bigger (and arguably better) than its original spot on the Lower East Side. So you can bet we showed up immediately to obnoxiously taste as many of their whopping 88 flavors as we could before getting scolded by other patrons. While their variations on classic vanilla (Madagascar, Bourbon, Burnt Honey, French, etc.) and chocolate (Salted, Bitter, Szechuan, etc.) still show you the spectrum of how varied these standard flavors can be, a few new options grace the menu that will definitely peak your interest. Under the the miscellaneous section, you’ll find two especially unique offerings: french fry ice cream and bread ice cream. The peculiar flavors are just as mind boggling as you would expect. While we may dip our french fries into our milkshake, having them as an ice cream flavor just wasn’t for us. It did indeed taste like french fries, balancing the creamy scoop with the salty, starchy notes of deep-fried potato. While the fry-flavored ice cream didn’t win us over, we’re all about the bread flavor. Complex in taste with rich notes of toasted bread, it was as unusual as it was lovely. Just for kicks, we threw a scoop of the durian-banana flavor in the mix. Durian, a tropical fruit with an extremely pungent aroma, can be quite polarizing. The silky texture from the banana paired with the floral sweetness from the durian making for an addictively fruity cup of ice cream. Whether you stick to the classics

The reservation platform Resy is going full on Willy Wonka. They’ve just announced their first Golden Check Week (October 22-28) where 400 diners, who’ve booked their meal through Resy, will receive golden checks in their bill presenters at any of 20 participating restaurants in NYC. Their meals will then be entirely comped. That’s right, your entire meal will be free! While the list of restaurants won’t be released in advance, Resy gave us a preview of some clues as to which spots will be participating in Golden Check week. Clue #1: Hop on the G-train and take a ride around Brooklyn to discover a wealth of hidden gems: Wood-fired Mexican cuisine, hand-pulled pasta, and—you never know—a RESY golden check may await! Clue #2: Connect at Union Sq to experience some of New York City's finest restaurants—from a bona fide pizza mecca to an acclaimed institution from a seasoned hospitality group, make a RESY at one of your favorite neighborhood spots and your dinner could be on us!   Photograph: Courtesy Resy     With the first clue, we’re feeling like wood-fired Mexican cuisine is talking about Oxomoco and hand-pulled pasta is Lilia, both stellar options for dinner off G-train stops. The second clue is a little trickier: A pizza mecca near Union Square could be Bruno Pizza or Bocce USQ, while an acclaimed institution makes us think about Union Square Cafe. They’ll be posting more clues on their Instagram leading up to Golden Check week, so we’ll be there with you guessing and boo

Whether you love pasta, Instagram, free food or any combination of the three, we’ve got the spot for you. The Pastagram is a new restaurant from the creators of Sola Pasta Bar in the Financial District (241 Pearl Street) focusing on New Yorkers love of noodles and of taking pictures of them. Fast-casual in concept, the eatery will offer handmade pasta cooked in your choice of classic sauces like alfredo and vodka. Then, you can customize your bowl with everything from meatballs and chicken to veggies and avocado (of course). Jumping on the restaurant trend of curating a dining experience that also results in some great pics (If you didn’t gram your pasta, was it even good?), the Pastagram worked to make sure you’ll have a gorgeous dish and ample light to document your meal. To celebrate, they’re going to be offering free pasta today, October 3rd, from 11am to 3pm. You’ll have a choice between their fettuccine alfredo and tonnarelli cacio e pepe, making for a pretty solid midweek lunch with the best price you can get. They’re redefining what it means when we ask someone to send us their noods.

We stan a good chef collaboration where two creative minds can come together to make something delicious for the city. So naturally, we’ve been following Black Seed Bagels’ monthly chef collabs very closely, working with everyone from the NoMad to Frankies Spuntino. Our ears popped up when we heard about the October creation: A partnership with Gramercy Tavern, where Black Seed executive chef Dianna Daoheung and Gramercy Tavern executive chef Michael Anthony came together to create pure bagel magic. The Gramercy Tavern Bagel features house-made Vermont wagyu pastrami, scrambled eggs, fresno chiles and a smoked onion sauce, all packed inside a rye bagel for $13.75. I swung by to pick one up and see if it was worth adding to your breakfast routine. The sweet and small Montreal-style bagel is the perfect vessel for salty, tender pastrami and fast food-style scrambled egg ribbons. Throw in some chilies for heat, and the smoked onion sauce for French onion dip vibes, and you’ve got a new reason to wake up in the morning. The sandwich is available at all four Black Seed locations for the month of October, including NoMad, East Village, Nolita and Hudson Eats at Brookfield Place. And if you’re looking for a more leisurely bagel meal, you can also order the bagel sandwich at Gramercy Tavern this week with a bowl of broccoli and basil soup as part of The Tavern’s weekly soup and sandwich lunch special ($26). If you need us, we’ll be preparing our bodies for the approaching cold months

It seems as if Sweets by Chloe is the latest NYC spot to jump on the CBD bandwagon. The popular vegan bakery has launched a new line of CBD-infused baked goods with the name Feelz by Chloe. Launching today, NYC’s two Sweets By Chloe locations (185 Bleecker St  and 181 Front St) have been transformed into pop-up Feelz by Chloe shops until Sunday, October 14, when the line will become available in all 13 locations worldwide. When you walk into the shop it feels like you may have bypassed pot and went straight for the LSD. The technicolor decor is only matched by the treats themselves. Take the “Rainbowey Ooey Gooey Cinnamoney Roll” which takes a rather delicious cinnamon roll (especially given the fact that it’s vegan) and covers it in an unpleasantly crunchy shell of colorful sprinkles. Other items toting names reflective of stupid stoner humor like the rich “Chocolatey Leafy Brownie” or the “A-to-CBDey Cookie” laced with pretzels and marshmallows beautifully satisfy any sweet tooth, especially a vegan one. But before we go into how I (and some fellow editors) felt after we ate them, let me make something clear. CBD or cannabidiol is the non-psychoactive compound from marijuana that helps you relax, while reducing inflammation and easing anxiety. THC is the fun stuff that gets you high and gives you the munchies. Capitalizing on CBD products by treating them like THC edibles is factually flawed and makes me lose a bit of respect for any brand that does it (after this check out

You officially have an excuse to drink beer for breakfast (well, probably more like brunch but we won’t judge you). Coney Island Brewing has just released two seasonal brews inspired the popular Halloween breakfast cereals Count Chocula and Boo Berry. Appropriately named Count Flocula and Blueberry Boo-Liner, the beers jump on the current trend of adultifying all the nostalgic foods from our childhood. While there is no actual cereal in the beer (which we’re grateful for since the sun is setting on the questionable cereal milk trend), the main ingredients of chocolate and blueberry are incorporated into their respective beers throughout the process. The Kölsch-style Count Flocula gets its chocolate-y goodness from cocoa nibs and the Berliner Weisse-style Blueberry Boo-Liner receives a fruity punch from blueberry puree. To emulate that milky cereal experience, both options have marshmallow fluff and lactose incorporated into the beer for creaminess. Naturally, we got our hands on a few cans to see if they would get us into the Halloween spirit. Both truly represent grown-up versions of the flavors we associate with the season (It’s not all pumpkin spice lattes, ok). The Count Flocula has a subtle malty richness with notes of bitter chocolate, while the purplish Blueberry Boo-Liner provides vibrant berry flavor while still being dry. There are no sugary cereal vibes, but instead, these are complex beers that give the perfect nod to Count Chocula and Boo Berry. These Halloween t

“We didn’t think we’d open a second Shack, let alone expand to where we are today,” Mark Rosati, culinary director of Shake Shack tells me as he guides me through their new innovation kitchen. The latest outpost of the burger chain has opened in the West Village (255 Varick St) and it comes equipped with an R&D space for Rosati and his team to dream up future menu items, like this location’s exclusive offering: Chick'n Bites. A cardboard box soon arrives revealing tender pieces of juicy white meat chicken encased in the same crisp crust as the popular Chick’n Shack sandwich. Honey mustard and barbecue sauce (a hybrid of sweet Kansas-style and Carolina mustard) are provided alongside the bite-sized morsels for dipping to heart’s content. They’re a highly addictive deep-fried snack to enjoy alongside a burger, or three. This isn’t the only addition to the menu. A black sesame milkshake, created in collaboration with the chef of Tokyo restaurant Den, is being offered after a previous one-day stint at the Madison Square Park location. Inspired by his time opening Shake Shacks in Korea, Rosati is serving a matcha-cold brew latte that pairs the earthy tea with coffee and rich sweetened cream. As this will be the test kitchen for future Shake Shack items, it won’t be uncommon to find new items on the menu that the team is testing out. Come for the nuggets, stay for the chance to try the chain's next big thing before it shakes up the market. View this post on Instagram A