Bluestone Lane

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Overview:

Melbourne-inspired coffee place offering Australian-style espresso drinks & cafe fare all day.

Information:

Address: 55 Greenwich Ave, New York, NY 10014

(multi location)

Phone: (718) 374-6858

Neighborhood: West Village, Upper East Side, Chelsea

Price: $$

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Miznon

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Overview: 

One of Israel's prized chefs, Eyal Shani, has opened his first location in NYC. His restaurants, including outposts in Paris, Melbourne & Tel Aviv command big crowds. His newest venture is located deep inside of Chelsea Market and occupies a bustling fast casual space with counter and table seating. The food focuses on Mediterranean street flavors & the menu is divided into two sections: in a pita, or out of the pita. The "out of" section is a list of simply roasted vegetables like baby cauliflower, smashed potato with sour cream, and charred sweet potato. The pita section is really nothing short of fantastic overflowing with locally sourced vegetables and meat from the butchers inside of Chelsea Market. If you're feeling carnivorous check out the ribeye minute steak or reuben pita otherwise opt for the ratatouille pita with tomato perfume roasted eggplant, tahini and hardboiled egg. 

Information:

Address: 435 W 15th St, New York, NY 10011

Phone:  (646) 490-5871

Neighborhood: Chelsea

Price: $$

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Momofuku Nishi

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Overview:

Since opening in 2015 Momofuku Nishi has received mixed reviews and even briefly closed to revamp their concept recently. The decor in the space is exceptionally minimal, comfortable & sparsely decorated.  Food here is Asian & Italian fusion, heavily leaning on the Italian side. The menu is reasonably priced (by only NY standards) and they have adopted the trend of no tipping. You'll find imaginative starters like fried head on shrimp, Spanish mackerel toast with piquillo pepper & salsa verde, and beef carpaccio alla tonnato. The real star are the pastas, of which you will have lots to choose from, the best being spaghetti alla chitarra with maine uni & calabrian chili. 
A solid dining option that I trust it will only improve. 

Information:

Address:  232 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10011

Phone: (646) 518-1919

Neighborhood: Chelsea

Price: $$$

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Cookshop

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Overview:

Cookshop has been a neighborhood favorite for years and judging from the packed house for breakfast, lunch & dinner they show no signs of stopping. The restaurant comes from the team behind other hits like Rosie's, Vic's and the new Shuka (formerly Hundred Acres). The space is warm and homey while still being moderately upscale. The greenmarket-driven menu is mostly American and features grass-fed meat, locally caught fish, and sustainably raised poultry. You'll find crowd pleasers like seared scallops, Berkshire pork chops and tons of vegetables everywhere. Weekend brunch is especially popular with dishes like huevos rancheros and baked eggs. This place will surely be a beautiful neighborhood mainstay for years to come. 

Information:

Address: 156 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Phone: (212) 924-4440

Neighborhood: Chelsea

Price: $$$

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Empire Diner

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Overview:

What's better than a New York City diner? Almost nothing, except when long time NY chef John DeLucie steps in to revamp the menu. The restaurant has changed hands several times over the years but it doesn't seem to have stopped the nearly endless foot traffic of beautiful people crowding the art deco space. The interior has been updated with stainless steel touches, white tile and a vintage bar. You'll find a traditional list of diner menu classics that have been updated beautifully. There are freshly baked pastries and cold pressed juices to start your meal. For all day breakfast there is a brilliant soft scramble eggs cacio peppe dish and smoked salmon pastrami served on potato rosti. The fried chicken is sourdough pretzel crusted and the skillet mac & cheese is served with black diamond cheddar & parmesan bread crumbs. Really, every dish is comforting and delicious. Open daily 8am-1am with a full bar. 

Information:

Address:  210 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Phone: (212) 335-2277

Neighborhood: Chelsea

Price: $$-$$$

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aRoqa

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Overview:

You know how you like to order Indian food and sit on your couch with no pants on? Maybe some samosas and tikka masala. That's not this place. Chef-owner Gaurav Anand definitely owns venues of that nature, but this ain't one of 'em. The interior is dark and sleek with a large gold bar. What you'll find here is eclectic Indian fare with inventive presentations like food that arrives to your table in toy bicycles and trucks or chicken wings being set on fire. Dishes here are built with exciting spice combinations and definitely bring the heat. There are over 16 smaller plates all under $16 like vindaloo momos (dumplings), parsi chimbori (beer battered crab), and corn paddu  (rice cakes). This is a really exciting departure from the Indian food we have come to expect in America; updated and made fun. 

Information:

Address: 206 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Phone: (646) 678-5471

Neighborhood: Chelsea

Price: $$-$$$

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Giovanni Rana Pastificio & Cucina

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Overview:

Giovanni Rana is a full service restaurant located beside Chelsea Market. The interior is a sprawling, rustic dining room with soft lighting and a massive open kitchen. The artisenal Italian menu features a laundry list of antipasti and charcuterie like prosciutto, fried ravioli, and bruschetta. They offer a staggering number of fresh pastas in 15 varieties like squid ink linguine, truffle mushroom girasole, casarecce puttanesca and curry conchiglie. It's basically carb heaven, times ten. The ambiance is perfect for a leisurely romantic dinner or a quick snack of charcuterie and wine while you shop in the area. 

Information:

Address:  75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Phone:  (212) 370-0975

Neighborhood: Chelsea

Price: $$$

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Coppelia

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Overview:

This 24hr Latin diner has been a late night and early morning NYC staple for years. The laid back, no frills dining room is long and offers tons of table and counter seating. In terms of food there are a ton of choices to cure most cravings. You'll find a huge menu of comfort food classics with a Latin flare (think burgers with pulled pork, mac n' cheese with chicharrons). Breakfast is served all day and you can choose from things like hash with beef short rib & chile de arbol, huevos rancheros and empanadas. Portions are large, ingredients & plating are thoughtful and the price is very reasonable. Full bar is available.

Information:

Address: 207 W 14th St, New York, NY 10011

Phone (212) 858-5001

Neighborhood: Chelsea

Price: $$

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Sushi By Bou

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Overview:

What does a young Jewish guy from Boca Raton know about sushi? Apparently a whole lot. (Also $20 says every article about this guy starts with that sentence). David Boudhana trained in Japan and worked at Morimoto and Sushi Dojo before striking out on his own. He popularized the concept of a 30 minute omakase at Sushi on Jones before leaving to open Sushi by Bou. At both locations of his restaurant he offers an affordable12-piece, $50 omakase in under 30 minutes. The spaces are small (just 4 seats in Gansevoort market and 7 in midtown) and intimate. The chef chooses the menu which includes toro, uni, scallop, unagi, and wagu. The experience is unique and quick; definitely a nice way to treat yourself. 

Information:

Address: 353 W 14th St, New York, NY 10014

Sanctuary Hotel 132 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036

Phone:   (917) 870-1587

Neighborhood: Chelsea, Midtown West

Price: $$$

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Chalait

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Overview 

Chalait is an interesting story. The concept was born from a husband & wife team with zero professional restaurant or culinary experience. In just a couple years they have opened the third location of their concept and they have made me (and many others) a huge fan. Each location is a coffee shop specializing in a signature line of matcha green tea beverages, with an excellent menu. The food is simple with nothing overtly adventurous but it is comforting, creative, and beautifully presented. The menu is split into sandwiches, greens & grains, and all day breakfast. Dishes are healthy with a ton of variety. For breakfast check out the breakfast plate with cured salmon, soft boiled egg, pickled red onion, capers, tomato, herbed labneh, multigrain toast (see I told you, variety). I am still dreaming of the kimchi bowl with farro brown rice, poached eggs & gochujang. I look forward to returning many more times. 

Information

Address:  299 W Houston St, New York, NY 10014

1216 Broadway, New York, NY 10001

 Chelsea Market, 75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011, New York, NY 10011

Phone:  (212) 929 0266

Neighborhood: Hudson Square, Chelsea, Nomad

Website: https://www.chalait.com/

Price: $

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Seamore's

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Overview

Seamore's is a seafood restaurant from the mind of ultra charming chef & restauranteur Michael Chernow. You may have seen him on FYI's Food Porn or in my dreams...but I digress. The restaurant now has 2 locations in Nolita & Chelsea. It feels like a little piece of Montauk in Manhattan with birch wood, white paint & floor to ceiling windows that drench the dining room in sunlight. The menu has a little something for everyone, drawing influence from many different types of cuisine. Graze on excellent tuna ooke, crispy squid, curry mussels or any number of tacos. There is a clear nod to fresh & healthy eating; most dishes are loaded with vibrant vegetables. Chernow also offers blackboard fish every day that you may add to any of the dishes. You can bring the pickiest of eaters here and they will undoubtedly find something that will please their palate. 

 Information

Address:    390 Broome St, New York, NY 10013 &  161 8th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Phone:      (212) 730-6005

Neighborhood: Nolita & Chelsea

Website: https://www.seamores.com/

Price: $$$

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Motel Morris

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Overview 

The team behind The Commons in Chelsea have opened not a motel, but a new cafe in the neighborhood. The cozy space feels like a retro brasserie with rich blue paint, marble & gold details, and warm lighting. The menu is approachable American classics. In true diner fashion they have daily specials like lobster pot pie & fish n' chips. Truthfully we only had lunch here so I can only comment on the lunch/brunch items. The chef has clearly made an effort to add fun twists to satisfying dishes. French toast comes with bananas, peanut butter and jelly. Their fried chicken sandwich is massive and juicy, with a great celery root slaw on top. They round out the menu with items like charred octopus, everything bagel crusted tuna, and pappardelle with creminis. It's a great neighborhood option for a date or even eating solo at the bar.

Information

Address:   132 7th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Phone:    (646) 880-4810

Neighborhood: Chelsea

Website: https://www.motelmorris.com/

Price: $$

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'Wichcraft

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Overview 

Tom Colicchio's fast-casual sandwich shop. They opened in 2003 and have since expanded like crazy to 9 locations. There is a careful eye on sourcing and preparation of ingredients. The sandwich combinations are ultra unique and they have frequent monthly specials. There is much to choose from including chicken, pork, turkey, and vegetarian options. A favorite is the chicken & cauliflower with roasted tomato jam, pickled peppers, arugula, and aioli on toasted ciabatta. In addition to sandwiches they offer a selection of breakfast, salads, grain bowls and snacks. Keep them in mind for deliver and catering options. 

Information:

Address:    11 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003

Phone:   (917) 639-3262

Neighborhood: Flatiron

Website: https://www.wichcraft.com/location/flatiron/

Price: $$

Good for: sandwiches, breakfast, catering, takeout, delivery

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The Red Cat

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Overview:

Popular Chelsea eatery serving Med-New American fare in a narrow setting with a buzzy front bar.

Information:

Address:     227 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Phone:  (212) 242-1122

Neighborhood: Chelsea

Website: https://www.theredcat.com/

Price: $$ -$$$

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Fonda

GUACAMOLE - Freshly made guacamole served with house chips and pasilla de Oaxaca salsa.

Asada Torta - Made on toasted Portuguese rolls with black bean spread, avocado and pickled jalapenos. Served with a side of salad

Carnitas Tacos - Slow braised pork, onions, cilantro and avocado salsa.

ENCHILADAS SUIZAS - Pulled chicken filled tortillas, creamy tomatillo sauce, baked with Chihuahua and Oaxaca cheeses.

Address: 189 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Phone: (917) 525-5252

Menu: fondarestaurant.com

Flex Mussels

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Overview:

 Two locations of this seafood house - one Upper East Side cozy locale, and a Chelsea outpost on the first floor of a stately brownstone. The menu offers the same 23 excellent and seasonally changing variations on moules frites as well as a smattering of tasty if somewhat puny seafood dishes. Pounds of chef Michael Sullivan's meaty P.E.I.’s can be savored with simple, white-wine-based broths or with more distinctive concoctions. Brunch on the weekends is excellent as well. 

Information:

Address:   154 W 13th St, New York, NY 10011

174 E 82nd St, New York, NY 10028

Phone: (212) 229-0222

Neighborhood: Upper East Side, Chelsea

Website: https://www.flexmussels.com/

Price: $$-$$$

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Cafeteria

Cafeteria is like a palace of food that is terrible for you, done extremely well. That's pretty much all I need in life besides sex and botox. The interior is a swanky diner, bright and sprawling. You'll find it packed from 3 meals/day. The menu is vast with words like "vast" and "cheese" all over the place. It's not all gluttony for the sake of glutton. For all the heart stopping, artery clogging foods the dish are actually seasoned and composed expertly. They don't skimp on ingredients or portion size. The avocado toast is piled high with sweet crab meat, the oversized meatballs arrive with a mound of cheese, and the genius mac n' cheese eggrolls are as big as a 2-by-4. The star of the show is the mac n' cheese. It arrive is overflowing vats and can come topped with scallions, bacon, and truffle oil. Cafeteria is a sin I'll happily commit over and over again. Here's what we had: 

BABY KALE SALAD - Pine Nut Gremolata, Sundried Cherries, Mint Ricotta Salata, Serrano Lemon Vinaigrette

CLASSIC CAESAR SALAD - Parmesan Frico, Soft Poached Egg

POTATO CHIPS & ONION DIP

OLD SCHOOL MEATBALLS - Roasted Tomato Sauce, Housemade Ricotta

CORNMEAL CALAMARI - Hot Cherry Peppers, Horseradish Aioli

MAC AND CHEESE SPRING ROLLS - Smoked Gouda Dipping Sauce

BLUE CRAB TOAST - Crushed Avocado, Pickled Serrano

MAC ATTACK TASTING OF ALL THREE

CAFETERIA MACARONI AND CHEESE

ROCK SHRIMP

MARYLAND CRABCAKE - Kohlrabi Slaw, Sriracha Tartar

BEER BATTER FISH AND CHIPS - Garden Slaw, Sweet Pea Tartar Sauce, Salt and Vinegar Chips

FRIED CHICKEN AND WAFFLES - Cheddar Tobasco Waffle, Grilled Lemon, Crisp Sage, Chili Butter and Maple Jus

TRUFFLE PARMESAN FRIES

DEEP FRIED OREOS - Mint Chip Ice Cream, Vanilla Shake Shot

CAFETERIA WAFFLE BANANA SPLIT - Salted Caramel Ice Cream, Caramelized Banana, Hot Fudge, Peanut Cracker Jacks

Address: 119 7th Ave, New York, NY 10010

Phone: (646) 791-7908

cafeteriagroup.com/

Wise Fish Poke

Wise Fish Poke opened its doors in early 2016 and I had the pleasure of dropping by last week. It was opened by two friends and built on their love of the classic Hawaiian dish. The space itself if your typical fast-casual setup. It’s white, clean, there are some tables and chairs if you’d like to stay, or grab-n-go. With so much focus on health food today, they have created a concept where you can get something great for you, fast, at a decent price.  

The menu was written keeping in mind sustainability and responsibly-sourced seafood. You can design your own poke bowl or choose from their suggested combinations. Each bowl is served on your choice of either white or brown rice, mixed greens, or zucchini noodles. You can then choose from tuna, crab salad, and salmon. Then dress up your bowl with great toppings like hijiki seaweed, wasabi-avocado cream, tobiko, and citrus-ponzu sauce. Everything is crazy fresh and the perfect temperature. They have rotating specials as well so we grabbed the insanely addicting spicy tuna nachos. They were drowning in spicy mayo and jalapenos; I still dream of them.  This is the kind of food that makes you feel good. Here’s what we had: 

W E S T S W E L L ahi tuna, sweet onion, herb mix·masago, wasabi avocado cream, wisefish sauce

 H A W A I I S T Y L E ahi tuna, sweet onion, hijiki, scallion, classic sauce

H E A T W A V E T H E C H E L S E A salmon, cucumber, herb mix, jalapeño, scallion, spicy citrus shoyu

Spicy Tuna Nachos w/ jalapeno,  wasabi-avocado cream, tobiko, spicy mayo

Address: 263 W 19th St, New York, NY 10011

Phone : (212) 367-7653

Wisefishpoke.com

BEC

Photo: Pintrest

I remember coming to BEC (short for bacon, egg & cheese) one year ago when they first opened. My first thought was why the hell has no one ever thought of this concept before? Why wasn’t I smart enough to do this? The very charming owner, Jessica Bologna, beat me to it.

The space is minimalist, casual, and decorated nicely for a fast-casual setting. Everything is bright & airy, giving the feeling of cleanliness. The tables are thick slabs of grey marble and the floor is lined with colorful tiles. 

The menu, as its name suggests, is full of BEC’s. They have 12 sandwich options ranging from light to ultra-gluttonous. There are the classic BEC’s on the menu and kicked up versions like the Godmother with prosciutto, mozzarella, pesto & arugula. Another standout is the Greeky-Roman with lamb sausage, feta cheese, roasted peppers, and olive tapenade. There are even great vegetarian options like the VEC with sweet potatoes, grilled zucchini, swiss chard and goat cheese. Everything is elevated by the fact that they go the extra mile and make the bread in house.

To round out the menu, Jessica has added a plethora of soups, salads, and side dishes. My favorite is the shaved broccoli & cauliflower with dried cranberries, dries cherries, nuts, and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette.  I am happy to report that in addition to fresh juices and coffee, you can also get your boozing on with some wine or beer. Here’s what we had:

Farmhouse Sandwich 2 eggs, crispy pancetta, ricotta cheese, fig jam, honey and baby spinach on a pugliese roll.

Mammoth Sandwich 2 eggs, sweet italian pork sausage, applewood smoked bacon, pepper jack cheese, caramelized onions, pickled jalapenos and tomato compote on a ciabatta roll.

Godmother Sandwich 2 eggs, prosciutto, salami, mozzarella cheese, baby arugula and walnut pesto sauce on a pugliese roll.

BEC Classic Sandwich 2 eggs, applewood smoked bacon and new york state sharp cheddar cheese on a signature bacon and cheese crusted brioche bun

Chelsea Lo-Cal Sandwich  2 eggs, turkey bacon, roasted red peppers, broccoli rabe, greek yogurt and walnut pesto sauce on multi-grain toast.

Address: 148 8th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Phone:(212) 633-8020

becnyc.com