My contribution is crossing against the pedestrian signal whenever no cars are coming. Every time I'm walking around SoHo, I see packs of tourists obediently waiting for the light while blocking the entire corner. By leading through example, I help keep pedestrian traffic moving for lifelong New Yorkers and delivery bikers.
I impulse booked this reservation for 5:30 P.M. today after seeing this Reddit thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/FoodNYC/comments/1umcqge/best_restaurant_to_try_to_get_into_this_weekend/
What better way to celebrate our nation's 250th birthday than by eating food from the country we declared independence from?
Lord's is one of those places that has been on my list to try for a while. Their sister restaurant, Dame, is one of my favorites and undisputedly has NYC's best fish and chips. Believe me, I know, because I once went on an adventure to try as many different fish and chips places as possible. So I was super excited to try this place and ended up skipping a couple of meals so I could arrive as hungry as possible.
Lord's is a meat centric experimental British gastropub. The restaurant is larger than Dame but still fairly compact, with around 60 seats. The menu has a mix of British comfort classics like shepherd's pie, sausage roll, scotch egg, roast chicken, and steak and chips, as well as more creative offerings such as crispy pig's head, grilled quail on toast, a salad of grilled stone fruits, and a variety of seafood dishes.
As this was my first visit, I leaned toward the British comfort food and ordered the curried lamb scotch egg, sausage roll, and Peekytoe crab with trout roe on toast as appetizers. Overall, I was not very wowed by anything I had. I did not find the curry flavor very pronounced in the scotch egg, and the sausage itself was not particularly flavorful. The sausage roll had a flavorful filling, but the crust was relatively unremarkable, and it is not something I can see myself craving. The same was true of the Peekytoe crab with cucumber and roe. It was not the most flavorful bite.
Keep in mind that the appetizers are not cheap. Most cost either $16 or $22 to $27, and they are essentially bite sized if shared between two people. In fact, the whole time I was eating them, I kept thinking, "This is Michelin star tasting menu sized. Why don't they just do a tasting menu?"
For my entrée, I ordered the Rarebit Burger ($26), which they only make a limited number of each night. This was not my original plan, but once I realized I had the opportunity to order it, I jumped on it. Unlike the appetizers, the burger absolutely lived up to the hype. The beef was high quality, cooked to a perfect medium rare, and the rarebit cheese and raw onion worked incredibly well on the pretzel bun. It was every bit as enjoyable as the burger at Minetta Tavern and, in my opinion, even better than Gramercy Tavern's, although my burger at Gramercy Tavern was under seasoned.
I also ordered a side of Proper English Chips, which are the same ones served at Dame with their fish and chips. These are actual triple cooked chips. For those unfamiliar, triple cooked chips are made using a two day process that involves simmering the potatoes, freezing them to dry them out, frying them, cooling them again, and then frying them a second time. The goal is to create a fry that is incredibly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. They are a signature dish of the celebrated British chef Heston Blumenthal, whose restaurant has three Michelin stars.
These are, in my opinion, one of the must order dishes. Considering how much effort goes into making them, the $14 price tag is reasonable. Come on, most of the time you are paying $8 for Lamb Weston fries at Manhattan restaurants.
For dessert, I had sticky toffee ice cream, which was delicious, but I could not help thinking that it looked like KFC mashed potatoes.
One thing I want to mention about the restaurant in general is that the service was exceptional. My experience started with a waiter immediately taking my order, followed shortly afterward by the bartender checking on me as well. It almost felt choreographed, as the bartender would ask if I needed a refill or any sauce just a couple of minutes after the waiter had already done the same thing. The level of service was on par with many Michelin one star restaurants I have visited.
Overall, I have mixed feelings about Lord's. My bill came to around $140 to $150 after tax and tip, and I did not order any alcohol. I am normally not someone who complains too much about prices in NYC because I recognize that eating out is a luxury. You do not go to a restaurant in Soho or Greenwich Village with more than 20 staff members serving around 60 guests if you are looking for value.
That said, I could not help feeling that, for this neighborhood and tier of restaurant, the food was a bit underwhelming for the price. I do not feel that way about their sister restaurant, Dame, which is centered around fish and chips. That is probably because even some of the best fish and chips in London will generally set you back about £22, or roughly $30. In general, I usually walk out of Dame with two appetizers, fish and chips, and two drinks for about the same price. Keep in mind the entry level Michelin star one restaurants are about 20 to 30$ more than this (63 clinton for just the tasting menu would run 175 after tax and tip), so for me 150$ dinner has to really show its merits.
Nonetheless, I will probably give Lord's one more try. There were a number of other items on the menu that piqued my interest, and I definitely want to try one of the meat pies.
link: https://www.lordsenglish.com/menu
press: https://www.lordsenglish.com/press
social: https://www.instagram.com/lords_nyc/?hl=en
I don't understand all these NYC guides talking about needing tickets to go see fireworks shows on 4th of July. Just go to your neighborhood park and you'll get up close view of the local neighborhood firework shows. It's a great way to see the real New York and not this performative influencer corporate bs from Macy's.
Has anyone noticed that the music our generation grew up has somehow managed to linger in the background forever? This is probably something major city specific.
I've lived most of my adulthood in the heart of major cities, currently in Lower East Side (nightlife heavy neighborhood) in Manhattan, and I've found bars, coffee shops and restaurants are still playing mostly 2000/2010 club hits or pop-punk and I am surprised because the average clientele of this area is early 20s.
Another trend is emo nights, which seem to be gen zs version of 80s parties. There are several monthly ones in the city. They tour other cities. The average audience is younger than some of the music.
Had dinner at this often talked about FoodNYC spot a couple months ago. I just got around to doing this review now. For those who are not familiar, Atoboy is a Korean pre fixe spot in the Flatiron District. The restaurant's dining room is large and has many tables for parties of two or four, making reservations easy to come by. This a good place to come on a date or with a family or group of friends.
The menu is a $75 3 course pre fixe + rice and banchan and includes some optional supplements, generally under $10, and add on courses. The menu in general is small and focused. Someone could try the entire menu in just 3 visits if they didn't repeat items.
My visit, I got a complimentary uni starter, wagyu yookhwe (Korean tartare topped with pickled radish), octopus with kimchi potato chips, and pork jowl. In addition, I paid $28 for a chicken and waffles supplement that they were doing as a special. The chicken is always on the menu, but the waffle is not. The food was all excellent, especially the banchan and fried chicken. The rice for me was especially a standout, as it was extremely fragrant due to the furikake/oil combination they use.
Overall, Atoboy is one of those restaurants that deserves its hype and popularity. The restaurant sits in this value conscious casual upscale restaurant space that I think NYC could use more of. Restaurants with high quality food that provide some of the experience that people go to Michelin one star restaurants for at a sub $100 per person price tag, sans alcohol. Traif in Williamsburg would be another example.
My total for the whole bill came to $108 + tax + tip, but would have been substantially less had I not gone for a solo Sunday dinner. The fried chicken dish I had should have been shared between 4 people and came with what looked like six boneless chicken thighs. Had I gone with a party of four, this would be $90 per person + any supplements, drinks or desserts.
Website: https://www.atoboynyc.com/
Edit: https://www.instagram.com/atoboynyc/?hl=en
I have had amex platinum for a few years now and have never been to a lounge outside the U.S before. My experience with lounges in U.S are pretty cookie cutter with some here and there novelty ('speakeasy' in JFK, custom local drinks, but otherwise chicken thigh buffet, coffee station, select coworkin areas.
I am not sitting in the domestic lounge in Mexico airport and the experience is very different. Full table service, also spa massages, pedicure/manicure services, barber and shoe shine.
This for regular platinum. They have a separate lounge for black card holders inside of the lounge.
I am visiting the United States for the first time from Astana, Khazakstan. I saved my whole life to attend the world cup and want to make sure that I am very respectful of local customs and culture. I did a lot of research for my trip, but was not told about this custom. Is it just a greeting ?
So I impulse-booked a trip to Mexico City for Juneteenth weekend using credit card points that I wanted to burn. It's my first international vacation in over a year. I was laid off for about half of last year and started a new job at the beginning of this year, so I've been a bit more budget conscious. That's why I skipped many of the expensive tasting menu spots. I tried to keep the total food budget for the weekend to around the price of a single meal at Quintonil (about 6,000 MXN).
I know some of the bars also serve food, but I'm only going for the drinks.
Hi all,
I impulse-booked a trip to Mexico City for the upcoming U.S. Juneteenth holiday after noticing some affordable flights. I'll be staying in Roma Norte and am looking for food and bar recommendations.
I live in New York City and was hoping to take advantage of the trip to enjoy some upscale dining at a lower price point than I'm used to at home.
I've searched this subreddit and have seen frequent recommendations for places like EM, Pujol, and Quintonil. However, most of those are a bit more than I'd like to spend on a single meal this trip, as many seem to be in the 3,000+ peso (~$200+ USD) range per person. I'm hoping for suggestions in the roughly 2,000 peso (~$100 USD) range. For example, I'm currently considering Limosneros.
I'm also curious how reliable Michelin is in Mexico City, particularly for Bib Gourmand recommendations.
Part of what's holding me back from splurging on a Pujol or Quintonil-type meal is that the $200–300 price point is approaching what I'd pay for many Michelin-starred restaurants in NYC, including some one-stars and even a few two-stars such as Aquavit or Le Bernardin. My dining budget is finite, so spending $300 on a meal in Mexico City means postponing a local restaurant back home that I've been wanting to try. In general, I am an adventurous eater with no allergies, but enjoy protein forward meals.
Given that, what restaurants would you prioritize for someone looking for great/exceptional food and value rather than chasing stars?
Hey all,
I was looking for an affordable trip for the upcoming Juneteenth holiday and saw that flights to Mexico city were cheap and hotel costs are looking from my current residence (NYC). I ended up booking a 3 day trip to and am going to staying in Roma Norte.
I actually know fairly little about Mexico city and am going to be spending the next couple days figuring out the must visit cultural stuff. However, my favorite activities to do on any trip is actually eat and drink and I was hoping for recommendations as I've heard Mexico city is world class food destination.
I consider my self an adventurous eater and up for anything, however I especially would love to do some upscale places if they are worth it as Mexico city is a lot more affordable than my home city.
W
Comfortland is a new addition to the Lower East Side and is one of those places that seemed to appear out of nowhere one day on Rivington. Despite sharing a similar name to the now-closed Babeland next door, it is a sandwich shop and not a sex toy shop. This is apparently the restaurant's 2nd outpost, with the original location being in Astoria. The restaurant bills itself as New Orleans' fast casual joint. As someone who lived several years in Louisiana, I honestly don't see it. But that doesn't mean the food can't be good.
The restaurant is located between Orchard and Ludlow, and looks like a mostly takeout spot with ample seating for a dozen or so people along the walls. The décor is intentionally campy and reminiscent of the mid 20th century. The restaurant serves a large variety of sandwiches, quesadillas, burritos, and crunchwraps, along with other items like chicken fingers, fries, and a variety of desserts and savory pastries. I am often wary of restaurants that try too many concepts at once, as they tend to do none of them particularly well, but underneath the extensive sandwich menu you realize that they are using the same three breads (tortilla, buns/rolls, biscuits) and the same three or four proteins for all of their sandwiches (fried chicken, ground beef, and bulgogi during my visits), and everything else is just combinations of toppings they've chosen.
According to the owner, who has frequently been working at this location, they constantly change menu items every couple of weeks. If I had one expression to describe this menu, I would call it "over the top" stoner food. The restaurant even has a category for "munchies," which, albeit, has smaller and more reasonable portions. The menu is designed by the type of person who comes up with the idea of putting a chicken sandwich between the patties of a double cheeseburger. The restaurant is unapologetically unhealthy, and most of the sandwiches probably exceed a person's daily calorie intake. This is the type of restaurant that, if you are going out in the LES, you either pick up at the end of the night or you split ONE item with a friend.
The items I've shown here were purchased after repeat visits, as I didn't want to judge the restaurant based on a single item. For this review I picked the fried chicken crunchwrap, chicken biscuit, and bulgogi quesadilla. In my personal opinion, the sandwiches weren't really to my taste. While the food was made fresh to order, the components weren't particularly standout, with the fried chicken and bulgogi essentially being just "okay." Furthermore, I found almost all of my selections combined sweet and savory components in ways that just didn't suit my taste buds. Nonetheless, I actually recommend this as a place to check out if someone is passing through the Lower East Side and looking for food to pick up after several drinks, or just feeling like junk food. While the food wasn't to my particular taste, I think the same meals might be awesome to someone else. It is drunk food; it's ultimately just carbs, fats, and meat.
Unfortunately my blood sugar won't let me really engage with their desserts, especially because of their size, but I also feel like these might be some of the best items. Lastly, I just appreciate the addition of a fast casual restaurant that isn't a birria tacos, pizza, or smash burger spot. Don't get me wrong, all of those things are great, but I really also don't think there needs to be 12 different places serving smash burgers between Allen and Clinton Street. The general cost of this restaurant is in that 10 to 25$ category, portions are generous and variety is excellent.
website: https://order.online/store/comfortland-les-28839269
ig: https://www.instagram.com/comfortland/
Any two slices plus drink for 10$ Includes the vodka peperoni, pictured. They do it on earlier weekdays until 3 pm. Monday to Wednesday or Thursday. I am surprised by how many people buy a slice and a drink for 8 or 9$ instead.
Benton is one of my regular go to lunch places when I am working in Midtown East. It is located on 45th and 3rd Avenue and is easy to walk by. This is mostly a to go bento box place that is only open for weekday lunch. The restaurant’s concept is simple. They prepare three different bento sets, which they sell for $11 to $13. They also sell snacks like dorayaki or onigiri, and sometimes sell ramen under the name Menya Jiro, but I have not tried it. Most of their customers are Japanese Midtown office workers. They generally open around 11 and are sold out by 1 p.m.
One of the things I really appreciate about this place is that the food is more reflective of non restaurant Japanese food. Each bento is served with some type of rice, sometimes white and sometimes mixed grain, along with a few small sides, usually salad, pickled vegetables, or potato salad, and two types of protein. Some days it might be ginger pork and tempura. Another day it might be grilled fish with two mini hamburgs. Generally, it exposes you to food that you will not typically find in a Japanese restaurant. At the same time, the bento boxes are more elaborate and varied than what you might find in Japanese convenience stores like Dainobu, Hashi Market, and Sunrise Mart.
Just had lunch at this Ridgewood outpost that’s been on my list for years. Mama Yoshi is a neighborhood fast casual restaurant that serves chicken katsu sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and katsu curry bowls. They also sell an assortment of imported Japanese pantry goods and snacks like ramen, curry blocks, staple condiments, chocolate bars, and canned drinks. The restaurant is small, with seating for 8 people inside and another 8 outside.
The signature item on the menu is the chicken katsu sandwich, which comes in either normal or spicy and is served with potato chips for $16.50. I had the spicy version, which comes on a bun and is topped with pickles and pickled onions. The cutlet itself is thick and freshly fried, though it would be a stretch to call this katsu. That’s okay it’s a giant piece of fried chicken, and the outpost bills itself as Japanese American, not strictly Japanese.
Overall, this is an excellent chicken sandwich. It’s the kind of place that would be a regular stop if I lived in Ridgewood or Bushwick, but it’s not something I’d recommend crossing boroughs for. Overall, it’s a satisfying lazy weekend lunch for under $20.
The restaurant also sells the giant katsu on its own for $7 and has a variety of grab and go options for $10 or less, including onigiri, tamago sandwiches, and a picnic version of the katsu sando.