Food & Dining

September 15, 2022

See inside the ‘secret’ sushi restaurant now open in Grand Central

Jōji, a new sushi restaurant housed underneath Midtown's One Vanderbilt skyscraper, opened its doors to the public on Wednesday. Located within an alcove in Grand Central Terminal, the restaurant offers sushi lovers an "intimate omakase dining experience," as 6sqft reported last month. Jōji is run by Chef George Ruan, the former sushi chef of Masa, and Chef Daniel Boulud.
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September 6, 2022

15 best places to celebrate Oktoberfest in NYC

After two years of cancellations due to the pandemic, the legendary Oktoberfest returns to Germany. While it may not compare to the massive, two-week celebration in Munich, New York City offers many of the same attractions—beer, traditional food, and live music. Ahead, find 15 spots to celebrate the iconic festival, from a month-long event on Pier 15 to German beer gardens throughout the city.
Full list ahead
September 2, 2022

A food truck with free samples from Jean-Georges’ Tin Building is popping up across NYC

Last month, Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's huge culinary marketplace opened for limited previews at the restored Tin Building in South Street Seaport. For those who haven't had a chance to check out the 53,000-square-foot culinary destination yet, a food truck is bringing free samples inspired by the new marketplace to spots across New York City, starting this weekend at Domino Park in Williamsburg.
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August 30, 2022

Inside Peachy Keen, a ’70s-inspired Times Square restaurant with funky decor and comfort food

An over-the-top dining experience bursting at the seams with color, patterns, and nostalgia opened in Times Square this summer. Peachy Keen is a sprawling restaurant with exaggerated 1970s-inspired interiors, decked out in a vibrant color scheme of coral, turquoise, orange, and pink with design elements like white ceramic tiles with pink grout and neon signs. The team behind the delightfully retro restaurant's design is Wid Chapman Architects, the hospitality experts who designed New York City hot spots like Dhamaka and the restaurant inside 70 Pine Street. Serving up inventive comfort food and funky cocktails, the all-day eatery is massive with a little over 140 seats, but pockets of tucked-away seating and banquettes provide space for private moments, too. Ahead, hear from architect Wid Chapman on how Peachy Keen's colorful menu inspired the restaurant's technicolor vibe, as well as the firm's design process and his favorite thing to order from the new restaurant.
A Times Square throwback
August 25, 2022

A ‘secret’ sushi restaurant is opening below Midtown skyscraper One Vanderbilt

A new sushi restaurant will open below Midtown's tallest office tower next month. Located in a hidden nook in Grand Central Terminal and underneath the 1,401-foot office tower One Vanderbilt, Jōji will offer an "unexpected Omakase experience" led by Chef George Ruan, the former sushi chef at high-end Masa, and Chef Daniel Boulud.
More details here
August 19, 2022

NYC will tear down abandoned outdoor dining sheds under new program

The city has razed and removed two dozen abanonded dining sheds this week, under a new program announced by Mayor Eric Adams. The mayor on Thursday introduced a multi-agency initiative that will highlight open and active outdoor dining sheds in the city's Open Restaurants program and remove neglected structures of shuttered restaurants. The city launched the Open Restaurants program in 2020 to keep businesses open during the pandemic, ultimately saving 100,000 jobs, according to Adams. While the majority of restaurants with outdoor dining follow the guidelines, the abandoned sheds have become eyesores.
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August 17, 2022

Jean-Georges to open restaurant at Norman Foster-designed office tower 425 Park Avenue

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is opening another restaurant in New York City. L&L Holding Company on Monday announced the world-renowned chef will create and operate a 14,000-square-foot, two-floor restaurant on the ground floor of 425 Park Avenue, a recently completed 897-foot office tower in Midtown designed by Norman Foster. The restaurant, which will boast soaring ceilings and a 1,000-square-foot show kitchen, is expected to open by late 2023.
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August 12, 2022

Massive marketplace from Jean-Georges opens in the restored Tin Building at the Seaport

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's highly-anticipated culinary hotspot will be giving New Yorkers a taste of its food offerings in preparation for the market's grand opening in the fall. The historic Tin Building has been converted into a 53,000-square-foot marketplace that includes grocery stores, six full-service restaurants, six quick-service counters, four bars, and other retail and private dining offerings. During the month of August, the Tin Building will be open for a limited preview Thursdays through Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
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August 11, 2022

Experience a 10-course ‘drive-thru’ tasting menu from some of NYC’s best restaurants next month

Some of New York City's most popular restaurants have partnered with Resy and American Express Gold for an exclusive two-night drive-through dining event in Brooklyn, no car required. Hosted at Greenpoint's Skyline Drive-in, the "Resy Drive-Thru New York" event includes a 10-course tasting menu from 10 hard-to-book NYC restaurants, like Bonnie's in Williamsburg and Crown Shy at city landmark 70 Pine Street. Guests will be chauffeured via golf cart through a "labyrinth of restaurants and entertainment built on the Brooklyn waterfront." The event takes place on September 16 and 17; tickets go on sale for the general public on August 17.
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July 28, 2022

Beloved Colombian coffee roaster Devoción opens new cafe in Dumbo

Colombian coffee roaster Devoción is bringing its ultra-fresh coffee to a new Brooklyn neighborhood. The Bogotá-based company has opened a new location in Dumbo on the ground floor of the mixed-use development Front & York. As the fourth Devoción in New York City, the coffee shop boasts an industrial, yet warm, vibe thanks to design elements like concrete flooring, wood paneling, and tons of plants and flowers.
More this way
July 26, 2022

See inside José Andrés’ Mediterranean restaurant Zaytinya, now open at NYC’s new Ritz-Carlton hotel

José Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup on Tuesday opened Zaytinya, a new restaurant and hotel in-room dining option at The Ritz-Carlton New York, Nomad. The restaurant features a mezze menu inspired by Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisines in a 140-seat street-level restaurant with a mod-meets Mediterranean interior design courtesy of David Rockwell's Rockwell Group. The Nomad location will be the second for Zaytinya, which first opened in 2002 in Washington, DC.
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July 21, 2022

Central Park’s Loeb Boathouse to close permanently

Loeb Boathouse, Central Park's iconic lakeside restaurant which has operated for nearly 70 years, will be closing permanently on October 16. According to a notice filed with the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) by the venue's owner, the establishment will be closing its doors and laying off all of its 163 employees due to what owner Dean Poll calls, "rising labor and costs of goods."
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July 19, 2022

10 iconic hot dog joints in New York City

On July 20, the country celebrates National Hot Dog Day, the commemoration of a delicacy synonymous with New York City and summer. The origins of the hot dog can be traced to German immigrant Charles Feltman, who sold frankfurter sausages on a long bun as a convenient snack for hungry beachgoers during the late 1860s. More than 150 years later, New Yorkers still love hot dogs as a quick and affordable meal and there is no shortage of great spots throughout the city to grab a frank. From internationally-known Nathan's Famous to local favorites like Papaya King, here are 10 iconic hot dog joints in NYC.
See the full list
July 15, 2022

Chinatown speakeasy Apotheke opens new Nomad location with rooftop terrace

Fourteen years after making its Chinatown debut, popular speakeasy-style cocktail bar Apotheke has opened a second New York City location. Located on West 26th Street in Nomad, the bar will serve its signature medicinal-themed beverages alongside its first-ever food menu, made up of small and shareable plates. Apotheke Nomad offers two separate spaces, a dimly-lit basement speakeasy and a rooftop terrace that will open later this summer.
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July 11, 2022

600 NYC restaurants to participate in Restaurant Week this summer

New York City's beloved dining event that gives patrons the opportunity to eat at the city's best restaurants with discounted, prix-fixe menus is back for its 30th season. NYC & Company, the city's tourism agency, last week announced reservations are now open at 600 participating restaurants across 85 neighborhoods. The program, which launched in 1992, runs for a month from July 18 through August 21.
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July 5, 2022

Portside is Lower Manhattan’s latest waterfront retreat

Brookfield Properties last week announced the grand opening of their new nautical-inspired pop-up, Portside. Located at Brookfield Place's Upper Plaza in the Financial District, the space is free, open to the public, and offers guests breathtaking views of the New York Harbor. The space will also host weekly programming and events, as well as offer cocktails and food provided by Tartinery. Portside will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. through September.
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June 23, 2022

NJ’s American Dream mall will open huge food hall with iconic NYC eateries

New Jersey's American Dream on Thursday announced the seven vendors that will make up the mega mall's food hall. The 10,000-square-foot space will feature iconic New York City food and drink offerings, as well as oversized games, including Jenga, corn hole, and Connect 4. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and Best Pizza will be opening their first Garden State locations within the mall, along with NYC favorites Vinoteca, Lady M, and Vanessa's Dumpling House. The food hall will celebrate its grand opening on July 13 with a corn hole tournament, live music, kid's games, and prizes.
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June 20, 2022

Radio Park debuts summer garden dining series atop Radio City Music Hall

With the start of summer comes summer dining, and this July will mark the debut of an event that combines the excitement of Rockefeller Center with the experience of dining in a garden oasis high above New York City. Radio Park, the 24,000-square-foot landscaped rooftop that opened last year above Radio City Music Hall, will host "Dine at Radio Park," a new weekend dining series led by two celebrated local chefs.
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May 23, 2022

MTA and James Beard Foundation partner to bring New Yorkers to local restaurants

New Yorkers may seem to need no encouragement to visit the city's bounty of local restaurants, but independent eateries could use a boost after Covid restrictions kept everyone at home. DineAWAY is a joint effort by the MTA and the James Beard Foundation to get residents and visitors to explore New York City's local restaurants and neighborhoods via subways, buses, and commuter rails. DineAWAY sweepstakes offer fabulous foodie prizes like dinner at favorite restaurants and VIP tickets to food festivals.
Delicious details, this way
May 13, 2022

East Village speakeasy PDT opens pop-up on 86th floor of the Empire State Building

One of New York City's favorite speakeasies has opened at one of the world's most famous buildings. PDT (Please Don't Tell)--the cocktail bar hidden behind a phone booth in the East Village hot dog joint Crif Dogs--is operating a pop-up on the 86th-floor of the Empire State Building this month. In addition to enjoying sweeping city views and stellar signature drinks, guests can chow down on hot dogs from Crif Dogs.
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May 11, 2022

Talea Beer Co. opens outdoor pop-up brewery next to Grand Central

New York City's first and only female-owned and operated production brewery has opened a pop-up outside of Grand Central Terminal. Located at the corner of Vanderbilt Avenue and 45th Street, Talea Beer Co.'s pop-up brewery is open daily from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and offers five different beers on tap, as well as canned beers and draft pours to go. Open through September, the brewery also offers cocktails and wine for non-beer drinkers.
Details here
May 3, 2022

Cabana-style ‘mini lawns’ return to scenic Pier 17 rooftop, along with new dining options

A popular outdoor dining spot born as a result of social distancing measures is returning to New York City for a third summer. The Greens on The Rooftop at Pier 17  officially opened this month with three unique social spaces for visitors to enjoy. Located in the South Street Seaport, the rooftop venue now boasts a three-in-one concept with "The Lawns," "The Restaurant," and "The Patrón Patio."
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April 27, 2022

City Winery to open a new location in Grand Central

Performance venue and restaurant chain City Winery will open a new location at one of the city's busiest transit hubs. As first reported by Gothamist, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday approved a license for a restaurant and bar to take up nearly 16,000 square feet of space in Grand Central Terminal, at the western end of Vanderbilt Hall.
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April 25, 2022

NYC’s oldest gay bar honored with historic plaque

The site of a monumental event in the LGBTQ community's fight against anti-gay discrimination was honored last week with a historic plaque. The Village Preservation and the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project on Thursday unveiled the plaque at Julius' Bar at 159 West 10th Street. The bar was the site of the first "Sip-In," an act of defiance in which members of gay rights groups entered the bar and asked to be served drinks while announcing they were homosexuals, going against the discriminatory regulations of the New York State Liquor Authority which at the time prohibited bars from serving gay or lesbian patrons.
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April 21, 2022

Chef Daniel Boulud to open casual French restaurant Le Gratin at The Beekman

Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud is opening a new restaurant in one of New York City's most iconic spaces. Located on the ground floor of the Beekman Hotel in the Financial District, Le Gratin will offer a casual dining experience inspired by the bistros of Boulud's hometown, Lyon, France. The menu will feature classic French and Lyonnais specialties and an extensive wine list with over 100 selections. Guillaume Ginther, former chef of New York's Le Coq Rico Bistro and Boulud's Restaurant Daniel, will take up executive chef duties. Boulud's new restaurant is set to open its doors on May 6; reservations will open on Resy on Thursday.
Details this way