My romance with this city started on a sidewalk my senior year of high school, and I didn’t know yet what it was, only that something in me clicked into place the second my feet hit the pavement. It took root and then began to take shape, quietly and then not quietly at all, until I knew two things for certain...one…I was going to live here one day, and two…once I did, I was never going to leave.
Between 2005 and 2020, I literally flew up two or three times a year, for any and all reasons…weddings, work trips, SO many girls trips…or even just a long weekend I talked myself into needing. I was a woman who was falling madly in love…a moth to a flame…who simply couldn’t visit this city without trying to map its soul.
This isn’t the first guide to New York I’ve ever made…it’s not even close.
Over the years, I became the one people called before their own trips. One time, my mom’s boss flew me up to be a personal tour guide for his entire office staff, women I’d never met, on his dime. I showed them the best of the best. Did I walk at true New York pace and nearly lose two of them somewhere around midtown? Absolutely…But did they also leave having the time of their lives, including a surprise set from Amy Schumer and Aziz Ansari who wandered into our show at the Comedy Cellar that night? Hell yes…they did.
There are literally a million lists already out there...Top 10s, Hot Lists, Best Ofs…a shit ton of algorithm-fed roundups, cool-kids table, pay-to-play placements dressed up as genuine recommendations. There’s a reason you see the same 20 spots highlighted. Check Eater, Resy’s Best of, or The Infatuation, they update constantly, but tread lightly, and consider these with caution.
When I was finally able to make the move here in 2020, I would walk this city almost every day, tippy top to tippy bottom…even in the height of the pandemic when it was silent and still for the first time. I was able to see and experience this place, not as a visitor, but as someone who really lived here.
I still get requests for my “spots”...the ones I’ve carefully curated and edited down for the past 20 years now. I decided to take the 20+ PDFs and pull together my own “best of” to share. Freckled Fork verified and vetted, here’s a thoughtful roster of spots I keep on repeat…and of which, I can categorically say, these gems have yet to miss.
Mise en Place
Before anything hits the pan, everything gets prepped...every ingredient measured, chopped, and in its place…that’s mise en place. And, it’s exactly how you should plan your way through the city.
There’s a temptation we all fall victim to when building itineraries for NYC. We have a loose plan, a long list and are naively convinced we can possible do it all. But, with no rhyme or reason and before you know it, you find yourself smack dab in the middle of your ill-fated plans to have breakfast on the Upper West Side, lunch in FiDi, a museum tour on the Upper East Side, and dinner in the Lower East Side. I’ve done this before…and after walking more than 13 miles and over 20k steps in one day, I wore the absolute hell out of my own and everyone else’s feet that day. You can do it this way, but I’m telling you now, you’ll hate yourself, and so will whoever’s with you.
Pick your priorities…your MUSTs…and then map them out by the neighborhoods where they reside…Broadway shows, museums, historical sites, shopping spots…map those out first and then build a few solid food and snack options around each one.
Give yourself multiple choices, and leave room for flexibility. That gap…the unplanned part…is where you actually get to feel like you live here instead of just touring it. A few loose blocks between the things you came for, where you can just walk or sit and let the city do its thing.
Food is always my priority, so years ago I came up with the best way to check off multiple spots on the list in one go: the progressive meal. For it to really work well, sharing isn’t optional. I pick four or five spots in a neighborhood and move through the day in pieces...coffee/pastries at one, a light breakfast at another, lunch split three ways at a third, an aperitivo at a fourth. Dinner is the grand finale, and it’s not one restaurant; it’s three...apps somewhere, mains somewhere else, dessert at a final spot. I know it sounds like a lot, but it’s truly one of the best ways to actually taste a neighborhood instead of just eating in it. And be adventurous…this city has more cuisines and cultures than you have days; eat something you can’t get at home.
Splitwise is a godsend of an app…because most places will NOT split checks beyond 2 or 3 cards at most (and don’t you dare try to ask for it to be itemized). Plan to rotate who covers which costs, or have one person cover the spread, and then split at the end.
Two other non-negotiables, and I don’t budge on either…nothing under a 4.0 rating (& honestly I hover between 4.5-5.0s to be safe)…this city is HUGE, and there are a thousand mediocre rooms that’ll try to charge fine-dining prices for shitty food. And two…nothing under an A rating from the Health Department. I say this as a former restaurant chef...violations happen, BUT the city gives you time to fix them, pay the fines, and get back to an A. If a place is still showing anything less than an A…it’s not bad luck, it’s a choice someone’s actively making…trust that.
Once you’re here and working through your list, there’s little opportunity to slow down to think about it; you just move. Here are some tips for how to actually get through this city without getting run over.
Your shoes are NOT the place to make a fashion statement…save it for the top half. Wear the shoes that’ll actually hold up to the mileage, the cobbled, uneven streets and inclines of Manhattan…let your jacket…earrings…whatever else do the runway work. No amount of cuteness can mask the swollen feet and awkward limping you’ll be doing by 2pm…mark my words.
Apple Pay will be your best friend…on the bus, the subway, etc. Don’t be the one fumbling with a card at the turnstile...people will literally run you over. When the train/bus arrives, wait for people to exit FIRST, and then get on…you will get hit if you try to muscle your way on before people can leave. Do NOT go in a subway car that’s empty…it’s either a hot car with no air OR worse…make good choices, people.
Manners go a LONG way. New Yorkers get a bad rap for being rude, but honestly, treating people with respect and kindness will make for a beautiful experience. Walk with purpose, and do NOT try to walk four-wide on the sidewalk. Just pay attention to whether you’re headed uptown or downtown, and step aside if you need to check your map. You know…common sense things:) Okay…here we go…
Uptown, baby…
I live in the Upper West Side and love every bit of it. These are the backyard spots I head to on my day off…
● Banh My order includes the Banh Tieu, a savory stuffed donut with sausage, sticky rice, quail egg, chicken liver pate, and pork floss, and the Bun Cha, the Vietnamese BBQ plate goddess herself every single time. Weekend brunch is a go-to; line forms at 11:30am.
● Amélie This has been on my list long before I lived here, and it’s stayed tried and true through the years. Either the West Village spot or this one; the happy hour wine flight is three amazing glasses of wine for $14. Also, get the goat cheese balls and the truffle fries and don’t overthink it.
● Tiki Chick The best tiki cocktails, hands down, and truly EPIC $5 sandwiches that punch so far above their price it’s almost rude. Get the Hot Honey Chicken, Pink Wave, and the Spam ‘n Cheese. Fun fact…it’s the same chicken from Jacob’s Pickles up the street…skip the crowded room, get the sandwich.
● Tatiana Chef Kwame Onwuachi’s pan-African spot in Lincoln Center, and this one has a special story. I walked one day and saw Kwame standing right outside, so in true Jess fashion, I said Hey, and told him how much I’d loved watching his journey on Top Chef, congratulating him on his new spot. I told him I was the chef up the street at Malka, and he then personally invited me to come eat whenever I could get a night off, and handed me the GM’s email. I took him up on it and got a reservation that same evening. I brought my friend Lauren, and from the second we walked in, we were treated like queens. The GM brought over a glass of champagne to start the meal. They all called me Chef, and I nearly died, because compared to Kwame I felt like the title didn’t even apply; I was a chef too but nowhere near that stratosphere. They sent extra dishes from the kitchen...curried goat patties with mango chutney, braised oxtail, and for dessert a cosmic sprinkled brownie with ice cream. One of the most special meals of my entire life. Snag a seat if you possibly can.
● The Owl’s Tail Inventive, delicious cocktails, great happy hour specials, and the cornmeal biscuits, which are truly to die for and can’t be missed.
● Ella Social The Brussels sprouts and the croquettes are the shoutout here, and my drink order is always the Aceitunas y Almendras...a glass of vermut with a side of their artisanal Spanish mixed olives.
Coffee is always Black Press, Frame, or Solid State, no matter what.
And yes, fine...Levain if you must. There are two locations basically on top of each other near 74th and Amsterdam. Pick whichever one doesn’t have a line, which is usually the Amsterdam one.
If you pass a Housing Works sign anywhere in the city, go in. Great thrifting, best random finds, every time. Goods for the Study, a few blocks over, is where I go for my paper obsession and things I don’t need in the slightest, but love all the same.
Midtown
I don’t love Midtown, and if it weren’t for working there, I avoid Times Square area like the plague. This isn’t a neighborhood I’d choose to hang out in, but it’s certainly worth the pass through…see the lights, see a show, and move on. But if you must, there’s a small handful of spots I’d dare detour for:
● Valerie A beautiful art deco spot for a cocktail and a snack; their gin selection is extensive and impressive.
● Mitr Thai With a 4.9 rating, this spot is near perfection…A full trip through Thai regional cooking without ever leaving the block...choose dishes from the south, east, west, and north regions, grab a signature pandan or sticky rice cocktail, and forget you’re in Midtown altogether.
● Let’s Meat My favorite all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ in the city, and the best deal going, especially at lunch ($40!). Smoky cap-grills at your table and the banchan is just as good as the mains.
● Her Name is Han Mama Han’s spot, the sweetest place right in Koreatown. Start with the kumquat Caesar salad with fried capers, tuna fish sauce Caesar dressing…an absolutely killer way in. The rice cakes and the K.F.C…boneless Korean fried chicken that’ll make you forget about the other white meat under the same name, no contest. And the kimchi pancake is the stuff of actual dreams.
NoMad / Flatiron
This is where things start to feel less like passing through and more like eating my way somewhere on purpose.
● Lola’s A fellow South Carolina girl, Chef Suzy Cupps, is behind this one. The pimento cheese, the Paraiso salad, and the heritage pork BBQ are musts for a stellar starting place and meal every single time.
● Bar Jamon In the Casa Mono family, around the corner. Vermouth from their vast selection & pan con tomate. A small, always appropriate order, and sometimes that’s all you need.
● Eataly Sometimes you don’t need a restaurant; the day is beautiful, and Madison Square Park is across the street. Pop in and grab some provisions, bread…cheese…olives…prosciutto and go enjoy the people-watching.
Not restaurants but still MUSTS in the hood. Fish’s Eddy, ABC Carpet/Home, The Grey Pearl or Nickey • Kehoe are my stops to pick up little surcees for the home, kitchen or unique gifts. Devocion or NewsBar Cafe are my stops for coffee. Union Square Greenmarket for the best of the best from local farmers, flowers, and more. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, stop through.
East Village
● Ramen by Ra A super tiny reservations-only spot, but also featuring an epic walk-up window. The BEC ramen is as epic as it sounds, and perfectly served in a convenient cup for your stroll through the neighborhood. The breakfast bao can’t be missed either.
● From Lucie I’ve been an OG fan since her early Instagram days back during the pandemic, and have ordered my birthday cake from her every single year since 2021. Her mini cakes are the cutest littles, and she makes the best gluten-free and dairy-free cakes I’ve ever had in my life; you’d honestly never know the difference. My order is usually the citrus olive oil cake with elderflower icing and raspberry, but you literally can’t go wrong with the carrot cake, and honestly everything else, too. There’s also a fun hoodoo voodoo crystal garden right next door that’s worth popping into.
● Librae. Speaking of bakeries, this spot is guaranteed to have a line, but it moves quickly. The tahini latte is a must, along with whatever pastry special they’re running for that week.
● LongCount I interviewed Chef Haley for my very first Between Bowls episode and have been a huge fan ever since her start at Cadence. She keeps the menu seasonal, fresh, and packed with flavor. You’d never even clock that it’s all plant-based, and honestly, it doesn’t matter...we could all use more plants in our lives.
● McSorley’s An institution, plain and simple. Your choice is light or dark beer. The end.
● Penny and its treasure trove of companion spots, Claud & Stars, for when you want a really special meal. At Penny. I splurge for the Ice Box, the sungolds yellowfin conserva, and the melon snapper dish. Such a special vibe, every time.
For books and other things you didn’t even know you needed...Wild Sorrel and Bonnie Slotnick for cookbooks, John Derian for gifts to impress, Kalustyan’s and SOS Chefs if you want to upgrade your own spice cabinet and pantry while you’re here.
SoHo / NoHo / Nolita
I mostly stay out of SoHo these days. It’s nothing personal; it’s just not where my life happens anymore. I only go in when I need something specific or need to restock my face lotion at Glossier. I pretty much stick to the villages and the less touristy streets, but when I have to, I’m hitting up these spots:
● Fish Cheeks An all-time favorite, and the oyster happy hour is so good, 12-5pm daily. I get the oysters, the Zaab wings, the grilled pork cheeks…and I never, ever forget a side of the sautéed cabbage.
● Ma’de This place has had my heart since they introduced their summer special corn dumplings. I always start with the chirashi, grab some dumplings, and finish with the Calamansi Butterfish. Everything else beyond that is just icing on the cake, and totally worth trying.
● King My first trip to King was back in 2016 when it opened, on a trip with my sister and my mom. It was the top of my list before we landed. An all-female team with an open kitchen small enough to watch them work and feel like they’re feeding you from their home kitchen. My first bite of their carta di musica sent me into an actual tailspin. Watching the perfectly choreographed dance of the kitchen staff, I knew right then and there I wanted to do that; I wanted to be a chef like that, and in a space like that. Everything intentional, everything with care, the kind of Italian food that’s light, airy, and fresh…and doesn’t require a wheelbarrow to get you out. Deans is their new one next door, from the same team, and I’m dying to try it, rooting for it all the same.
● Champers The spot where my husband and I had our celebratory champagne toast with friends after our city hall elopement last May. It also has a super fun shop for the most sophisticated host attached to it called Feste.
● Elizabeth Street Garden. No food here, just sit in it anyway. A must to rest your feet and your mind, and hang with the sculptures.
● Nom Wah The fast-casual version, literally run by the kids of the original Doyers Street owners, and with their own millennial spin on the whole thing. The turnip cakes with a taro crust have permanent residence in my mind at this point.
● Freemans. SoHo-adjacent…down an alley off Rivington covered in the most colorful graffiti you’ll find anywhere in this city. I was introduced to this place years ago, and it’s been another constant on my list ever since. I never leave without the devils on horseback and the Caesar salad. And the drinks...oh my goodness. On one of my trips to the city, this time with my parents, my brother Alex (who’d just turned 21) and a 2yr old Millie, we stayed at Off Soho Suites, literally right across the street from Freemans. Each night, Alex and I ended up at the bar for a nightcap and a little sibling therapy session. It was the Freeman’s cocktail for me, but the Night in La Condesa with gin, yellow chartreuse, vermouth, vanilla, basil earned repeat visits that week as well.
Chinatown / Canal / Dimes Square
● Le Dive A great spot to grab Aperol spritz, split the fries, and enjoy the whole see-and-be-seen of this super social section of Canal Street.
● Golden Diner The Honey Butter Pancakes are things of actual legend, fluffy, finished with honey maple butter and lemon zest. And I cannot leave without the Chinatown Egg and Cheese Sando...soft scrambled eggs, American cheese, a hash brown patty, all on a sesame scallion milk bun.
● Ernesto’s Basque at its absolute best, and where I’ve gone for some of my special “treat yo self” meals over the years. The last time I ate there, I saw my favorite writer and chef, Gabrielle Hamilton, sitting at a nearby table, and I just smiled; my sign I was in exactly the right place, at the right time. The gildas, the tosta de gambas, the bikini hemingway and the sardinas a la parrilla, they’ve all lingered in my memory ever since.
● Elbow Bread A line I never mind standing in. The challah croissant is an absolute must, along with the cornmeal chocolate chip cookie and the salted sweet potato pretzel. You won’t be disappointed.
My other non-food favorites here include Magic Jewelry for my annual aura reading and Happy Medium, my go-to for a little afternoon art therapy, and the Tenement Museum for a real glimpse of what old New York was like. For your afternoon caffeine boost to give you strength to muscle your way through the crowds on those narrow Chinatown streets, Hien from Vietnam, Kore, The Mandarin and Paper Sons.
West Village
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again…this is my second home, the Village is where I go when I need a mood boost or to get myself centered…
● Jeffrey’s Grocery I mentioned this spot in my post last week; I have a permanent spot at the bar. Beyond their amazing oyster happy hour, Chefs Matt & Leona kill it each week with their epic specials. The food is amazing, every single time.
● Dante The martini happy hour calls me from 3-5pm, along with their fresh wood-fired bread, butter, and the flakiest sea salt you’ve ever had. I also still dream about a particularly incredible summer special white Negroni they once ran, with a tomato wash and basil oil. I genuinely can’t stop thinking about it.
● Bar Pisellino I bring my book, sit outside, and order an Aperol spritz or a Negroni depending on my mood, and a little prosciutto panini, the one with the paper twisted on it just so. One of Rita Sodi and Jodi Williams’ most adorable corner spots, and a great spot for people-watching.
● Sushi Counter This Australian outpost boasts $5 hand rolls of super fresh fish and vegetarian rolls. One roll for $5 or three for $12, I go three, no contest.
● Dame The grilled oysters with green chartreuse hollandaise, the squid & scallion skewers, and the heirloom tomatoes with peekytoe crab and basil are ALL tops. There’s not a bad plate on this menu (or from their sister spots, Lord’s & Crevette).
I went on one of the best dates down here years ago, a progressive pizza tour of the Village, just moving slice-to-slice all afternoon. John’s is historically good, and L’Industrie is one of two lines in this whole city I actually think is worth standing in. But the slice that won the day, the actual winner, was Bleecker St. Pizza.
And coffee reigns supreme in the village, there’s really no shortage of good spots…St. Jardim, Arcane, Asano, Radiant, L’Appartement 4F and Do Not Feed Alligators. From here, I’ll almost always walk the High Line back uptown for the most beautiful views of the city, you won’t regret it.
For a Night Out
I’ll give you this much...Comedy Cellar, Gotham Comedy Club, and most of jazz spots this city was basically built on. Boho Karaoke in the LES and Baby Grand if you want to sing badly in a room that makes it feel good anyway. Actually, one of my favorite places is honestly still HaSalon, from my old restaurant group, with Chef Martin & Chef Jero at the helm; the food is the best it's ever been. After 10pm, the garage doors close and dancing on tables is highly encouraged; open Thursdays-Saturdays, reservation-only, and my go-to dance party if I ever need a pick-me-up.
Beyond that, I’m out of my depth, and I’ve made peace with that…I’m not a nightlife girl. If you want a real guide to the after-midnight version of this city, you need someone much younger than me and a whole lot more millennial.
And for my own to-do list…
This city opens new restaurants faster than any one person could ever eat through them, and there’s a real stretch of the last year or two I simply haven’t caught up on, plus a handful of spots I’ve had my eye on.
If money and reservations were no object, these are the ones I’d be sitting down at tonight...Cynthia, top of my list, waiting on a lottery win to justify it. Markette. Somssi. Noury. hed. Cleo. Mommy Pai’s. Adda. Zimmi’s. Phê and Mắm. Mūje. Prosciutto. Oriana. Torrisi. Kabawa. I Sodi. Commerce Inn. Oyatte. Kidilum. Graciela. Sono.
If you beat me to any of them, come back and tell me what to order…or better yet, come with me to cross off my list!
In Memoriam
And one last note…half the folder I used to travel with doesn’t exist anymore. Prune. The Spotted Pig. Uncle Boons. Sel Rrose. Gem Spa. Mission Chinese. Momofuku Ssam Bar. Sleep No More. Egg Shop…and so many more…Already this year, two more have left us…they were still going strong when the rent won anyway...Dan Kluger’s Loring Place and Tom Colicchio’s Craft, his flagship of twenty-five years, both gone within weeks of each other this summer. A decade of favorites, gone the way this city goes, which is fast. This city that keeps closing your favorite places is also a city that keeps making new ones worth falling for.
And I know…this is a Manhattan-based list for today. When you’re living and working every day, all day, and then carting your kid from A-to-B, errands and more, getting to outer boroughs feels like a destination or a vacation I simply can’t justify most days. BUT, it does happen, and I do have quite a list for those spots as well. Another day, another post :)
If you’ve made it this far…whew…I appreciate you, and I SEE you! Feel free to shoot me a DM or leave a comment if you need any further suggestions. You see my map at the beginning…I have WAY more to share, and LOVE doing it. This city is one of the greatest loves of my life, and I’ll take any and every opportunity to wax poetic about her for the rest of my days.
Until next time…
XO,
jess
Wow! This is great. Saving and restacking for my own reference. My daughter moved to Brooklyn after graduating college in May, and I told her “I promise I will get better at NY!” lol
So good! I love that you put this together! Now I want to plan a trip!