Spoilt by choice <3
DND Edition 12: Turns out there are a lot of restaurants in NYC??????
Good morning!
Sorry about the radio silence. The truth is, I have been doing SO much writing, you guys. Like, soooooo much. I started freelancing for City & State NY and Oova, kept ghostwriting for my favorite recipe blogger, and have been cracking down on a novel that I’m really excited about. My favorite new piece is definitely this profile that I got to write about the Brooklyn Book Bodega, a small, cozy nonprofit that you should definitely check out. All this work means I have quit teaching Italian, which, as many of you know, has been a delightful-yet-less-than-lucrative pursuit of mine for a long time.
I have also been quiet because I have been spending my time reveling in the vastness of this wonderful city. Not to shit on Washington, but NY has so much more going on. And SO many more restaurants… who would’ve thought?
Alright, I know what you’re here for. Let’s get to it: here are the best restaurants I’ve eaten at since moving back to Brooklyn.
Miriam
I have a complex relationship with this restaurant. It’s around the corner from me in Park Slope, and for many years, I thought it was super overhyped—for some reason, brunch at Miriam is considered THE place to be, and they have lines out the door every weekend, which is irritating and a little baffling. Despite this, a few weeks ago I decided to try it out again, and the Mediterranean crispy dough officially drew me back in. Served with pickles, a fried egg, shredded tomatoes, and spicy harissa, this dish knocked me on my ass: it’s such an interesting mix of crispy and pillowy, with each of the toppings offering such a dynamic flavorful counterpoint. What can I say? I’m a fan again. I’m also really looking forward to trying their new sister restaurant, Skewers, which recently opened next door.
As You Are
My friend told me recently that her boyfriend’s mother had discovered a hotel restaurant that she loved so much that she proceeded to go to brunch, lunch, and dinner there several days in a row. Any place that gets that type of hype is a place I want to be, so I made a pilgrimage myself to downtown BK to check out this unlikely gem… Read more about As You Are here.
LORE
Okay, hear me out: the fried delicata squash at LORE changed my life. It’s something I would never have ordered on my own—we were doing a restaurant week special, so an appetizer was included, and we figured we might as well get some veggies in. And then, somehow, it was the best dish of the night. The fried sides of the squash slices were sweet and crunchy, almost like they had been caramelized; and the whole thing was seasoned with chili crisp, so it had a crackling heat to it. You can’t see the divine black lime yogurt that the squash was sitting on in the photo, but rest assured it’s there—and it’s a knockout. If every kitchen cooked veggies like this, I would never eat meat again. Also, huge shoutout to my former student Izzi, who happened to be my waitress and totally lit up the night.
Pecking House
Okay, yes, this is yet another restaurant that’s around the corner from me in Park Slope. Is my neighborhood super blessed, or am I just lazy? Either way, the fact remains that the chicken sandwiches at Pecking House are something special—and worth making a trip, even if you’re not living in the lap of luxury like me. Pecking House started as a pop-up during the pandemic, so the location on Flatbush is its first brick-and-mortar home. The chicken here is fried with Sichuan chilis, and the cucumbers in the classic sandwich above are marinated in soy sauce and hit you with this unexpected, vinegar-infused umami—it’s unlike any fried chicken sandy I’ve had before.
Cherry on Top
Cherry on Top opened in 2021, and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since reading this Eater article about its creator, Cerise Zelenetz, who shifted over to the bar business after a career in designing logos and menus; but somehow, I never got around to making the trek. However, when I saw that they were holding a Baba Yaga / Strega Nonna-themed dinner pop-up, I figured it was time to brave the cold, take the 2/3 to the L (horrific transfer, by the way), and see whether this place was as delightful as I had imagined it to be all this time… Read more about Cherry on Top here.
Rana Fifteen
Get this: at Rana Fifteen, you can order 15 plates (8 appetizers, 4 mezze, 1 main, 1 side, 1 dessert) to share for just $39. We did it; we HAD to. It would be mpossible to summarize this divine western Turkish feast into just a few sentences, so I refuse—let’s just say that you would be absolutely remiss if you didn’t order the Rana’s Table special when you visit. In addition to offering phenomenal food, for the past weeks, Rana Fifteen has also held several charity brunches to help with earthquake relief in Turkey and Syria—if that’s intriguing to you, follow them on Instagram and keep an eye out for the next one.
JAC’s on Bond
JAC’s on Bond is a brand-spanking-new bar that just opened last weekend in NOHO. It’s the freshest of several spots run by a Manhattan hotshot hospitality crew (also including Ray’s and Pebble Bar). Nicholas Braun (of Succession fame) was there on opening night last weekend. We went for the cocktails, which are expensive and AMBITIOUS—I had the caprese martini above, which is made with olive oil and vodka infused with tomato and basil. It has a literal cherry tomato on a stick floating in it, and yet is somehow potable despite all the ingredients I just listed. Note: every single woman in this bar had blond highlights and a blowout, which isn’t, like, a problem, but is maybe something to be aware of before you go.
That’s it! On to more yummy things…
With love,
Hannah