New York Magazine - USA (2022-01-03)

Afterthelockdownsandpantry diets andfreezinghalftodeath

intatteredoutdoordiningshacksjust togeta fixofa well-made

bánhmìora bowlofsoupora properlymixedmartini, 2021 was

a yearoflittlemiraclesforthoseofuswhospendourtimeobsess-

ingoverwheretofindallthebest andmost deliciousthingstoeat

(anddrink)aroundthisgreat diningcity. It wastheyearinwhich

addled,overfedrestaurantcriticsputdowntheirpoisonpens(ex-

ceptconcerninggourmettastingmenusandcertainradicallyover-

pricedveganjoints),threw awaytheirloftystarsystems,andgave

thanksforallthesmallpleasureswehadmissed,like a coupleof

eggsovereasy(withfreshorangejuice)at thelocaldinerona

weekday morning,orearly-eveningdrinkswitha friendortwoat

thebackofa darkandempty bar, orthesenseofhappyanticipa-

tiononegetswhenonesitsdownina crowdedrestaurantand

surveysa new menuforthefirsttime.

Likemany avidbig-city eaters,I foundmyselfmakingupforlost

timein 2021 bygoingonmadbendersthroughthefamiliarpizza

meccasofBrooklyn(thesimplemargherita

sliceat L’industrie)andrestorativewontonand

noodleexcursionstotheoldfavoritehauntsin

Manhattan’sChinatown(frozendumplingsat

ShuJiaoFu Zhou,theshrimp-wontonsoupat

GreatN.Y.NoodleTown).I swilledmartinisat

crowdedbarsin Brooklyn(theRockwellPlace),

sippedjuniper-flavoredsojunegroniswithmy

tray ofKorean-stylekimchee-brinedfried

chicken(at theexcellentPorcelaininQueens),

enjoyedfurtiveomakasedinnersat big-ticket

sushidensinTribeca(theyoungTokyosushimasterShionUino’s

eight-seatcounterat 69LeonardStreet),andmerrilyconsumedso

muchveganandplant-basedcuisinethat someofmy oldbeef-eater

colleaguescalledtoinquireif I wasallright.

Thiswasalsotheyearinwhicholdrestaurantveteranslike me

foundourselveswanderingaroundtownlike Londonconstablessift-

ingthroughtherubbleaftertheBlitz,notingthefavoriteplacesthat

haddisappeared(ofwhichtherearemany)andcheckingonhow

othersweresurviving.In my neighborhood,a new operationcalled

GothamhasreplacedtheoldGothamBarandGrillon12thStreet,

andsomerestaurantsaredoingmorebusinessthanthey werebefore

thankstotheoutdoordiningrooms,many ofwhicharestrung,like

riverbarges,withbrightlightsandgarlandsof plasticflowers.Before

thislatestOmicronwave,Broadway’sRestaurantRow, on46th

Street,wasbuzzingagain,at least fora while,andthegrandchefs in

theneighborhood,many of whomhadthedeep-pocketedbackersto

outlastthefirstlongcovidwinter,toldmetheirbiggestproblemwas

findingthestafftofeedallthepeopleclamoringforreservations.

Thesestaffingproblemswon’t disappearanytimesoon,ofcourse,

andaswithotherindustriesstrugglingwithcovidaroundthecity,

thelong-termsurvivalofrestaurantswillhinge onfundamental

thingslike money andlocation.“We’vehadourbest monthever,”the

bartenderat a prosperousMichelin-approvedestablishmenttold

mewhenI droppedinfora drinknotlongago, thougha coupleof

blockswest, theVendyAwardswinnerMDAlamsaidbusinessat

hisexcellenthalalcart on44thStreet andSixthAvenuehadticked

uponlyslightlyoverthepast year, andunlessthemassofoffice

workersreturned,hedoubtedhewouldmake it throughanother

winter.“Weusedtohavefourcarts andfourcookslineduphereon

theblock,” hesaidashetwirledupmy usualchicken–tikkakati roll,

whichat $7is oneofthebest culinaryvaluesinthecity, “butI’m

afraidthesedaystheonlypersonhereis me.”

Whatsorts ofdiningfashionsandtrendshavewedivinedinthis

slowtwilightworldofrecovery, asspooky newvariantscontinue

toemerge fromacrosstheseaandthereality ofanotherlongwin-

terseasononceagainbeginstoset in?As it haseverywhereelse,

covidhassuperchargedsometrends(restaurantpantryshelves,

outdoordining,overpricedroastedbeets as

anentrée)andmercifullyblastedother,

tiredonesintooblivion.Lugubriousfour-

hourtastingmenusareout,andthecomfort

andsimplicity offreshlybakedbreadora

bowlofTuscanbeansoup,say, ora smoky,

wetlamb-birriatacodevouredinthecold

outdoorsarein.ThehauteFrench-based

gourmet modelhashada goodlongrunin

theupperechelonsofthecity’sculinary

scene,butwhowantstospendcashonthe

sameoldfussyrecipeswhenNewYorkis alivewitha rainbowof

interestingnewkitchensservingfoodfromIran,orthemutton-

richIndianregionofBihar, ortheAegeanSea?

You’ll finda patchworkoftheseflavors,styles,andfashionsrep-

resentedinourhighlysubjectiveroundupof onecritic’s favoritenew

restaurantsofthepast year. Therearetiny formerpop-upsonour

listandimprobablydeliciousbig-money ventures.There’sa won-

derfulvegansoul-foodspotthat I wishwereseveralblocksnearer

tomy apartmentanda great barbecuedestinationintheBronxthat

mydoctorsarehappytohaveasfaraspossiblefromtheirpatient’s

usualfeedinggrounds.There’sa restaurantservingregionaldelica-

ciesfromthefarcornersofIndiaandanotherthat makesyoufeel

likeyou’vewokenupfroma baddreamandarediningamongthe

oldchophousesandoystershacksofBrooklynca.1952.Arethere

otherworthyestablishmentsnotonthelist?Ofcoursethereare.

Andtherewillbeplenty morein 2022 becausetheonethingthat

willnevervanish,asanyonewhohasstuckaroundinBrooklynor

theBronxorthefancy ZipCodesofManhattanoverthesepast two

star-crossedyearswilltellyou,is that irrepressibleNewYorkCity

appetitefora goodmeal.

IllustrationsbyGrahamRoumieu

When people

ask me where

to eat now,

my answer is

“Everywhere.”

ack during the dim, distant pre-covid days when year-end dining wrap-ups like this one

were concocted, the idea was to give our readers a sense of the latest breathlessly trendy

dishes and dining fashions in a city that viewed itself as the restaurant capital of the world

but also, in a strange, jaded way, took that culture for granted. Now, as one ominous virus

wave replaces another and the covid plague continues to hover like a persistent fog over

the city, the opposite is true: That invisible web of community and spirit and identity of the great network

of chophouses, haughty gourmet destinations, ramen parlors, red-sauce joints, frozen-dumpling depots,

and Peking-duck houses has never felt stronger or more central to the sense of health and well-being of

the city. When people ask me where to eat now, my answer is “Everywhere.”

B