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

➽ Since the success oftheirhit

Long Island City canteen,Adda,

a couple of years back,Chintan

Pandya and Roni Mazumdar

have opened two morecrowded,

successful restaurantsdesigned

to push New Yorkers outoftheir

normal tandoori-chicken-loving,

masala-slurping comfort zones

into regions of the “unapologetic

Indian” dining culturewhere

many this

festive

establishmentonthenorthern

edgeofthenew Essex Market

buildingis theonlyonewhere

youcanfindbubblingpotsof

muttonpreparedtheway the

muttonchefs intheEast Indian

stateofBihardoit alongwith

helpingsofcurrieddogfish,a

specialtyfromthecoastalvillages

aroundMazumdar’shometown

ofKolkata.Thediningroomis

decoratedwithmodishmurals

andset withslightlytoosmall

café-styletables,butif you’rein

themoodfora propergastronaut

feast,bookyourseats inthe

enclosureoutside,whichis

strungwithbrightlightsand

coveredwiththekindof

corrugated-metalroofyouseeat

streetsidevenuesaroundIndia.

Pay specialattentiontothe

under-$20barandstreet-food

snacks—theKashmirilambribs;

thefriedpomfret fromMumbai;

thespongy, eggychhenapoda

dessertfromthestateof

Odisha—thatinthisuncertain

eraoflimitedtravelmake you

feel,at least fora littlewhile, like

you’reoutexploringthegreat

wideworldagain.

Thereareprobablymorestylishnew restaurantsaround the

cityandplacesservingmoreelaboratedesserts orimpressive

cutsofbeefsteak.Butnoneofthemembodiesthespiritof

perseverance,community, andrevivalduringthisgrimchapter

inthecity’shistoryquitelike St.JohnFrizell,BenSchneider,

andSohuiKim’s reimaginingofthisvenerableNewYorkdining

landmark,whichbeganlifebackin 1879 amongtheoyster

standsandbeerhallsalongFultonStreet. Withitsrowsofgiant

antiquehat hooksandvintage gaslightchandeliershanging from

theceiling,theroom,whichtookovera yeartorestoreandwas

crowdfundedbylegionsoflocalfriendsandneighbors,is one

ofthewondersofthisstrangerestaurantseason.Whenyou’re

seatedina spaciousbooth,besuretoexploreFrizell’sdrinks

program(geta martiniora Rob Roy) and the traditional dishes

on Chef Kim’s eclectic, accessible menu (the bone-in rib eye,

the crab cake, the old-fashioned clam-belly broil updated with

a touch of miso). Go also for the ambience, which, on a busy

Saturday evening, when the room is filled with alte kakers from

the neighborhood savoring their roast-chicken dinners and

young Bushwick swells sipping cocktails at the bar, manages to

feel both familiar and uniquely new at the same time.

Gage &Tollner’s

baked Alaska.

Dhamaka

119 Delancey St., at Essex St.

212-204-8616

44 newyork| january3–16, 2022

Gage& Tollner

372 FultonSt.,nr. SmithSt.,

DowntownBrooklyn; 34 7-689-3677

where to eat

A Diner’s Dozen

From a resurrected 19th-century landmark to an au courant vegan

counter, the 12 best new restaurants to eat at right now.