EGN NEWS DESK
How was your vacation season? I hope you ate loads of pigs-in-blankets, and toasted to the top of the 12 months. Mine was pretty, however I’ll admit that I overdid it with just a few too many nights of “Let’s get dinner someplace festive earlier than all of us depart city!” The antidote to a hedonistic season of life, for me, is recommitting to nights on my sofa, chopping again on restaurant meals and cooking as a rule.
During months like these, the eating places I do find yourself at want to fulfill just a few {qualifications}: informal and straightforward to stroll into, with meals that feels extra homey than restaurant-y. At the next eating places, you gained’t discover any plating that requires tweezers or reservations being offered for lots of of {dollars} — simply snug, glorious meals.
A restaurant that really feel like somebody’s condominium
Sunn’s opened in Chinatown simply earlier than the brand new 12 months, and is a everlasting dwelling for the chef Sunny Lee’s cooking after her many fashionable pop-ups. It’s tiny, with solely 24 seats together with the bar, dimly candlelit and heat, principally how I need my dwelling to really feel on a regular basis. The rotating unfold of banchan (which, after I went, included cabbage kimchi, show-stealing potato salad, eggplant namul and acorn jelly), served with steamed rice, could be an ideal meal by itself. But it’s even higher with no matter stew Sunny has roiling behind the bar (for me: hobak chigae wealthy with beef quick rib), a meal assured to nourish.
139 Division Street (Canal Street)
… Someone’s actually, actually fancy condominium
Welcome to Gem Home, a spot that sells covetable $190 cleaning soap dispensers, minimalist desk lamps and, in multihyphenate vogue, a rotating checklist of sandwiches and salads. Lunch right here is perhaps an herby smoked trout sandwich on skinny slices of focaccia, a bowl of savory mushroom porridge, or a brilliant scoop of celery and citrus salad. And within the again is an oops-all-neutrals eating room that’s dwelling to lengthy communal tables, with exponentially extra seating than the typical NoLIta restaurant, studded with dramatic taper candles and flanked by artwork you would like you would afford.
181 Mott Street (Kenmare Street)
Plus, a lightning spherical of some healthy-core dishes
One factor about me is that I really like a hippy-dippy restaurant with mismatched décor, steamed greens and a really lengthy checklist of smoothies. There was once loads on this style (relaxation in peace to Angelica Kitchen, Jivamuktea Café, and the unique Souen), however one that is still is Abracadabra Magic Diner in Ridgewood, Queens (not too long ago relocated from Williamsburg). It’s an order-at-the-counter-and-seat-yourself state of affairs with hand-muraled partitions and a protracted menu, the spotlight being a bowl of zaatar-marinated tofu with avocado, pink pepper sauce and many seeds served over brown rice. Wholesome!
Another bowl of heat meals that makes me really feel heat, spiritually? The “energy bowl” at Dimes, which I lovingly check with as “my slop,” a bowl of black rice topped with stewy black beans, creamy salsa verde, sliced avocado and pumpkin seeds.
And, even within the weeks that restaurant burnout looms over me, the coconut curry soup with tofu and bouncy udon noodles at Lovely Day in NoLIta makes me keep in mind that glorious meals is usually nonetheless price leaving the home for.
Abracadabra Magic Diner; 566 Onderdonk Avenue (Menahan Street)
Dimes; 49 Canal Street (Orchard Street)
Lovely Day; 196 Elizabeth Street (Spring Street)
