Frenchette and Atomix Top NYC Critics’ Best of 2018 Lists

Critics name their favorite new restaurants of 2018

As the year comes to an end, NYC’s food critics are having their say about their favorite new restaurants of the year. Pete Wells from the Times and Adam Platt of Grub Street both say the following places have shined above the rest in 2018: Atomix, Frenchette, Momofuku Ko (the bar), La Mercerie, Shabu Shabu Macoron, and Adda. Eater’s own Ryan Sutton agrees with most of that list, except for Shabu Shabu, which didn’t make onto his year-end review. Wells also sheds love for Shoji and Misi; while Platt shines a spotlight on Oxomoco and Saint Julivert Fisherie.

...and they say these dishes stood above the rest

Meanwhile, the Times’ Ligaya Mishan delivered her top cheap eats of the year — including lu rou fan at East Village Taiwanese hotspot Ho Foods, sukuti momo at Woodside’s Momo Crave, and a mango shake at Bensonhurst Vietnamese noodle shop Em. And back over on Grub Street, more best dishes were named in the Underground Gourmet — like Superiority Burger’s focaccia, Madcap Cafe’s bacon, egg, and cheese wrap, and Atla’s cacao tamal dessert. The Times’ Pete Wells also named some of his favorite dishes of the year, which included garganelli gigante at Don Angie and French toast from Kopitiam. See Eater critic Robert Sietsema’s best dishes here.

35-year-old Bronx diner closes

Crown Diner in the Bronx has closed after 35 years due to a lease expiration, Welcome 2 The Bronx reports. The 24-hour restaurant at 79 East 161st St. wasn’t given the option to renew its lease because the landlord plans to expand a bank branch into the spot, according to the blog. The diner closed last Sunday, December 9.

Taco chain sued by restaurant supplier over $70,000-plus debt

A restaurant supplier is suing taco chain Choza Taqueria for $73,677 worth of unpaid goods, according to a lawsuit. Choza has stores in the Gotham West Market in Hell’s Kitchen, as well as Flatiron, Midtown East, and Financial District — and all of them are named in the lawsuit filed by I. Halper, a New Jersey-based restaurant supply store. I. Halper claims Choza owner Matthew Wagman intentionally ordered supplies knowing he wouldn’t be able to pay for them, making him personally liable for the “fraud” committed, the suit alleges.