Some of the city’s best Caribbean baked goods are found at this Bronx bakery steps from the end of the 2 subway line. Kingston Tropical has been at it since 1970, the yellow awning above its doorway proclaims, and indeed, this bakery has been making its patties using roughly the same mix of thyme, Scotch bonnet peppers, and ground beef for the last half-century. Other Caribbean food businesses have since joined it in the neighborhood — Paul’s Caribbean Bakery, a half mile up White Plains Road, and Champion Bakery, a block over — but demand for these smooth, crescent-shaped patties is enough that it’s not uncommon for all three businesses to draw a crowd. While there, be sure to try the restaurant’s meatloaf, chunks of stewed, pleasantly funky beef tucked into a fluffy piece of coco bread.

Our dwindling supply of Jewish delis luckily includes a few outliers, which have survived partly due to their obscure locations free from the usual challenges of NYC real estate and gentrification. Riverdale’s Liebman’s is one such case. It was founded in 1953 by Joe Liebman and the decor is pure 1950s. So slide into one of the blue Naugahyde booths and enjoy pastrami or corned beef cured on the premises, a hot dog topped with potato salad, or one of Liebman’s signature round knishes.

Africa Kine has been open in NYC since 1996, run in various locations by founders Kine and Samba Niang, who grew up in Dakar. It moved north a few years ago into a more compact space, with a menu paradoxically larger than the original. Included are such Senegalese mainstays as thiebu djen (stuffed fish and vegetables over joloff rice), mafe (lamb or chicken in a peanut sauce), and yassa (chicken or fish in a lemon and onion confit), mainly available at lunchtime. At dinner, expect shrimp skewers, grilled leg of lamb, fish balls in tomato sauce, and baked fish.

NYC’s Vietnamese food scene has drastically changed — for the better, no doubt — over the past five years or so. It’s no longer just about pho and banh mi (though we can never get enough of those staple items). A new wave of restaurants are serving lesser-seen dishes, at least for many Americans, such as the glutinous banh chung chien, or fried, crispy rice cakes, and brothy bun rieu, a tomato, crab, and pork soup, at this Upper West Side newcomer. There are plenty of classic Vietnamese sandwiches and noodle soups, as well, but the smaller plates steal the show. (Plates change often, so for those looking for a specific dish, check the menu beforehand.)

The complex, historic moles of Oaxaca have garnered much attention in New York City over the past decade, but never have they seen such a comprehensive treatment as at Ruta Oaxaca. Heralded by a hot pink outdoor structure, this Astoria restaurant specializes in moles prepared in shades of yellow, green, scarlet, and dark brown, and offers mezcal and tequila flights at several price points. The restaurant serves its food on festive plating that might make you feel like you’re vacationing on the beach or in the Sierra Madre del Sur.

The cauldrons of seafood at Mariscos El Submarino are proof that ceviche season can be year-round if you know where to look. Owners Amy Hernandez and Alonso Guzman opened this Jackson Heights storefront in 2020, known as much for its mustached submarine mascot as its generous ceviches served with tostadas and saltines on the side. Order the aguachile negro, a dramatic preparation more than capable of feeding two and packed with shrimp, octopus, and avocado in a molcajete seasoned with a touch of soy sauce.

Birria has long captivated cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, which are closer to the dish’s home state of Jalisco, Mexico. Now New York City is having its own moment, and for many, their first taste of the fat-slicked, brick-red meat was on a disposable plate from the cult-favorite Birria-Landia. Run by brothers José and Jesús Moreno, the Jackson Heights truck is often credited with putting birria on the city’s radar, and vendors slinging versions of the dish made with cheese, oxtail, and lamb have since popped up across the city. Order one of everything on the menu, including a large consomé for dunking your tacos.

Nepali Bhanchha Ghar was opened by Yamuna Shres in 2015 and has quickly cemented itself as one of the city’s most essential restaurants. Shres’ casual restaurant joins a number of Nepali restaurants that have opened in Queens, specializing, among other dishes, in the unctuous delight of momos. Here, the dumplings are served fried or steamed in a glistening tomato-based sauce stuffed with potato, paneer, goat, shrimp, beef, or chicken. Note: no alcohol is served on premises, but diners are usually busy sipping up all the savory juices anyhow. There’s no wonder that Bhanchha Ghar has won the Jackson Heights Momo Crawl multiple years in a row.

It’s a fact of life that while New York has some of the country’s best pizza, some of New York’s best pizza happens to be located in New Jersey. Razza is one fine example, another is Rick Easton’s Bread & Salt, which sells Roman-style al taglio slices in Jersey City Heights. Expect tart, umami-rich tomatoes, ultra-milky mozzarella, and bread whose crispness and airiness sometimes bears more resemblance to a good croissant than a typical slice of pizza. Weekend takeout only.

Chef Hoyoung Kim spent eight years working at Jungsik in Tribeca, the tasting menu spot that helped thrust modern Korean fare into the New York spotlight. Shortly before the pandemic, he striked out on his own with Jua, an excellent wood-fired restaurant in Flatiron. For $130, diners experience seven precise courses, including intricate banchan, delicate caviar kim, jook, and hotteok dessert pancakes. It’s an expensive meal, but it’s a much more affordable alternative to the tasting menus at Michelin-starred Korean restaurants Atomix or Jungsik.

Bolivian food is already rare enough in New York, but the Oropeza brothers have achieved an even unlikelier feat during the pandemic: They’ve taken their fast-casual sandwich and salteña concept and transformed it into a proper sit-down restaurant with more ambitious composed dishes. Bolivian Llama Party, located in the old Mi Bolivia space, offers silpancho (pounded and fried beef cutlet), fricase (spicy pork soup), chola pork sandwiches, and a stunner of a vegan jackfruit sandwich. All the classic salteñas — Bolivian soup empanadas — are available here too. Outdoor only, self-service dining.

One of the most consistent restaurants recommendations among Eater NY staffers is this restaurant devoted to the Lone Star state. With its playful interiors, affordable prices, and always-fun environment, Krystiana and Dave Rizo’s Yellow Rose is a no-brainer pick. There are always daily-changing specials with something new to find on each visit. That said, we’ll always be partial to the San Antonio-style tacos on offer — made with fresh, handmade flour tortillas that Eater critic Ryan Sutton called “otherworldly.” — are best enjoyed with a cherry coke and a side of vegan queso.

For nearly two decades, Thiru Kumar has been serving up some of the best dosas New York City has to offer, still attracting lines even during the pandemic. Kumar’s dosas — crepe-like creations made of rice and lentils — are particularly fluffy, compared to some of the crisper options in the city, and it’s nearly impossible to go wrong on the food cart’s tiny menu. The Pondicherry special, stuffed with spicy potatoes and fresh vegetables, is a surefire hit, but equally good are Kumar’s pancake-style uthappams and samosas. Closed Sundays.

You’d be forgiven if images of stuffiness come to mind at the mention of a small-plates seafood restaurant holding court next to hyped-up cocktail bar Dante on MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village. But at Dame, owners Patricia Howard and Ed Szymanski, who is also the chef, have worked hard to sidestep pretentious pitfalls and open a small-plates seafood restaurant — rooted in Szymanski’s English background — that doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s nothing precious about the menu here: Curlicues of squid are skewered and splashed in parsley oil, a humble cucumber salad dotted with meaty mussels was one of Eater critic Ryan Sutton’s favorite dishes of 2021, and the restaurant’s crispy fish and chips practically have their own fan club.

Blowtorched tripe or cactus with chicharron? Longaniza on its own or mixed with suadero? These aren’t the type of questions New Yorkers are used to asking themselves in north Brooklyn, especially not on a residential side street of Greenpoint, but standing at the counter of Taqueria Ramirez, their answers are obvious: Order one of everything. This small taqueria with an even smaller menu — six items, most days — opened last summer, becoming an immediate hit for its tacos filled with stewed meats plucked from a bubbling choricera. There are a couple seats inside the restaurant, but if the weather allows, there are few better meals than the ones enjoyed here while standing with a plate of these tacos right out front.

At one of restaurateur Ravi DeRossi’s most talked about ventures to date, Shenarri Freeman leads the kitchen with a vegan menu that puts her own twist on Black southern cooking. Freeman has impressed diners with her Southern fried lasagna (stuffed with a meatless red wine Bolognese), a crab cake made of hearts of palm, and a not-to-miss maple cornbread. The Virginia native is offering creative, comforting flavors that are helping define a new era of vegan dining in New York.

 In a city teeming with bakeries, it is an impressive feat to find one in particular that many New Yorkers find themselves daydreaming about. What sets Mel apart from its competitors is its emphasis on quality. The bakery, led by Nora Allen, offers a selection of bread loaves — such as its stunning marbled purple sweet potato country loaf — using artisanal grains, milled on site. Likewise, the bakery has several pastries always on offer that range from cinnamon rolls with candied citrus, pistachio-filled croissants, or rye chocolate chip cookies. Stop by in the morning before all the goodies are gone and bring them nearby to people watch in Seward Park.

This Cantonese favorite holds court on a stretch of East Broadway that’s now home to a handful of hip restaurants with trendy menus of natural wine and small plates where diners are surrounded by plants. But Wu’s Wonton King adheres to a different formula that’s more common in Chinatown: glistening roast ducks line the front window and there’s often a crisp suckling pig ready to be carved for one table. Whether it’s a Lunar New Year gathering or a weekend lunch, Wu’s seems to cater to any occasion. The Dungeness crabs are popular but orders of wonton noodle soup, congee, snow-pea leaves, and a selection of barbecue, from ribs to steamed chicken, are also crowd-favorites. If you want to bring along a bottle of that natty wine, Wu’s is also known for its BYO policy.

The wave of natural wine bar openings was just around the corner when LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy first opened the Four Horsemen in 2015. Today, the always-packed bar and dining room is still one of the best spots in town for good reason: It’s a place where diners can sip on a glass of fun pet-nat and find Michelin-worthy plates. It’s rare for a wine bar to hit a home run with both its drink and food menus, but this Williamsburg favorite strikes the right balance by creating a place where wine lovers, a see-and-be-seen fashion crowd, Francophiles, and restaurant enthusiasts can all sit elbow-to-elbow.

Massimo Laveglia’s naturally-leavened slice shop, which opened in 2017, underwent a major expansion last spring, debuting an indoor counter space and a serious outdoor dining area. The net result is that this neighborhood institution now boasts some of the comforts of a proper sit-down restaurant, except with a menu that pretty much remains pizza-only. But what pizza it is, with chewy crusts nearly as thin as matzoh. Expect a selection of 10 or so slices, including a serious burrata slice, juxtaposing tart tomato sauce with cool, creamy dairy. Do not miss whatever soft-serve gelato is on tap for the day.

Bushwick has emerged as one of Brooklyn’s premier dining destinations in recent years, a neighborhood where upcoming chefs can test inventive restaurant concepts at a fraction of the cost in rent. Anchoring the dining scene is Falansai, a Vietnamese restaurant that changed its owner — but not its name — amid the pandemic. Chef Eric Tran, an alum of Blue Hill at Stone Barns, is now helming the kitchen, and his Vietnamese cooking is inflected with distinct American and Mexican touches, like avocados stuffed into spring rolls and rice cracked paired with chicken liver brûlée.

Restaurateur Jeff Katz and chef Chef James Kent have joined forces again for this tasting menu sequel to Crown Shy, located on the 63rd floor of the Art Deco 70 Pine building. The $245 menu normally begins with pre-dinner cocktails on a terrace with panoramic nighttime views of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Then you move inside for a modern European meal with occasional Japanese, Latin-American, and North African influences. Expect dishes like fluke six ways (ceviche, rolled into a shiso leaf, bruleed as a tiny chop), egg custard with caviar, and a large format duck with harissa aioli and m’smen flatbread. Head further upstairs afterwards for more cocktails (and views) at Overstory.

A revival more than two years in the making, Brooklyn institution Gage & Tollner — from restaurateurs Sohui Kim, Ben Schneider, and St. John Frizell — has been well worth the wait. Grab a martini at the bar and settle in for a parade of nostalgic New York fine dining staples like shrimp cocktails, oysters Rockefeller, and hulking ribeye steaks. Cap off the meal with a photogenic baked Alaska, from star pastry chef Caroline Schiff.

Al Badawi opened last November, a follow-up to its Palestinian restaurant sibling Ayat, which opened to critical acclaim the year prior. For his new venture, Abdul Elenani teamed up with Yemen Cafe owner Akram Nassir. The menus at both spots overlap in many instances, but Al Badawi’s kitchen and seat count in general is much more sprawling, allowing the Brooklyn Heights venture to be more ambitious. The menu includes mezze platters, kebabs, rice platters like the ouzi beef, and several flatbreads like a pistachio-and-cheese version. Ingredients, where possible, are sourced directly from Palestinian farmers but Elenani also has his own farm in New Jersey, where he produces his halal lamb and beef for his menu.

There’s often a line snaking toward the door at this Bed-Stuy institution, where customers are lured in by the spicy-and-sweet smell of fried doubles. The traditional Trinidadian breakfast item — which are perfect anytime of the day, really — features a fluffy fried flatbread brimming with curried chickpeas. The owners, Noel and Geeta Brown, opened their shop in 2002 and won a James Beard Award in 2019 — a nod to the Trini specialties and the neighborhood’s rich Caribbean history.

When it comes to Sichuan fare, family-owned Chuan Tian Xia in Sunset Park is a master at the form. The colorful, upbeat restaurant plays with heat and spice levels to deliver dishes that go beyond the mouth-numbing and make for lasting, entertaining meals. It’s hard to go wrong on the menu: The zingy griddled cauliflower morphs the sleepy vegetable into a rich, formidable star; delicate whole tilapia and grouper wrapped in parchment paper come apart in a savory, scented cloud at the table; and don’t miss the impressively thick and creamy salted egg yolk tofu.

This Mexican restaurant in Bay Ridge successfully channels the vibe of San Miguel de Allende, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Guanajuato, Mexico, famous for being an arts center. The menu includes the town’s signature enchiladas de Allende, stuffed with cheese and smothered in more cheese. Other dishes worth ordering include the sopa de panza, a tripe soup renowned as a hangover remedy. With its carved wood folk motifs, the decor makes you feel like you’re in a northern Mexican mountain village.

This BYO Brighton Beach staple remains one of the city’s finest restaurants for top-notch, affordable Central Asian fare. Kashkar in particular is a halal Uzbek Uighur restaurant, though the venue’s name refers to the city in China’s Xinjiang province, where the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs face continued persecution — and possibly genocide. Menu highlights include a tart, Korean Uzbek-style carrot salad; stretchy lagman noodles in a spiced, vegetable-laced meat broth; and samsa, flaky pastries filled with lamb.