That's good to know. Joe and pats is on my list as well and we'll try to sneak it in.

Ram4 wrote:I'm currently out in LA for an extended stay and they have Joe's here. I tried Prince Street Pizza on Sunset Blvd which was our "home base" pizzeria in New York (we went there just about every morning it seemed) and it was not as good as NY. Oh well. I may try Joe's at some point here and I will definitely try Roberta's in Culver City which I loved in Brooklyn. Otherwise the pizza out here, as expected has been meh. I did find a possible Chicago thin joint that looks legit which I plan to hit soon.

Sorry to hijack, but Bianco is really great. Also, it opened right after I left, but people are raving about Schellz (Detroit-ish style, based on shokupan dough). Very curious to try it. Also some good-to-great Neapolitan, which I know you don't care for.

Made an annual trek to NYC and wanted to provide a few highlights:

Okiburu House of Tsukemen A new tsukemen spot opened in the LES. Definitely the best version i've had outside of Tokyo. Thought the noodles were perfect and the dipping broth was fantastically flavored

Bo Ky I usually stay in Manhattan's Chinatown, which allows for some wonderful eating options. Stopped into Bo Ky one morning and had their Beef Belly Flat Noodle Soup. It was legit one of most satisfying breakfasts i've ever eaten. Also made my first stop into Xi'an Famous Foods. Hand pulled noodles here were fantastic!

Matsunori As i was making group dinner plans, realized that NYC has seen a large influx of "affordable" omakase sushi restaurants. Ended up selecting Matsunori based on availability and it being BYOB. $79 for 13 pieces and a handroll. I left thinking places like this would thrive in Chicago and that i'd expect some to pop up in the near future

Scarr's and Joe's We did some pizza crawling and these 2 have become very dependable spots along the way. Scarr's was objectively better, but can't beat the quintessential NY slices that Joe's serves.

NYC is filled with cocktail bars/bars. A few favorites were:
Bar Goto Great drinks and they had fantastic wings
Analogue Nice, relaxed cocktail bar in the west village
Pubkey Divey cocktail bar in Greenwich Village which had great drinks and a helluva food menu (smashburgers, hot dogs, chopped cheeses)
Bar B This was an Italian standing tapas wine bar with Japanese influences in Chelsea. Alright, that's a lot of words that don't seem to go together. But it was great, and if i lived near here, i'd be a regular

This was my 3rd trip to NYC since Sep '21 and it was first time the city felt back to "normal". Also, I still can't believe how much nicer LaGuardia is now compared to before.

Good timing, since I’m currently in NYC. Gonna try to hit that tsukemen place if there’s time.

We’re staying in K-Town, so most of my recs are from around here. For a quick, cheap lunch E-Mo Kimbob is a take-out window serving up made-to-order kimbap in a dozen or so varieties. We tried the eel and the spicy squid and both were very fresh and delicious. Tried to ask the two ladies who were constantly cranking the stuff out if they were indeed emo, but got a confusing answer. Great lunch, though. (CASH ONLY)

Two names that always come up when you ask for where to eat in K-Town are Her Name is Han and Osamil. The first serves pretty exemplary versions of the classics (stews, pajeon, bibimbap) without necessarily reinventing the wheel; the second takes all sorts of liberties and combines disparate cuisines. I’d happily eat at either again, but there are so many more things I want to try at Osamil. It’s in a similar genre to hanchic in LA and (Maybe? Never been) Jeong. The uni bibimbap had so much flavor.

Hey, remember when everyone went crazy over xiao long bao? Back before ramen and Detroit pizza and whatever everyone’s excited about now (cordyceps, I guess?) Anyway, for a time there, Nan Xiang in Flushing was considered by many as a top practitioner of the art. A few years ago it closed, then reopened in a bigger space and now there’s Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao in Manhattan. To me, the xiao long bao here are not quite as memorable as those original ones were, ten years ago, but who knows if I’m just mythologizing. Still very enjoyable!

Finally, I think I already wrote about it in the other thread, but I just want to reiterate how awesome All’Antico Vinaio (2 locations) is.

Ooh, we hit up All’Antico Vinaio as well and can vouch for the awesomeness. It was right after a late breakfast so I didn't appreciate it fully. But definitely worth a visit.

The tsukemen place opens at noon but seems to seat folks a little earlier than that. Otherwise it seemed to fill up fairly quick.

cilantro wrote:Finally, I think I already wrote about it in the other thread, but I just want to reiterate how awesome All’Antico Vinaio (2 locations) is.

By the light of Dear Sweet Carol Channing's Ghost, All’Antico Vinaio has me looking up flights to NYC

Dolcezze D’Autunno
Lardo, gorgonzola, truffle honey