Best Places to Eat in The City That Never Sleeps
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Take a literal bite out of the Big Apple with restaurants that are sure to please even the pickiest palate.
New York City offers a tasty escape from the doldrums of dining. A trip to the megalopolis is a perfect opportunity to sample its wares. With hundreds of options know the best in three categories: Thai, Southern Style, and Italian.
Thai – Joya
215 Court St
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 222-3484
Hours: Mon 5pm-11pm, Tue-Thu 12pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 1pm-12am, Sun 1pm-11pm
Thai food is the new black, hip, and flavorful. For the best Thai food, NYC has to offer go to Joya, located in the heart of Brooklyn Heights. Joya’s is small with low lighting, each table is candlelit. But do not be confused, this is no first date oasis or meet-the-parents diner. Esoteric avant-garde art litters the walls. The cooking is done in plain view so the popping of the flame and banging of the pans coupled with the music at nightclub volume makes normal conversation almost impossible. So make this a girl’s night out choice or rowdy friend retreat. During the warm months escape the bounce and eat on its outside patio.
Joya’s menu prices are reasonable to downright cheap. The food is delicious and well worth more. The menu offers dishes such as Panang curry and pad see ew. If their ethnic variety confuses try the Thai staple pad thai with chicken or shrimp which is savory stir-fried rice noodles.
Southern – Virgils
152 West 44th St.
New York, NY 10036
212-921-9663
Hours: Sun-Mon 11am-11pm, Tue-Fri 11:30-12am, Sat 11am-12am
Virgil’s is the closest thing to true southern food found in the Big Apple. Conveniently located in Time Square, Virgil’s down to earth feel offers a comfortable ambiance for serious eaters. The best of country music hovers over the air and the rich smell of the barbeque promises delectable dishes. The wait staff is professional and friendly. The prices are in the medium to high range; the highest menu item being the 16oz grilled sirloin steak.
The founders claim to have clocked ten thousand miles visiting over a hundred barbeque joints past the mason Dixie line to find the best of the region and the menu tells the tale. From Memphis ribs to Carolina pulled pork the restaurant’s food is delicious. Try the Train wreck Fries topped with cheddar cheese, smoked bacon, ranch dressing, and pickled jalapenos. In a carnival mood? Start the meal off with Oklahoma State Fair Corndogs which taste scrumptious.
Italian-Bond 45
154 West 45th St.
New York, NY 10036
212-869-4545
Hours: Sun 1pm-9pm, Mon 11:30am-11pm, Tue-Sat 11:30am-midnight
Bond 45 is an exceptional throwback Italian restaurant located in the theatre district. Its antipasto bar sits like decorative art at the entrance of the eatery and beckons the nightly show crowds. The concept behind the restaurant is simple: pretend you’re in New York, in the theatre district, eating Italian food. Ok, now imagine it’s sixty years ago. Bond 45 is all the drama of Broadway’s gilded age. The building was once the Hammerstein Theater and their website reminds us that the Ziegfield follies began on the roof.
The wait staff is every bit as charming as the setup and knows the menu backward and forwards. The menu is extensive and offers the best of Italian dining options. From the antipasto bar chose the shrimp and scallop salad which is light and lemony. Gael Greene of “New York Magazine” declares their pizza the best in the city. Whatever you might decide on for the main course be sure to settle on the cannoli for dessert. This toothsome delight is the perfect way to bring the curtain down.