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Everywhere I ate and drank in NYC in 2024

On January 15th, 2024, I officially moved to New York City. It was possibly the most terrifying drive of my life. Why U-Haul allows any random civilian to just drive a 26 foot truck is beyond me. Looking back, I think I have suppressed most memories of that drive.

I only remember being hunched over the massive steering wheel, gripping it with all my strength to control the jerking on every bump. Feeling all 26 feet of vehicle full of my (and my roommates) belongings sway between the lanes. When I wasn't trying to avoid flying off the road, I was attempting to decipher the cryptic road signs. Was I a "truck"? Am I allowed on the "no trucks" highway? How high is this truck again? How much do I weigh? Also, what is my next exit? Where did my phone just fall to? I wouldn't wish those 48 hours on my worst enemy.

After arriving, and promptly returning the U-Haul, I felt like a new person. New city, new office, new friends, new apartment, new everything. This was a chance for me "start fresh" with my habits. Do I try to go to the gym more frequently? Do I try out a new hobby every quarter? Do I try to make a new friend every month?

I'll admit, I tried all of those things and promptly gave up, however, there was one thing I did consistently manage to do during my 365 days living in NYC. I recorded every single place I ate or drank from. Every restaurant, every bar, every food truck, every grocery store, every everything.

There were a couple close calls. I had to reference my credit card statements a couple times. I had to piece together some nights. I had to check my Google location history. It was annoying but I can confidently say I did not miss a single establishment.

Overall, I managed an even 300 unique establishments visited in one year. Some visited once, some more times than I'd like to admit. But 300 total unique places.

Please bear with me as I reminisce. The first half of this is data analysis, the second half is rankings.

The Map

Here is everything mapped out:

I bet you can kinda guess where I live, where I work, and what area I usually am going out in.

This is also pretty revealing of my weaknesses. I really need to visit Queens more. I really need to visit Jersey City / Hoboken more. This map crops out some of the further places I visited but you aren't missing much.

Categories

Google has two ways of categorizing places. The primaryType and the types.

primaryType is what I assume is Google's best guess at what the place is. Stuff like bar, restaurant, coffee_shop. It's ok, it's not perfect. For example, there is bar and pub and wine_bar. Should those not all be the same thing? And there's also like restaurant, pizza_restaurant, and american_restaurant? Why are some things just "restaurant" and others get a special designation? I will try my best to normalize when analyzing.

types is an array of other guesses by Google about what a place represents. A place can have many of these or none of them. This might give me more of an idea about what a place is like if the primaryType is too vague.

For example, here is what McDonald's looks like:

In the next two sections, I will summarize my visits based on these categories.

primaryType

Here is the breakdown of primaryType of the places I visited:

I took some liberties to consolidate this list down. For example:

venue is actually:

grocery_store / deli is actually:

Some notable places in the other category include:

Maybe I should have renamed the other category to hotdogs... Maybe I need to stop eating hotdogs from random establishments...

types

There are a million ways to analyze types since there are so many of them. I think I will just analyze the restaurant sub-categories.

Top visits were:

other category is appearances of 3 or less, they include:

More Metrics

Aside from types, I can also get the Google rating and the price range of every place I have visited. Here is my analysis of those.

Google Ratings

Places are ranked by people on the classic 1-5 scale. You know the deal. Here is the distribution:

I will talk about the higher-rated places later when I share my opinions but I will share now some of the lowest rankings:

Google Price Range

Google gives me the estimated cheapest amount someone spends at a place and the estimated highest amount someone spends at a place. I think these are averaged from user submissions. Not all places have this, only 66% of places I visited had an estimated price range. Also, they are very boring ranges, only options are: 1 - 10, 10 - 20, 20 - 30, 30 - 50, and 50 - 100. Not a lot of room for creativity or interesting analysis.

I'm not even going to give highlights or lowlights for this metric. Too many places missing the data, not enough variety in ranges. I'll talk about "value" (is it worth the price) later when I share my personal thoughts about all the places.

Intermission

Ok, that's enough of the data. That part was mainly for me. The rest of this page will be about what I liked/disliked and why.

Here is a picture of the view of Times Square from The Skylark.

My Personal Rankings

I don't claim to be a food critic. I don't claim to be adventurous. I didn't set out to try all the best places. I don't even claim to have good taste or high standards for what I eat. I once tried to convince my roommates years ago to see if we could eat Little Ceasers for a whole month. A "perfect month" I called it. Thankfully, for the health of my body, they shut that idea down.

This is not at all a "review of best places in NYC", it is simply where I ended up and what I thought of the places. I attribute most of the fancy establishment discoveries to my friends. My one roommate is into fine dining and will occasionally coax me to a $60 entree establishment but that's about as nice as it gets. We never set out to find "the most acclaimed".

Please enjoy my incredibly unprofessional takes on where I ate. None of these are in a particular order.

Notable Sit Down

Korean double-fried chicken thighs and gochujang sauce from The Good Fork Pub, image shamelessly stolen from Google. No photo I took does it justice.

The Good Fork Pub - Red Hook
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ib2mYhcqR4K1KhkV8
Ended up here after reservations fell through for another spot in Red Hook. Best accident of my life. They do some sort of Korean / American fusion that is absolutely incredible. I think of their food often and need to go back soon. I had their Korean Cheesesteak Sandwich their "KFC" - Korean double-fried chicken thighs, gochujang sauce.

Katz's Delicatessen - Lower East Side
https://maps.app.goo.gl/proVRTPpf1HxuhgDA
I don't care that this may be considered a "tourist spot" or "overpriced". It is delicious and always hits the spot. Located right in Lower East Side, this is a good spot to hit before or after the bars. It will save you from a hangover. Being open 24 hours on Saturdays is a lifesaver. I always get the classic pastrami + pickles.

Bricolage - Park Slope
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cMnShpo2sfzxeVhJ6
Best espresso martini. Wide range of interesting Vietnamese dishes. I hope to one day try everything on their menu. Ate there the first time and my friend got incredibly sick. Not sure if that was Bricolage's fault. Ate there a second time and I got incredibly sick. Not sure if that was Bricolage's fault. Ate there a third time and everyone was fine. I will continue going even if it is worth being sick. 2/3 visits is not great odds but I promise it is worth it.

Notable Take Out / Casual / Staples

$4 tacos from Tacos El Bronco

Rowdy Rooster - East Village
https://maps.app.goo.gl/YvMsbJtJHnwetemg7
Indian-style fried chicken sandwiches and sides at reasonable prices. Sometimes you can find seating, sometimes you just pick it up and take it to the closest park to eat. I like Indian food but have never really had it in sandwich form. This is good and a great spot for something fast and interesting if you are in Manhattan.

Tacos El Bronco - Sunset Park
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2RVNLuNmxgDxJo9eA
Ended up here after learning that the Costco food court was closed for renovations. Insane value. Massive and flavorful tacos for $3-5 each. Fast service, place is never busy. I ate 3 and nearly fell asleep on the short train ride home. I am walking back next time to burn some calories.

Ba Xuyen - Sunset Park
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mNDXhGErFwzqxa1r6
Incredibly simple banh mi sandwich shop. Cash only. Sandwiches are $5-7 each and huge and flavorful. Enough for two meals. Go with someone else, each get a different sandwich, and share. Get a shake if you are feeling fancy. Only 5 min walk to Sunset Park which is a great place to eat and look at the Manhattan skyline.

Defonte's Sandwich Shop - Red Hook
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Dqx4PxX4grW5cfpH7
I followed this dude on TikTok many years ago who made sandwiches because they looked incredible. Who doesn't like watching a beautiful sandwich get made? After moving to New York, I learned the sandwich shop was a 10 minute bus ride from where I lived. I had to go. Well worth it, I think the place is critically acclaimed as well based on the number of celebrity photos on the wall. I tried the Chenzo 13 and the Golden Boy Special. Get a couple sandwiches and share.

Notable Bars

Raines Law Room - Chelsea
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Vw6JhSALj2bvFRzC9
This place is perfect if you want to pretend you are a Fortune 500 exec plotting to acquire your competition through a series of schemes and barely-legal business maneuvers through shell corporations across the globe. You go here to discuss geopolitical issues and how they impact your investment portfolios. Dark, moody, comfortable, expensive.

Strong Rope Brewery - Red Hook
https://maps.app.goo.gl/EqoJKo7YB2dVPJY76
Classic brewery with incredible view of the Bay and the Statue of Liberty. Go grab sandwiches at Defonte's, eat them overlooking the bay, then grab some beers at Strong Rope, then grab a treat at Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie. Perfect day.

The Skylark - Rooftop Bar - Midtown
https://maps.app.goo.gl/idZgg6Vj5cBVTPfU6
High-class cocktail lounge 30+ stories up. Great 360 degree views of Manhattan and a nice peek into Times Square from above. Reasonable prices for the venue and the views. Like a 5 minute walk from my office so this is always a cool after-work spot to impress. Get a reservation.

Randolph Rooftop - Downtown Brooklyn
https://maps.app.goo.gl/o1muzSpnhkLyGcLN7
Overpriced and personally a bad selection of drinks. But the view is insane. Probably one of the best rooftop bar views in all of New York. Clear view of Manhattan skyline, Brooklyn Bridge, and Manhattan Bridge. Lots of tables. Feels "college-like". Good if you've got 6+ people and want to be outside.

Pizza

I'm scared to share my pizza thoughts because in New York, pizza is taken very seriously. Let me remind you again, I am not a professional and have not tried everything. This is just what I remember liking when looking through my list.

The perfect $3.50 lunch from Fresh Pizza

Artichoke Basille's Pizza - Midtown
https://maps.app.goo.gl/inM2iNgfJ584tCK58
Massive slices. Great flavors. Kinda expensive. It's pizza. Their artichoke slice is a must-try, very different from what you are used to.

Fresh Pizza - Midtown
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZPuvE9MtxrmnjDJFA
This is a standard "dollar slice" place. Well, now it's $1.75 slices after their renovations. I don't care. This place is 60 seconds from my office and is my lunch at least once a week. It is near and dear to my heart.

Luigi's Pizza - Park Slope
https://maps.app.goo.gl/sktXv9C4tBTgGS3U6
Good pizza, crispy crust. $17 for a large which easily feeds 3 people. Cash only. Fun to walk down 5th ave, hit some bars, then end it with Luigi's before walking home.

Honorable Mentions

A poorly shot photo taken of hot dogs and beer at Rudy's. I was excited. I think the pitcher + hotdogs cost like $8 total

Best Burger

7th Street Burger - Downtown Brooklyn
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mQGiUYShT9AngBhS8
$6.50 smash burger. Yum. Not much else to say. I see this from time to time on TikTok.

Fun Gimmicks

Tiki Chick - Upper West Side
https://maps.app.goo.gl/E38cjfLEaDtDdGnw7
Huge variety of fun chicken sandwiches, only $5 each. Every single one I have tried has been delicious. Don't be fooled by the low price, they get you back on the $15 cocktails. Walk around in Central Park for a bit then hit Tiki Chick after.

Rudy's - Midtown
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gcefHN6acC4VcBme7
Probably my favorite bar strictly because of the hotdogs and price. $3-4 draft beers. Each beer comes with a free hotdog. Does it get any better than that? Decent seating, big screens. Can get super crowded depending on how late you get there and what games are going on at the time.

Jubilee Marketplace - Greenpoint
https://maps.app.goo.gl/KK34WGp1P5RVR2LC7
$2.55 cheeseburger. $2.15 hamburger. Fun to do once or if you are in Greenpoint and need something quick.

Furthest

Dunellen Hotel - Dunellen, New Jersey
https://maps.app.goo.gl/z8VeNaNE3depzUxx6
This place is 36 miles outside of New York and took me 50 minutes and three transfers on trains to get here. Worth it. The main reason I went was because back when I lived in Atlanta and worked for AT&T, we used to travel often to New Jersey for work. Being limited in time, Dunellen Hotel was the most expensive place to spend our daily meal allowance. I think we ate there every night for a week straight once. Food is great and it was fun to revisit.

Did Not Like

Xi'an Famous Foods - Williamsburg
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eZv8C2ZAqZREiguY7
This place is critically acclaimed, hyped on TikTok, and spoken highly of by my friends. I did not enjoy it. Maybe I just don't like cold spicy noodles? It was so meh to me. I'd go again but get like their sandwich thing probably.

Conclusion

Wow, you made it to the end. Thanks for reading or good job scrolling really fast to the bottom. Hopefully, this was half as interesting to you as it was for me to write up.

Looking forward to the next year in NYC.



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