Best Dishes Our Editors Ate Last Week |
Every Monday, Eater New York editors share the standout meals we've eaten recently. This past week’s lineup includes a beautifully affordable rotisserie chicken plate and others. Today’s news roundup covers a fried chicken fingers chain’s NYC debut and more. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Substack for lots more.
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A plate lunch I’d order all the time if I lived nearby |
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The rotisserie chicken plate at Huli Huli. | Photo: Bettina Makalintal |
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The city has no shortage of high-end rotisserie chicken right now, but while I have a mental block about dropping $40-plus on half a bird, I can’t argue with a $14 rotisserie chicken plate lunch. That’s the star of the menu at Huli Huli Rotisserie Chicken, a tiny, mostly takeout spot that opened in late January from the team behind Hawaiian mainstay Noreetuh. The set features a leg and thigh of tender, deeply flavored chicken, served over a bed of rice that’s fragrant with ginger and made craveably savory with the essence of shiitake mushrooms. Honestly, I’d be happy with just that, but it also comes with a bit of crunchy salad, plus a side of your choosing and a sauce. To me, a scoop of Hawaiian mac salad (cold, creamy, slightly sweet) felt like the only option, especially on a hot day. And while I went for the umami scallion sauce plus an additional cup of sweet chipotle-soy sauce, I’d say the former is the one you can’t miss. Yes, the plastic forks are slightly flimsy, but try your best to load one up with a little bit of everything — altogether, it’s one of the best bites I’ve had in weeks. 43 Clinton Street, near Stanton Street, Lower East Side — Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter
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More fresh vegetables, please
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Much has already been said about the incredible dry-aged burger at Lonnies, the new Boerum Hill spot from the people behind Brooklyn Heights restaurant Ingas Bar (and the hype is real). But don’t skip the dishes that spotlight seasonal produce just because of the enticing meaty options. The English pea salad ($19) pairs perfectly crispy peas in the pod, and crunchy microgreens with creamy Bucheron cheese and a bright creme fraiche dressing, and a simple heirloom tomato salad lets the fresh, tangy fruit speak for itself, accented only by a light vinaigrette and some herbs. Even when the produce isn’t the star of the show — like the chicken liver mousse topped with pickled ramps and shallots ($18), or the tagliatelle with corn and tomatoes ($28) — they almost outshine the main component every time. Balance these all out with the burger ($26), which also features a generous helping of pickled onions, and some of the best fries I’ve had in a long time. 112 Bond Street, near Pacific Street, Boerum Hill — Terri Ciccone, deputy director of audience development
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A truly luxe grilled wagyu chateaubriand |
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The uni-chateaubriand at Yakiniku Great. | Photo: Nadia Chaudhury |
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The first American location of Japanese chain Yakiniku Great opened in Manhattan this summer, bringing along a decadent Japanese wagyu tasting menu. My friend and I went there to enjoy our very fancy meal, spanning lean and fattier cuts of the cow. The staff cooks the meats in front of you because there are very specific cooking times and methods for cooking the pricey, exquisite cuts. We opted for the $175 omakase with eight types of cuts, plus other dishes like grilled sweet potatoes and mochi. My favorite bite was the uni-chateaubriand ($70) that was well worth the additional price tag. The thicker cut of lean meat is cooked on the grill, and after a bit, the staffer added butter pats that melted immediately. The tender, perfectly cooked tenderloin is served with rice and topped with generous Hokkaido uni and herbs. Keep in mind that only 10 are served each evening. 12 W. 17th Street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues, Flatiron — Nadia Chaudhury, deputy editor, Northeast
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Showstopping skewered snow peas
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The skewered peats at Bourtros. | Photo: Francky Knapp |
Finally, snow peas get the star treatment they deserve: I ate at Boutros last week, a Middle Eastern restaurant inspired by the chef-owner Allen Dabagh’s roots in Lebanon, Syria, and New York City. The skewered peas stole the show; they were blanched in a simple peppercorn-coriander seed broth, then grilled over Japanese charcoal to achieve a satisfying crunch. They were served over a whipped labneh with vadouvan curry, which, as Dabagh tells me, is a milder curry that allowed for a fun “play on the idea of curried peas.” Everything was topped off with fresh mint and English peas cooked into coconut cream, perfectly balancing the brightness of the labneh with the smoky char on the snow peas. 185 Atlantic Avenue, between Clinton and Court streets, Brooklyn Heights — Francky Knapp, staff writer
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A perfect chicken Parmesan |
Most people head to this neighborhood family favorite, Water & Wheat, to watch pasta being made while choosing a shape and matching it with one of the yummy sauces. But I go here for an affordable meal with surprisingly great ingredients. I started with a fresh mista salad, which they chopped up for me. The menu is filled with options like fresh fish and vegetables, which my friend ordered, but I went for the classic chicken Parmesan ($31), which is made with free-range chicken rather than the rubbery bird you can sometimes encounter. It was a generous portion, dusted with semolina and panko, then pan-fried and baked in the wood-fired oven so that the cheese melted into a creamy mound. The tangy sauce was made with San Marzano tomatoes, of course. The plate comes with a choice of baked rigatoni or roasted Brussels sprouts. I chose the pasta, which I loved, but tried my friend's sprouts, which were also finished in the brick oven and slightly caramelized. 1379 Third Avenue, between East 78th and 79th streets, Upper East Side — Beth Landman, contributor, Northeast
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Zaxbys takes New York. | Photo: Zaxbys |
Georgia fried chicken finger chain Zaxbys opened its first-ever New York location in the Bronx this summer. The fast-food location debuted on Monday, June 29, in the East Bronx at 3260 Boston Road, at Yates Avenue. The company is already planning its second NYC location on the Upper East Side at 1267 First Avenue, at East 68th Street, opening sometime in the late summer.
Hooray! EV Grieve originally noted that East Village Chinese restaurant Mee Noodle Shop & Grill was going to close on Wednesday, July 15, but the blog now reports that the business gets to stay open. After the original report, a staffer says that the landlord "agreed to lower the rent by $3,000 a month."
Brooklyn's own Matthew Rhys was nominated twice in this year's Emmys, including his role in Widow’s Bay as the mayor of a small island town off the coast of Massachusetts. Earlier this year, we hung out with the very Welsh actor at one of his favorite NYC floating bars, where he showed me how to properly shuck an oyster.
And speaking of the Emmys: If you're a fan of the also-nominated Your Friends & Neighbors, I collected the Westchester restaurants and bars featured on the Apple TV show over on the Eater app.
The Clinton Hill location of Maya Congee Cafe has expanded with dinner service as of Thursday, July 9. This means nighttime congee with braised chicken or smoked whitefish, as well as other dishes like mapo bean curd and marinated abalone, under head chef Ranna Thou.
Bastille Day — marking the Storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution — is happening tomorrow, Tuesday, July 14. Along with many places around the city hosting World Cup watch parties for people rooting for France in the semifinals at 3 p.m., a bunch of French restaurants around the city are hosting festivities, including:
Wine bar Le Dive is hosting a party at both of its locations on the Lower East Side and in the West Village, with French 75s, music, and more, from 5 to 8 p.m.
French-Japanese tasting Tribeca fine-dining restaurant L’Abielle is bringing down Westchester fine-dining French restaurant La Bastide into Manhattan for a collaboration dinner featuring dishes like foie gras creme brulee with coffee-onion ice cream (yes, you read that right). Reservations are $295. — Nadia Chaudhury
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