Howard Johnson's around Times Square used to be a favorite when I was a kid. There's some pictures of it online:
http://www.hojoland.com/timessquare.html
I loved Thai on Two in the East Village, there seems to be almost no record of it other than this
There used to be an Indian restaurant named Gandhi on 30th Ave in Astoria that was one of my favorites out of the dozens of Indian restaurants I've tried. It closed sometime in 2016.
by Neptune28
46 Comments
Spain on West 14th. Old school Spanish restaurant where everything was good and they had the best lobster deal in the city.
While I love Thai dinner I still miss uncle boon’s. Vandaag was also a great spot.
Odessa 🙁
Before it was 4 Charles, it was a paella place called El Charro Español. It was the PERFECT third date spot – you could do an app, split a paella, and get a pitcher of sangria and be out of there for $80 including a 25% tip.
I realized they’d closed when I tried to take my now wife on a third date there. Ironic that the one girl I didn’t take there for a third date married me.
Popover on Amsterdam was the best. I still crave the strawberry butter and the cozy vibes.
Honorable mention to the Coffee Shop in Union Square. Terrible service from the wannabe model/actor staff, expensive everything, but really tasty muffins. An easy spot with a bit of character to hang and nothing has really replaced it for those casual vibes in that area.
Brooklyn Star.
Ramen Shack.
wd~50.
The entire Smith Street corridor of:
Battersby, Saul, Sunken Hundred, Ugly Baby.
Florent.
So many! Off the top of my head-
Gaia Italian cafe
Old devil moon
Cafe asean
Francisco’s on 23rd st
Caracas Arepas in the e village
Rocket Pig
Tabla
Mariella Pizza, but specifically the one on E 16th St and 3rd Ave. They had a distinctive sauce that was slightly sweet. The other Mariella’s were also good, but not exactly the same as the E 16th location.
spice market
florent
mercer’s kitchen
lucky strike
jewel bako
odessa
windows on the world
le cirque
Franny’s
Coffee Shop
Schillers
the original Union Square Cafe
the original Pastis
Florent
Mas (pre fire)
Piccolo Angolo
Tortilla Flats
The Breslin and The Spotted Pig (issues noteithstanding)
…off the top of my head
So many. Just a few that popped into my head:
Marlow and Sons during the aughts.
Dumont
Northeast Kingdom
Gotham Bar and Grill
Schillers Liquor Bar
Bread on Spring St
Saul
Battersby
Oh man so many.
* Lespinasse
* La Caravelle
* Cello
* Corton
* Veritas
* Mamlouk
* Wild Lily Tea Room
* East Village Thai
* Original Angel’s Share
How much time you got?
Maryanns in Chelsea. So many memories of delicious food, huge margs & conversations that went on into the wee hours. 😮💨
Bar at Momofuku Ko
Zenkichi
Lamarca pasta. There isn’t anything like it
I will show my age, Luchows on 14th St. had great steak dish finished table side at Christmas time.
DOJO on St Marks 😭
WD 50 is greatly missed.
Hill Country Chicken
Crispo
Fish
Decoy
Babalucci
[deleted]
Cafe Orlin
Lucky Strike
Schiller’s
The Spotted Pig (for the food, and the actual place, not the stuff that went on there behind the scenes)
Gaia Italian Cafe on Houston
The original Teany
Champs Diner! the new place just isn’t the same.
Republic in USQ. I miss that Lime Chicken ramen so much
Artisanal Fromagerie & Bistro – loved having Brunch there, miss the fondue, charcuterie platter, bloody mary with horse radish…
Schillers, Minca, Rye, Northeast Kingdom, Habitat, Chat n’ Chew, Bozu, Mercadito are a few I remember fondly.
Salvation Burger. Too bad they never really recovered after the fire. It was a great concept and demn delicious, especially the smash burger.
The OG Sammy’s Roumanian location. I know it’s been resurrected and I haven’t been back yet, but there was something about how bananas it all was that I’m not sure can be recreated anywhere else.
Savoy in Nolita/Soho. I’ve only been there once and I had soup. But damn it was that good and classy I still miss it.
Also, Lucky Strike. Solid Keith mcNally bistro minus the scene
La Luncheonette – affordable and delicious French home cooking. Great Cassoulet.
La Grenouille – way out of my price range but I had a great experience there once working on a project and the hospitality and food were true perfection. A real special place.
PokPok – though I’m thankful they paved the way to a whole generation of legit regional Thai restaurants.
The Breslin. I still have yet to have a lamb burger that can beat Breslin’s
I think about Fatty Cue in Williamsburg all the time!!
Caracas in the east village – I know there’s a seasonal outpost in rockaway beach, but the sauce is not the same 🙁
Bennys burritos 🌯
Yaffa Cafe
Raclette in alphabet city 🙁
Lots of places I miss already mentioned but want to add Porchetta
Pommes Frites. IIRC the building or the one next to it blew up due to shady landlord gas repairs
[removed]
[removed]
Cheeky Sandwiches 💔
Big Nick’s on 71st, between midnight and 4am, was the vibe to end all vibes. Solid slices, odd burger options, servers who loved you to death but would also talk shit, weird staircase to a cramped bathroom that would spray you in the face with air freshener, crowd from all walks of up-too-late life from stoners to service workers to tourists to bands that just played a show.
I miss them so much.
KIEV. I will never stop missing it. Odessa is a shame too.
Ratners.
71 Clinton Fresh Food
Flip Sigi! Loved that place.
Payard– the bakery.
This is niche but we loved Kuku Canteen near Waverly place.
Dojo kinda did a slow fade to be honest.
NOHO Star. It was just a good basic place that held down the neighborhood.
There was another place in Noho that had really good salads that closed around the same time, I think they opened in North Carolina.
I miss Corner Slice.
Adding Mamas on east third
and Root and Bone!
Back 40
Cafe Lalo on W 83rd. Would go there late at nights 2-3am. Good times.
Mu Ramen, Semilla, wd50, Yaffa Cafe, Momofuku Ko