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Ready to take a bite out of New York? Hope you've come hungry. In a city where creativity is expressed in innumerable ways, the food scene takes center stage, with literally thousands of chances to taste what Gotham is all about. Whether lining up at street stands, gobbling down legendary deli and diner grub, or chasing a coveted reservation at the latest celebrity-chef venue, New Yorkers are a demanding yet appreciative audience.
Every neighborhood offers temptations high, low, and in between, meaning there's truly something for every taste, whim, and budget. No matter how you approach dining out here, it's hard to go wrong. Planning a day of shopping among the glittering flagship boutiques along 5th and Madison Avenues? Stop into one of the Upper East Side's storied restaurants for a repast among the "ladies who lunch." Clubbing in the Meatpacking District? Tuck into a meal at eateries as trendy as their patrons. Craving authentic ethnic? From food trucks to hidden joints, there are almost more choices than there are appetites. Recent years have also seen entire food categories, from ramen to meatballs to mac 'n' cheese, riffed upon and fetishized, and at many restaurants you find an almost religious reverence for seasonal, locally sourced cuisine.
And don't forget—New York is still home to more celebrity chefs than any other city. Your chances of running into your favorite cookbook author, Food Network celeb, or paparazzi-friendly chef are high, adding even more star wattage to a restaurant scene with an already through-the-roof glamour quotient. Newfound economic realities, however, have revived appreciation for value, meaning you can tap into wallet-friendly choices at every level of the food chain. Rest assured, this city does its part to satisfy your appetite. Ready, set, eat.
Just try sitting still at this lively outpost of a popular restaurant of the same name in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Set in the new Radio Hotel in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood, home to the largest Dominican community in the United States, the Latin rhythms are playing, the waiters are swaying, and the diners---mostly locals---are breaking into song with every chorus. Add delicious tropical cocktails like the signature Mamajuana Manhattan with sweet vermouth and house-made mamajuana (a spiced rum; it's the national drink of the Dominican Republic), sizzling bocaditos (snacks), and vibrant furnishings that include authentic carnival masks and D.R.-crafted cane-back chairs and stay-a-while banquettes, and you'll feel you have been transported to the Caribbean island. Menu musts include the croquetas de chivo (braised goat croquettes), sea bass ceviche served with crunchy plantain and cassava chips, chicharrón y casabe (hunks of crispy pork belly served with caramelized plantains), pecao frito (deep-fried red snapper), and seafood mofongo. It will be hard to leave room for dessert but you deserve the delicious cinco leches Dominicana soaked sponge cake. A spacious attached courtyard takes this party outdoors with live music in summer.
While it's best known for its chicken, a visit to this no-frills Dominican restaurant in Washington Heights should also include mofongo, a traditional Dominican dish of mashed plantains and crispy pork skin. Order a combo platter to try a variety of flavors; parrillada de carne comes with chicken, skirt steak, pork chops, and Dominican sausage. If you're in the area in the morning, you should try the mangú tres golpes, a traditional Dominican breakfast of mashed green plantains with fried eggs, salami, and fried cheese. There's a second location on Amsterdam Avenue and 97th Street.
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