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Our editors reveal 25 not-so-guilty pleasures.
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Banana Cream Pie @ Blue Smoke
116 E 27th St New York, NY
Pastry chef Jenn Giblin blends walnuts into the vanilla-wafer crust for her custardy banana cream pie. Nearly half its height comes from whipped cream.
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Bark Dog @ Bark Hot Dogs
474 Bergen St Brooklyn, NY
Chefs Joshua Sharkey and Brandon Gillis source franks from a producer upstate and make excellent condiments for their eco-friendly fast food joint in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
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Black Label Burger @ Minetta Tavern
113 MacDougal St New York, NY
Famed purveyor Pat La Frieda blends dry-aged rib eye, skirt steak, brisket and short rib for the Black Label Burger, served on a Balthazar Bakery bun with a tangle of caramelized onions.
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Brussels Sprout & Pancetta Pizza @ Motorino
349 E 12th St
Belgian chef Mathieu Palombino cooked at BLT Fish before perfecting his bubbly pizzas. Toppings are classic and avant-garde from fior di latte mozzarella to frizzled brussels sprouts with pancetta.
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Chang Dog @ PDT
113 st. marks pl New York, NY
Chefs who drink at Jim Meehan’s speakeasy—entered via a phone booth in the East Village outlet of Crif Dogs—came up with unique hot dog specials served only at the bar. The [David] Chang Dog is deep-fried and topped with Momofuku kimchi.
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Clam Pizza @ franny's
295 Flatbush Ave Brooklyn, NY
This hyper-local Italian restaurant changes its antipasti and pastas often, but regulars order the signature clam pizza with shucked clams, a touch of cream, chile flakes and parsley.
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First Prize Pies @ Roni Sues Chocolates
120 Essex Street New York, NY
After winning a local bake-off, Allison Kave launched First Prize Pies in Brooklyn with flavors like s'mores. Kave now sells the pies online and at her mom's chocolate shop in Essex Street Market.
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fried chicken @ Pies-N-Thighs
166 S 4th St Brooklyn, New York
“I'm on the record as a fried-chicken freak…It's taken me a while to make my way to this place, but as an avowed lover of chicken, I couldn't miss it. I adored its homey mood and comfort food.”—Editor in Chief Dana Cowin
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Hazelnut gelato @ Grom
233 Bleecker Street New York, NY
Lemons from the Amalfi Coast, almond paste from Sicily and hazelnuts from Piedmont are just a few of the exceptional ingredients Guido Martinetti and Federico Grom use for their Grom gelati and sorbetti.
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Hoyt Dog @ Mile End
97 Hoyt Street Brooklyn, NY
Owner Noah Bernamoff’s obsessions—Montreal and smoked meat—inspired this Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, deli and its signature brisket sandwiches. But he also uses the LaFrieda-sourced cut to make hot dogs, served on house-made potato buns with sauerkraut.
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Jalan Alor Chicken Wings @ Fatty Crab
2170 Broadway New York, NY
Chef Zak Pelaccio pays tribute to the street food he fell in love with when he lived in Kuala Lumpur. Pelaccio's favorite cart sold chicken wings, which he's re-created using ginger, fish sauce and molasses for a richly pungent Malaysian sauce.
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Lamb Sliders @ Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich St New York, NY
Except for the Italian goat cheese, every part of Andrew Carmellini’s lamb-meatball sliders is made in-house: The chef grinds the lamb with onion, simmers the meatballs in tomato sauce, then serves them on Parmesan-onion buns with cucumber pickles.
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Margherita Pizza @ Totonno Pizzeria Napolitano
1524 Neptune Ave Brooklyn, NY
Before New York pizzas shrunk to puffy, chewy disks that come with DOC mozzarella and serve few, tastes ran toward thin crusts and meal-size slices. The Coney Island institution made its name with big, saucy Neapolitan pies and it has since expanded to three other locations in the city.
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Mini Cupcake @ Kumquat Cupcakery
East River Waterfront (btw. North 6th 7th Sts.) Brooklyn, NY
The Brooklyn Flea stall hawks mini cupcakes in fun flavors like coffee-caramel-bourbon and P.B. Banana Honey. Owner Keavy Landreth frosts with an eye towards height, so there’s equal frosting to cake.
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Mozzarella Antipasto @ Torrisi Italian Specialties
250 Mulberry St New York, NY
At Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi’s Nolita hit, the first antipasto on the dinner menu is one of the few staples on the ever-changing menu, and a reason to come back: mozzarella made so recently it’s still warm, in a bowl of milk thistle–infused cream and olive oil.
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Oatmeal Cake Doughnut @ Doughnut Plant
220 West 23rd Street New York, NY
At his new Chelsea location, Lower East Side doughnut pioneer Mark Israel masterminded a glazed oatmeal cake doughnut, sprinkled with the usual granola suspects like dried fruit bits, oats, and seeds.
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Pork Buns @ Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave New York, NY
Fried chicken, reserved for groups, is a contender among the city’s best, but it’s hard to eat here without ordering David Chang’s steamed buns—no matter how hyped the pork belly sliders have become.
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pretzel @ Prime Meats
465 Court Street Brooklyn, NY
The German-influenced spot is beloved for its handmade pretzel appetizer served with homemade mustard and butter. The warm braid stays soft and chewy along the ring and narrows to a hard pretzel at the twist.
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Red Velvet Cupcake @ Billy's Bakery
184 9th Ave New York, NY
Among New York’s sugar-surged standbys, Billy’s makes wonderful banana cupcakes with a supermoist, spiced base and cream cheese frosting.
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Regina Margherita @ Keste' Pizza & Vino
271 Bleecker St New York, NY
Chef-co-owner Roberto Caporuscio worked as a cheese salesman in Italy before he opened Keste, one of the best Neapolitan pizza spots in New York City.
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Salted Caramel Cupcake @ Dessert Club ChikaLicious
204 E 10th St New York, NY
Pastry chef Chika Tillman whips the lightest buttercream for dainty red velvet and salted caramel cupcakes that are just a step up from being mini.
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Seasonal Doughnut @ Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich St New York, NY
Andrew Carmellini’s pastas and lamb sliders rule at night, but Karen DeMasco’s pastries own breakfast and brunch, to stay or go. In addition to classic cinnamon-sugar doughnuts, there are limited-edition flavors like blueberry in summer or apple, come fall.
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Shack Burger @ Shake Shack
11 Madison Avenue New York, NY
Über-restaurateur Danny Meyer channeled St. Louis for his fast food empire, which specializes in the ShackBurger. The smash-griddled Black Angus patty comes in a grilled potato bun with American cheese, tomato, lettuce, and a creamy condiment mix called ShackSauce.
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Spotted Pig Burger @ The Spotted Pig
314 W 11th St New York, NY
Chef April Bloomfield’s Spotted Pig Burger, topped with Roquefort cheese, has as much local cred as the gastropub’s celebrity investors: Jay-Z and Mario Batali.
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Strawberry Ice Cream @ Blue Marble Ice Cream
186 Underhill Ave Brooklyn, NY
All the ice creams—including an intense strawberry flavor—are made with organic NYMilk products from grass-fed cows in upstate New York.
