A Guide to My Favorite American Restaurants in New York City
- Perry Street
- Industry Kitchen
- Emily
- Essex
- Roey’s
- The Warren
- Jacob’s Pickles
- Brooklyn Pizza Masters
- Daily Provisions
Perry Street
Neighborhood: West Village
Ambiance:
The ambiance was also incredibly romantic. The lights were dim with candles on every table and everyone was talking in quieter voices.
Cuisine: American
WOW. YES. THANK YOU. I came here for Winter 2020 Restaurant Week and am proud to say this is the best meal I have had out in NYC to date. I ordered the salmon sashimi, porchetta, and warm chocolate cake. It was my first and only time ordering porchetta. There was not one thing I would change to these dishes. Compliments to the chef.
I went back a second time for my birthday dinner. My boyfriend ordered the fried chicken with creamed corn, cilantro and lime, paired with a scotch bonnet sauce. I ordered the roasted crescent duck with citrus braised carrots, charred onions, and passion fruit. Both meals were excellent and even though it was expensive, I would be a repeat customer for special occasions.
Overall Rating: 9/10
I would love to give them a 10/10, but it is an expensive restaurant which does not make it accessible to everyone.
Industry Kitchen
Neighborhood: Financial District
Ambiance:
Move Industry Kitchen to the top of your list. They seriously got everything exactly right. We went during Winter Restaurant Week 2022 and sat outside in our own little tent. The ambiance was romantic, but I did see a lot of groups as well.
Cuisine: American
We ordered the pistachio lamb and burrata salad as appetizers, the steak & potatoes for our entrees, and we finished it off with the crème brulee and chocolate mousse for dessert. Every bite was a little taste of heaven.
Overall Rating: 8/10
The ambiance was wonderful because we were able to reserve a personal igloo. It would not have been the same experience if we sat indoors. Another point was deducted because of the price and its inaccessibility to the masses.
Emily
Neighborhood: West Village
Ambiance:
The restaurant is cute and not very big. The outdoor seating leaves you on a very busy street. I would not say the ambiance is romantic due to it being loud and having the seats close together. With that being said, I think it has the perfect ambiance for a gourmet pizza spot.
Cuisine: American
Pizza. But amazing pizza. They have such unique flavors. We ordered “The Colony” which is pepperoni, pickled chili, and honey. We split one pizza between us and it was just enough food.
Don’t sleep on the sandwiches. Another night, we ordered “The Nashville Hot Katsu” sandwich which is Nashville hot chicken, ‘Bama white sauce, pickles, greens, and radish on a pretzel bun. It was incredible… very messy, but incredible.
Overall Rating: 9/10
Points were deducted for the ambiance and lack of space between tables. With some restaurants, the food is not worth the money if you do not have the ambiance to support it. This is not the case with Emily’s. If you were to rate them on a “takeout” basis, they would be a 10/10.
Essex
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Ambiance:
Restaurant Week 2022: Picture this. A dimly lit restaurant. A table seated in the corner next to a barrier of plants (that may or may not be fake). There is significant room between you and the next table. Delightful.
Cuisine: American
The menu looks amazing, but since it is restaurant week, you already know I picked out my meal.
Appetizer: House-Smoked Salmon with bread & herb salad, caper berries, and a truffle vinaigrette.
Main Course: Braised Angus Short Rib with housemade spaetzle with celery root puree.
Dessert: Almond-Ricotta Cake Donuts with a brown butter glaze and white chocolate dip.
It did not disappoint. I misread the appetizer, so admittedly, I was a little shocked when a salad came out. The flavors combined so beautifully, except there was one type of vegetable that was too bitter for me.
The short ribs were the most reviewed item on their menu when I was searching. They were so rich and delicious. I am not sure if I have ever had short ribs before, but I will definitely be eating them again.
Also, the spaetzle was so good, I would order that alone 🙂 Lastly, the donuts. Obviously, I had to get the donuts and they were incredible. So flavorful.
Overall Rating: 8/10
Sometimes I leave a Restaurant Week dinner and am glad to have the experience, but would not go back. This was not one of those times. Most times when I go to a restaurant, I only order an entree. The food was incredibly rich and I had a stomach ache by the time I got home. Still, I would not change a thing and I would still go back.
Roey’s
Neighborhood: West Village
Ambiance:
The ambiance outside was really great. We each had a little, but well decorated, cubicle with plexiglass between for covid safety and privacy. So far, this is my favorite brunch spot… which says a lot!
Cuisine: American
Brunch is my favorite. I love breakfast foods, but I have never been a morning person. By the time I am ready for breakfast, it is “lunch” time. I do not get to eat brunch as often as I would like to, so when I get the chance, I am picky about where we go. I have a friend with impeccable taste buds, so naturally, I let her choose the restaurant. She did not disappoint. Roey’s was incredible.
We ordered the Cacio e Pepe Egg Sandwich and Dutchboy Pancake to split. It has been a few days and I am still thinking about it. We kept peering at what the tables next to us ordered through the plexiglass. Their pizza looked amazing. I will have to return for dinner.
Overall Rating: 10/10
My first perfect score. I am often left underwhelmed when it comes to brunch and Roey’s delivered. With every bite, I was sad that it would be over soon. Also, I was able to have a great conversation with my friend because even though it was packed, the plexiglass made it so we could hear each other.
The Warren
Neighborhood: West Village
Ambiance:
I was very excited to find The Warren with an open table on a Friday night. I had been walking past it frequently because it is right next to the PATH station. The ambiance was such a shift from The White Horse Tavern where we were earlier. We sat inside because we were freezing from the sidewalk wind, but each table had dividers and was significantly far apart.
When I returned for dinner, we sat in the indoor/outdoor section. This means there was plastic around us, but we were outdoors and unfortunately, next to the door. I remember being annoyed with not having anywhere to put my purse. It also got cold whenever the door opened, which was frequently.
Cuisine: American
We ordered our drinks and some sweet potato fries. I am not going to lie, they were some of the best fries I had ever had. The drinks were delicious and unique. I will definitely be returning for dinner.
As mentioned, I did return for dinner. We ordered quite a few items off of the menu and shared our meal, so we could try a little of everything. I was left feeling satisfied.
Overall Rating: 7/10
When the experience changes significantly depending on where you are seated, the overall rating goes down. The first time, I really enjoyed the ambiance and the entire experience. The second time, the food was delicious, but the ambiance did not cut it. For a NYC restaurant, there are improvements that could have been made to make us more comfortable.
Jacob’s Pickles
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
Ambiance:
By just hearing the name, Jacob’s Pickles, I was confused about why this place was where everyone was buzzing about. Let me tell you, it is well worth the buzz and the wait at the door. The atmosphere feels like a southern restaurant in a warehouse. They did a really nice job of making a Southern restaurant feel like NYC chic.
A lot of the seating was at communal tables which made the place very loud. Due to the noise, I would definitely try to make a reservation at a private table to have a nice date night.
Cuisine: American
The food had HUGE portions. My friend joked that I didn’t even look like I ate anything by the time we left (and I ate half). I wanted to eat everything on the menu and therefore, I will definitely be a repeat customer. We went for brunch, but there was so much on their lunch/dinner menu I wanted to try.
So I returned for lunch. We ordered a variety of pickles and appetizers for the table. It was a fun experience and there were some uniquely flavored pickles. For lunch, I ordered the hot biscuit which was delicious, but after eating so many pickles, I barely had room for more. I ate this sandwich over the next two days.
Overall Rating: 9/10
If you are able to make a reservation ahead of time and have a private table, the experience is much better. Also, if you make a reservation in general, the experience is much better. Since Jacob’s Pickles is so popular, the wait at the door can be incredibly long.
Brooklyn Pizza Masters
Neighborhood: Sutton Place
Ambiance:
*Don’t let the name Brooklyn Masters fool you, they are in Manhattan. If you google them, you’ll immediately see how many people are raving about them and they are all spot on. The ambiance is as one can expect in a pizza joint in NYC.
Cuisine: American
This pizza place has a unique crust and flavors and is more elite than your average parlor. Definitely a must if you want to have a pizza and wine night since you can’t just order ordinary pizza.
Overall Rating: 9/10
While the pizza is delicious, it lacks seating in the way you can find at other gourmet pizza spots. Also, they serve pizza that is pretty expensive.
Daily Provisions
Neighborhood: West Village
Ambiance:
This was a great addition to the neighborhood. Inside, it looked like a cute coffee shop where people could work, eat, or chat with friends.
Cuisine: American
Their breakfast sandwich is a little expensive and you need to order with double egg in order to be satisfied, but damn it is good. Their hot sauce is incredible. I am so angry that we did not buy a bottle before we moved.
Overall Rating: 9/10
While their breakfast sandwich was expensive, it was also delicious and addicting. I did not try their other food or coffee options, but the menu looked delicious. I wish I had more time to go back.
