Andy Nusser and Mario Batali's Gramercy tapas counter in New York City has held a Michelin star since 2009. Andalusian small plates, deep Spanish wine list.
Signature dishes: Sea urchin panini, Bone marrow with oxtail
Must order: Sea urchin panini and the bone marrow with oxtail.
Tip: Counter seats are easier than the dining room. The next-door Bar Jamon takes walk-ins for the same kitchen.
Address: 52 Irving Pl., New York, NY 10003, New York City
Ignacio Mattos's Houston Street Nolita room in New York City runs Mediterranean-leaning small plates. The burrata with salsa verde has been on the menu since 2013.
Signature: Burrata with charred bread, Beef tartare with sunchoke
Order: Burrata with charred bread, beef tartare, ricotta dumplings.
Tip: The counter is first-come; bar tables take walk-ins. Wine list is unusually long for a 60-seat room.
Pastrami Queen on Lexington serves kosher pastrami sandwiches on the Upper East Side of New York City. Modest counter, oversized sandwiches since 1956.
Signature: Pastrami on rye, Potato knish
Order: Hand-cut pastrami on rye with mustard.
Tip: Counter is tiny and seats fewer than a dozen; the takeaway line moves faster than the dine-in queue.
Sammy's Roumanian reopened on Stanton Street in 2024 after the Chrystie basement closed in 2021. Romanian-Jewish steakhouse, schmaltz on every table.
Signature: Skirt steak, Chopped liver, Karnatzlach
Order: Garlic-rubbed skirt steak with seltzer-and-chocolate-syrup egg cream service.
Tip: Tables are mixed at long shared boards; book the early seating by phone (646-410-2427) if you want any chance of hearing your tablemate.
The Grand Central Oyster Bar has poured oysters and clam chowder beneath the Guastavino tiles of New York City's Grand Central Terminal since 1913.
Signature: Manhattan clam chowder, Oyster pan roast, Raw oyster bar
Order: A cup of Manhattan clam chowder and a half-dozen East Coast oysters at the counter.
Tip: Sit at the counter facing the open kitchen; the pan roast is theatre when made to order.
Hwa Yuan on East Broadway brought Sichuan cooking to New York City Chinatown in 1968, closed in 1992, and was rebuilt by the founder's family in 2017.
Signature: Cold sesame noodles, General Tso's chicken, Peking duck
Order: Cold sesame noodles to start, General Tso's chicken in the founder's original sweet-and-savoury glaze.
Tip: The cold sesame noodles claim to be the original American version; whether or not you buy that, order them.
Mark Iacono's candlelit Carroll Gardens pizzeria in New York City turns out a coal-fired Brooklyn pie and a calzone, cash only, BYOB, no reservations.
Signature: New York slice, Charred Brooklyn pie
Order: The plain margherita, charred-crust slice.
Tip: Walk-in only. Put your name down at 17:30, then come back at 19:30; the wait is the room's whole social fabric.
