What's your "go-to" casual neighborhood spot?
Not the "destination" restaurant in your neighborhood that's booked up on Resy, not the place that got written up on Eater, and definitely not the trendy place that everyone wants to go to because of that annoying TikTok they saw so there's alway a 2.5 hour wait.
I'm talking about your Old Reliable, your Standby. The criteria: You'd take a date, but you'd also take your screaming kids for a family night out. It ain't conceivably what anyone would call "fancy", but it's definitely not a dump. The vibe is neighborhoody and warm, and people in the neighborhood respect it. You're not paying more than 30-40 bucks a head for a beer or glass of wine (or two) and some quality food.
Most likely this type of place is probably more of a bar with great bar food, though it isn't always - but the food is consistently high quality and simple either way, the type of stuff pretty much anyone would be just fine with: burgers and sandwiches mostly, but sure, they can have other stuff like salads and maybe a few entree dishes or share plates if you want to class it up a bit. Though it's never obnoxiously crowded - you can almost always get a table, though maybe during prime times like Friday night or Sunday brunch you'll have to wait 20 minutes if you're unlucky.
Some examples:
- Windsor Terrace: The Double Windsor
- Cobble Hill: 282 Burger
- East Village: Whitmans
- UES: Bondurants
Note: The point of this post is not to "blow up" your secret neighborhood hole in the wall - it's to give the places in your hood that aren't famous but locally beloved, a little more love and support. And also a resource for those who find themselves in a given area looking for an easy and high quality bite without having to make reservations.