Figuratively speaking, David Letterman blew the chain in Macy's (or maybe we should say Marshall Field's) window.

The city has seen a recent influx of fast-food chains from other places, the most recent being Steak 'n Shake, specializing in the elemental combination of hamburgers ("steak," in hype parlance), french fries, and milkshakes. The city of origin is Chicago, as with the recently arrived Potbelly. The place is located at the north end of Times Square, next door to the Ed Sullivan Theater, where Letterman is taped. Almost two weeks ago, just as it opened, David Letterman -- ever the Midwesterner -- shamelessly touted the place in a lengthy comic segment.

More >>

Lauren Shockey

The Schnipper Classic Burger

​
The Shake Shack in Madison Square Park has its die-hard fans, but unlike at the other locations around the city, when the weather gets frigid, patrons are kind of screwed. Sure, there are heat lamps, but it's just not as fun eating a burger with your coat, hat, and mittens on. A reasonable alternative, however, has presented itself. Schnipper's Quality Kitchen recently opened its second New York City branch in a cavernous, 4,800-square-foot space at 23 East 23rd Street (212-233-1025), selling, much like Shake Shack, burgers, fries, and shakes, plus sloppy joes and macaroni and cheese.

More >>

Lauren Shockey

La Churreria's namesake

​
Jesús Manso has opened a narrow storefront next to his Mulberry Street branch of Socarrat Paella Bar called La Churreria (284 Mulberry Street, 212-219-0400), which, as the name implies, sells churros -- the long sticks of fried dough often served with small cups of hot chocolate for dipping. We stopped by recently for a quick lunch, and while the churros were decent, it was really the tasty sandwiches that made us want to return for more.

More >>

Lauren Shockey

The classic banh mi from Xe May

​
It was only a matter of time that the Korean taco trend evolved into the banh mi taco trend, right? Well that's what Alan Woo and Davis Ngo are banking on. They've just opened Xe May on St. Marks Place, which specializes in both modern takes on Vietnamese sandwiches and corn tacos filled with banh-mi-esque ingredients. Always one to welcome a banh mi to the block, we stopped in for a quick lunch.

More >>

​Why does my East Village hot dog look like an abstract painting?

Twenty-four hours ago, Japadog -- a Vancouver hot doggery with one store and four carts -- opened its first American outlet on St. Marks between Second and Third avenues. It specializes in sausages (not just hot dogs!) dressed with a predictable series of Japanese toppings, including shredded nori, grated daikon, miso paste, teriyaki sauce, and bonito flakes.

More >>

Lauren Shockey

Meat and two sides

​
Michael Huynh has never met a pun with the word "bao" he didn't love (think Baoguette, and the shuttered Baotique and Baorrito). So, it was only a matter of time until he opened BaoBQ (229 First Avenue, 212-475-7011), a new spot in the East Village serving, naturally, barbecued meats and other Vietnamese and Thai staples.

More >>

Lauren Shockey

Lotus-root salad at Sao Mai

​
Michael "Bao" Huynh's BaoBQ (229 First Avenue, 212-475-7011) isn't the only Vietnamese-influenced restaurant to open on First Avenue this month. Just a block south in the old Quantum Leap space, you'll find Sao Mai (201 First Avenue, 212-358-8880), a new casual eatery offering a standard menu of Vietnamese staples, including pho, bun, and banh mi, plus meat and veggie entrées.

More >>

Lauren Shockey

Sushi for when you're in a rush

​
Having recently checked out ShopHouse, a/k/a Asian Chipotle, we were intrigued to learn about Kobeyaki, a new fast-casual Japanese joint directly across the street from the Fashion Institute of Technology that specializes in "rolls, bowls, burgers, and buns." Wanting to see if it followed the ShopHouse model, we popped in for a quick lunch.

More >>

Lauren Shockey

The Autogrill is one yummy sandwich.

​
Parm isn't the only spiffy newcomer to offer gigantic, tasty Italian subs. Zito's Sandwich Shoppe opened early this fall in Park Slope, serving up a menu of 13 different sandwiches like chicken parm, eight-hour slow-cooked pork bracciole, potato and egg, and panelle, plus sides like olives, arancini, and cold salads, with Gotham Project wine and Sixpoint on tap. Always on the quest for a delicious sandwich, we popped in to check out the goods.

More >>

Lauren Shockey

Macaroni and cheese: What you want to eat on a cold, rainy day

​
Working in the East Village, we're always on the prowl for new lunch spots. So we were excited to hear that Cooper's Craft and Kitchen (87 Second Avenue, 646-606-2384) had opened in the old Kurve space, just two blocks from our office. Needless to say, we stopped in for some lunchtime grub.

More >>