By Caroline Grogan By Caroline Grogan | September 27, 2021 | Food & Drink
Gotham Guide is a weekly list of new restaurants, special menus and pop-ups throughout New York City. Support local businesses and head out on a culinary adventure with our suggestions below.
This week is jam packed with new restaurants, the return of old favorites and special offerings including free pasta in FiDi and an Upper West Side food celebration. Make the most of your week with a visit to one - or all - of these culinary destinations.
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Call Me Pasta!
241 Pearl St / Website
Fast-casual pasta restaurant Call Me Pasta! is offering a free pasta day on September 28th to celebrate New Yorkers and welcome back the in-person return to offices. Call Me Pasta!, from the same team behind Soho hotspot A Pasta Bar, features a curated menu of handmade pasta to-go, with weekly specials as well as the option to customize your meal from pasta style to sauce. The restaurant will offer customers a complimentary dish of cacio e pepe, rigatoni vodka or fettuccine alfredo from 11am-3pm at the FiDi location while supplies last.
Taste of the Upper West Side
Celebrate the rich culinary talent on the Upper West Side with this two-night, open-air food event hosted by the Columbus Avenue Business Improvement District, with proceeds from the event going back into the community to help fund neighborhood projects. The event kicks off on October 1st with Grillin’ in the City, where more than twenty UWS restaurants grill up their favorite dishes from their menus. New this year is a collaboration with Whiskies of the World as well as a biergarten in honor of Oktoberfest. Park West Village will host Best of the West, where UWS of dining destinations will prepare bites of their best cuisine. Best of the West will also feature Bubbly Under the Stars, a bar experience celebrating all things sparkling.
Oktoberfest at Chelsea Market
75 9th Ave / Website
Chelsea Market is throwing its own Oktoberfest celebration from September 30th to October 3rd, with participating vendors serving up everything from authentic German beer to giant pretzels. Other specialty items include beer caramel doughnut sauce at Doughnuttery and a Jagerwurst Ruben sandwich from Dickson’s Farmstand Meats. The event will also feature live music from The Swedish Meatballs throughout the weekend.
La Churreria
284 Mulberry St / Website
La Churreria in Nolita has officially reopened its doors after an 18-month hiatus to offer delectable freshly-fried dough treats out of a 12-seat cafe inspired by the classic cafeterias in Spain. Churros and smaller churro bites are served with a variety of dipping sauces including strawberry, matcha, chocolate, and dulce de leche, as well as a stuffed churro, churro lollipop, and churro ice cream sandwich. The inspired creations even err on the savory side, with mouthwatering churro egg sandwiches and bocadillos served all day.
Areppas
Multiple NYC Locations / Website
For a quick and delicious lunch or dinner, look no further than Areppas, a fast-casual restaurant dishing out Latin American cuisine in three locations across Manhattan. While the stuffed arepas are their specialty for a reason, the salads and warm bowls are perfect for when you need a more filling meal. Order the homemade passion fruit juice the pabellón bowl with juicy short rib and sweet plantains before ending your meal with an order of warm, fluffy churros.
Hot Ones Ice Cream Nuggets at Milk & Cream Cereal Bar
159 Mott St / Website
Ever dreamed of being interviewed by Hot Ones’ Sean Evans while chowing down on spicy wings? Milk & Cream Cereal Bar has partnered with First We Feast’s Hot Ones and Heatonist to launch a brand new dish: ice cream nuggets paired with a hot honey dipping sauce. The nuggets consist of vanilla ice cream covered in a white chocolate shell with two flavor options, either a cinnamon and cornflake crust or flaming red dust and a shell infused with “Hot Ones Chocolate Pow Pow.” Get them while they’re hot, as these nuggets are available at all Milk & Cream locations until November 4th.
Chikarashi Isso
Contemporary Japanese restaurant Chikarashi Isso has reopened its doors after a year and a half, this time with an all-new chef and menu that spotlights regional specialties. The FiDi restaurant will be helmed by chef Hideaki Kobayashi who recently came to the US after years of working in kappo- and kaiseki-style restaurants in Tokyo. Menu highlights include uni and washu tataki, steamed monkfish liver, dote beef stew, chawanmushi, and more.
Carmine’s Italian Restaurant
200 West 44th St / Website
After closing during the pandemic, the famous Times Square Italian restaurant Carmine’s has reopened at last. With the return of Broadway shows to the Big Apple, Carmine’s is the ideal place to grab dinner before seeing your favorite show. The family-style restaurant prides itself on their enormous portions of known and loved dishes including chicken parmigiana, penne alla vodka, baked lasagna and homemade meatballs. Bring your appetite and celebrate the return of this classic destination.
Photography by: La Churreria
