Hell’s Kitchen Local

This is our Sunday ritual. My boyfriend and I go almost every Sunday — it’s our favorite way to end the weekend with a movie. Even when family or friends are visiting from out of town, we always bring them here. It’s a must. We feel very lucky to have one so close to where we live. The tacos are incredible and it’s always full of energy. It has definitely become one of our regular neighborhood traditions.

I love catching up with friends or stopping by alone and taking in the vibrant energy of midtown at Worldwide Plaza on a warm summer day.

If you want amazing Italian pizza, Don Antonio is the place. The pizzas are made in a beautiful wood-fired oven and you can really taste the difference. The waiters are incredibly friendly — it honestly feels like going to a friend’s house for dinner. And the dessert is a must: their fried pizza with Nutella is absolutely unforgettable.

There is no place as grounding for me as Pier 84. I love to go sit by the water and read or relax. It’s so peaceful and rarely crowded on the average day. They also have inexpensive kayak rentals available during the summer. I tried it once and was not very good, but I had a fun time!

This is probably my favorite steakhouse in the world, largely because of its incredible atmosphere. It embodies everything I imagine a classic New York steakhouse to be.

This cute cafe next to the wonderful MCC Theater has incredible food (my fav is the avocado toast!) and a chill relaxed vibe.

The Vanilla Gorilla Cafe is my go-to coffee shop for meeting up with friends. It’s spacious and bright with great beverages and bakery treats. My current favorite is the Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea.

Angelina’s bombolones are the best. I like to get two and share with whomever I am meeting with: usually a glazed and one of the many filled flavors.

I don’t find myself in bars too often (I’m such a morning person!), but Vers is definitely one of my more frequent nightlife haunts. I have many fond memories of grabbing drinks with friends here before seeing a Broadway show. I recently attended their monthly musical theatre trivia night and had a great time. I consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable and was very much challenged.

This place is just fantastic, and my daughter gets to eat for free! The quality of the food is incredible, and the small sushi bar that they have on the island is surprisingly good.