Hell’s Kitchen Local

This is my favorite health food store in the city so I’m so happy to have it close to home. I’ve been going here for 26 years and will continue to go for their incredible organic produce, snacks, supplements and clean products.

I am a bread lady and I cannot live without a good Amy’s baguette. I go to both the Hells’ Kitchen and Chelsea locations, but I love how intimate the Hell’s Kitchen location is. It’s a great place to meet friends in the neighborhood. It’s always lively.

This pizzeria is anything but ordinary. Claudio’s and its staff feel like family to me. They know exactly how I like my Sicilians and have catered many pizza parties for us over the years. They’ve gone above and beyond for us time and time again, which is why I’ll always be grateful for their friendship and support.

This is my favorite local supermarket for fresh produce. I love browsing the shelves, and often find unique items I wouldn’t expect to find in a typical grocery store.

Their $16 Siesta Lunch Special is one of the finest deals in the neighborhood. My rotating order includes the lamb barbacoa braised in Negra Modelo with salsa borracha and serrano chilies, the crispy Gulf shrimp taco with guacamole, pico de gallo, and the beer-battered mahi mahi with poblano slaw and lime aioli on a flour tortilla. Bright, satisfying and always a treat.

I’ve made VERS Bar a pseudo second home base for this campaign, bringing the community together first for a Summer House Watch Party with my wife, Darya, and Jackie Cox, then for the LGBTQ+ for Bores canvassing launch earlier this month. There’s something special about a space where you can have a serious conversation about what’s at stake in this election and then turn around and cheer at reality TV together.

My favorite outdoor spot in NYC. Pier 84 is where I go for the local vibe, the adorable dogs with lots of personality, and the sunset that lights up the sky in gorgeous hues on a clear day.

After trying almost every Thai restaurant in Hell's Kitchen, (of which one is almost on every block) I found that most places have a dish or two they really shine on, but Wondee is solid across their menu items. I’ve seen both Thai natives traveling to NY as well as Thai New Yorkers come and compliment the food (that’s a good sign).

Amy Scherber opened her bakery on 9th Avenue in 1992, when plenty of people doubted a small, hand-built business could make it in this part of the city. More than 30 years later it is still here, still turning out some of the best bread and pastry in the neighborhood, and still the kind of independent shop that gives Hell’s Kitchen its character instead of another bank branch.

The New Dramatists has a striking Gothic aesthetic that has always captivated me. Long ago, the building served as a church, and that history can still be felt throughout its halls and architecture. Before the pandemic, it was a vibrant gathering place filled with activity and community.