Hell’s Kitchen Local

This place is like eating a home-cooked meal every time. The food is authentic Italian cooking at its finest. For more than 50 years, this wonderful family has been feeding our community. The people who work there are fantastic, the location is convenient, and the food is both affordable and delicious. If you’re in the area, stop in and enjoy a meal.

TJ is my grocery boyfriend. The staff want to be there and they are so helpful. I love how generous they are, and they donate so much food. And even when I’m in a long line, I never wait long, and people are pretty pleasant. Good food, good prices, and they are very cheeky with their humor, which I love. I also adore that you can try a product, not like it, and they’re totally cool about it. They inspire variety, adventure, and I love how much food to donate to locate communities.

Grind is a relatively new (at least for my long HK history) addition to Hell’s Kitchen. The coffee is very good and they have a nice selection of breakfast and lunch options. If you sit in the window, it makes for excellent people watching.

I love theater and I love to write about theater, which is why this gem of a bookshop is one of my favorite places to sit and write or sometimes just plain read. Their book selection is fantastic but I’m also a big fan of their Broadway-themed lattes and Broadway-themed wifi passwords.

I love seeing the incredible exhibitions Fountain House presents featuring artists living with mental illness. They’re constantly engaging with the community and bringing people together through art programs and thoughtfully curated shows.

Restaurant Row is one of those streets where you can find every cuisine imaginable, along with some great hidden gems. I especially love it at night, when the whole area comes alive with energy and so many delicious options to choose from!

Ballet is one of my favorite hobbies and pastimes, and it’s way harder than it looks! Ballerinas do not get the respect they deserve! Hell’s Kitchen is home to so many incredible dance studios, but The Ailey is my go to.

I took my current girlfriend here on one of our first dates.

Cubby’s is run by my good friend Charles, my old coworker at Pastis! I remember we would talk about our futures together on our breaks — his dream of opening up his own establishment and my passion for public service. I visited again recently and it was quite emotional to see where we have both ended up.

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.