Reliably delicious Vietnamese in the East Village. The lunch-only banh mi are winners, too.
An over 90-year-old bakery with some great, uncommon breads. Wine breads, ryes, and sourdoughs are very nice.
Cozy, charming Serbian restaurant high on comfort food like braised beans with sausage, hefty spinach pies, and bacon-wrapped liver and dates.
Neighborhood Japanese joint with affordable beer and good fried food and snacks, even if specialty dishes like ramen are less impressive.
Contra is the new Lower East Side restaurant from chefs Fabian von Hauske (formerly of Faviken and Noma) and Jeremiah Stone (Isa).
New dishes include dirty rice with rabbit, flash-fried shell-on shrimp, and soft scrambled eggs with sea anemone. Favorites from the old menu are still available, and they plan to serve lunch soon.
