Perhaps the most diverse of New York City’s infamous dining scene, the East Village encompasses everything from Asian, to Italian, to Ukrainian, and everything in between. To name all of the great restaurants in this area would require a small book, so here are some of the most notable.
Momofuku Noodle Bar
Started by the internationally known David Chang back in 2004, Momofuku’s Noodle Bar is just one of several locations around the world, which are largely responsible for Chang’s success as a culinary entrepreneur. Serving traditional ramen and pork buns, this Momofuku chapter is a must for those looking for a classic New York meal.
Jeepney
Filipino cuisine is a little harder to come by in the East Village these days, but Jeepney does an outstanding job of keeping the style relevant through it’s chic gastropub. As is tradition in Filipino culture, most dinners here are served prix fixe with a bounty of meats, seafood, and vegetables, but individual meals are also available.
Hearth
A classic Italian establishment known as a staple of the East Village, Hearth was launched by Marco Canora and serves some of the best traditional dishes. Due to a few health issues as of late, Canora modified his menu to better reflect his own dietary needs; something some diners might scoff at initially, but should ultimately respect. Canora successfully incorporated healthier dishes while still remaining true to traditional Italian cuisine, wish such items as anchovies, parmesan, gorgonzola, and much more.
Crif Dogs
For a more casual, yet slightly unique bite, Crif Dogs serves multiple hotdog concoctions that can be wrapped with bacon and topped with cheese, veggies, meats, and any condiment you can think of. They are even open until 4:00am on weekends for late night cravings, and sport a speakeasy that can be found through a phone booth.
Superiority Burger
This vegetarian fast food restaurant started by Brooks Headley serves extremely well-crafted veggies burgers, vegetarian sloppy joes, and their well-known focaccia bread. Superiority Burger lives up to its name through its unique recipes, which are not limited to just lunch and dinner. Their sorbets and gelato are truly spectacular, with such combinations as lemongrass mango and corn tortilla, guava peach and black sesame, and rhubarb and rye toast.
