Bryan Kim

Blindsided by the bankruptcy of Red Lobster, seafood-loving New Yorkers may now seek comfort at Strange Delight. The New Orleans-inspired Fort Greene restaurant offers fried shrimp, BBQ shrimp, shrimp cocktail, shrimp-topped oysters, and umpteen other dishes that make great use of fish and crustaceans. A cheesy crab dip pairs nicely with some fried saltines, and the celery-heavy shrimp remoulade makes for a great snack. But the headliner is the fried shrimp sandwich on milk bread with crisp iceberg and tangy giardiniera. Eat one on a stool up front in the little area saved for walk-ins, or book a mint green table in the back if you need a little more room. For shellfish and natural wine, this should be your new go-to spot in the area.

Follow the sun—and our recommendations—for the best of New York this summer.

Nomad Tea Parlour serves ambitious Cantonese American food in a big space that looks like an old-school Hong Kong movie set. It’s a little upscale—we’ve seen a dog here wearing a Gucci leash—but nothing too formal, and it’s perfect for a family-style meal that’ll run you around $50 per person. Up front, there’s a 14-seat bar under a big striped awning, and in the back you'll find a bi-level dining room where groups share plates of walnut shrimp and lobster yee mein. Skip the stuffed squid and chili-fried beef—too salty and too sweet, respectively—and focus on the curry-infused singapore fried rice and pillowy glazed pork belly tossed with quail eggs. This place also does dim sum (no carts, unfortunately), and you should order at least one thing from that section of the menu. Try the oversized siu mai wearing little abalone hats, and pair them with the cocktail that comes with a thick head of coffee foam.

Bryan Kim, Willa Moore, Sonal Shah, Neha Talreja & Will Hartman

Margaritaville meets Brandy Melville. That’s the only way to describe Pura Vida, a wellness-oriented chain that opened over 20 locations in South Florida before expanding to Nomad. There’s nothing offensive about the food at this blindingly white counter-service spot. Some of it is pretty decent, like the kale caesar wrap with lightly dressed greens and big shavings of parm. Like most things here, it tastes so perfectly unexciting that your lizard brain will assume you’re eating something healthy.

Chloe is a vegan all-day café with a Woodstock-adjacent, shiitake bacon ethos and a boho chic dining room channeling Anthropologie. It's casual, welcoming, and great for anyone who wants an elaborate veggie burger or a quinoa taco salad heavily drizzled with green goddess dressing—and, if you find yourself at this Greenwich Village counter-service spot, that’s all you really need to know.

A transplant with one other location in Falls Church, Virginia, Phở Gà Vàng is a stripped-down spot with a knack for chicken phò. The Two Bridges dining room is bright and casual as a cafeteria, with a hodgepodge of kitschy, poultry-themed art that pays tribute to the house speciality. Order the traditional chopped chicken pho, and you’ll receive a heap of noodles soaked in a cloudy broth that tastes like pure schmaltz. The gravitational pull of that broth is almost enough to cancel plans over, but most other dishes—like the grilled shrimp over vermicelli noodles—are simply good and satisfying. Use this place for casual group dinners, and keep in mind they occasionally run out of items. Brisket and Diet Coke, for example.

Fujianese food, a place partially inspired by Sonia Sotomayer, and sequels galore.

Where to go for gambas al ajillo, paella, and a well-deserved sangria hangover.

Our thoughts on Alinea, Atomix, and other wildly expensive fine dining spots.