14-07-2025
Best Dishes New York Editors Ate This Week: July 14
With Eater editors dining out sometimes several times a day, we come across lots of standout dishes, and we don't want to keep any secrets. Check back for the best things we ate this week.
Vodka slice at Jonny's Pizza
After drinks in the neighborhood, I stopped into downtown pizzeria Jonny's Pizza for a vodka slice and an ice-cold drink to cut through the mid-July humidity. On a Monday night, the pizzeria was fairly quiet, with just a handful of people bent over the tall stainless steel counters with slices in front of them. After scanning the menu and peering into the open kitchen, the vodka slice ($5.25) caught my eye, dotted with moon-shaped globs of melted fior di latte. The vodka sauce was well-portioned on the slice, with enough of the flavor coming through without it feeling too wet. A light, but still puffy crust held it all together, keeping the slice foldable until the last bite. I only regret not ordering another. 173 Orchard Street, at Stanton Street, Lower East Side — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
The spumoni adventure at L&B Spumoni Gardens. Nadia Chaudhury/Eater Northeast
Spumoni ice cream mountain at L&B Spumoni Gardens
Moving back to New York for this job is a nice, legitimate excuse to go to longtime restaurants that I've never been to, such as this 86-year-old pizzeria in South Brooklyn. My husband and I went on a double-date with friends, and ordered the Sicilian pie with half mushrooms and the other half plain. The crust was nice and fluffy, with a bit of sweetness in the tomato sauce that I balanced out with a ton of chile flakes. But the star was the dessert. Obviously, we had to get the namesake spumoni, an Italian icy, creamy concoction with pistachio, almonds, and chocolate hazelnut. We decided to get two orders among the four of us ($17). Gleefully, we were presented with this epically ginormous mountain of spumoni, surrounded by sectioned-up ice cream scoops with chocolate shells, along with all the sweet sauces, sprinkles, whipped cream, and cherries a person could want. There were four sugar cones, so we could each build our ice cream adventure. It was truly magical. 2725 86th Street, between West 10th and 11th streets, Gravesend — Nadia Chaudhury, editor, Northeast
The rigatoni in a corn ragu at Cafe Spaghetti. Terri Ciccone/Eater
Rigatoni in a corn ragu at Cafe Spaghetti
This past weekend, summer was fully realized for me through a single dish at Cafe Spaghetti in Cobble Hill. After scoring a last-minute reservation to sit under an orange-and-white striped umbrella next to the blue Vespa stationed as the centerpiece of the restaurant's backyard, it was extremely easy to pretend I was sipping a particularly herbaceous spritz on a summery evening on the Amalfi Coast. Even if the atmosphere was just half as vibey, the perfectly cooked short rigatoni in a creamy and slightly sweet corn ragu ($24) tasted like the best summer has to offer every bite. The next day, as I was perusing the Prospect Park farmers market, I was reminded of the dish over and over again as corn, cherry tomatoes, and scallions burst literally and aromatically out of every stall, truly marking the dish as the perfect summer pasta. 126 Union Street, between Hicks and Columbia streets, Carroll Gardens — Terri Ciccone, deputy director of audience development
The gambas at Frijoleros. Jaya Saxena/Eater
Gambas at Frijoleros
Some friends and I stopped into Greenpoint newcomer Frijoleros and found ourselves extremely pleasantly surprised by just about everything we ordered. The cocktails were bright and complex, and the food was already deeply compelling, for still being in soft-open mode. One standout was a plate of gambas, roast head-on shrimp in a mole-tinged sauce and beurre blanc we were all desperately trying to sop up with our remaining tortilla chips. 131 Greenpoint Avenue, near Manhattan Avenue, Greenpoint — Jaya Saxena, Correspondent
The fish sandwich at Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co. Nat Belkov/Eater
Fish sandwich at Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co.
Driving home from college in Massachusetts at the end of the school year with summer just around the corner, I took up an annual ritual of stopping at a seafood shack along the Connecticut coast to break up the trip. Nowadays, my life doesn't revolve around semesters, but the craving for a crispy fried fish sandwich ($20) blanketed in tartar sauce and slid into a squishy bun most definitely still hits. And this is where I go to satisfy it. 114 Nassau Avenue, at Eckford Street, Greenpoint — Nat Belkov, associate creative director
A pint of Betty Jo's Ice Cream. Stephanie Wu/Eater
Betty Jo's Ice Cream at Pop Up Grocer
I've been trying to get my hands on Betty Jo's since they exploded onto the scene last summer with their pie crust lattice-topped pints. They've just landed at Pop Up Grocer, a mini-market near Washington Square Park filled with the buzzy direct-to-consumer brands you can't escape on Instagram. There are three flavors available: the Sweet Cherry Pie that they're known for, a Millionaire's Shortbread with caramel ice cream and shortbread, and Coney Island Queen with sprinkles and bits of ice cream cone. I went with the Sweet Cherry Pie ($13), and was delighted by the cherry and vanilla flavor of the ice cream, as well as the hefty amount of buttery pie crust chunks mixed within. Pro tip: If you don't see the flavor you want on the freezer shelf, ask if there are any more being stored downstairs. 205 Bleecker Street, at Sixth Avenue, Greenwich Village — Stephanie Wu, editor-in-chief
