11's: Restaurants I'm Grateful For (That Don’t Get Enough Love)
Sponsored by AG1 (not really)
December 1st. The first day of the last month of the year. Before we get rolling on today’s edition of 11’s, I wanted to take a quick minute to say thank you for subscribing to Mr. Flood’s Party. It’s been a hell of a lot of fun writing these weekly pieces. It would be much less fun if I felt like I was screaming into the void. I’m incredibly grateful to have a reader base that’s into what we’ve got going here. There’s much more to come, and I’m happy you’re along for the ride.
Here’s a quick rundown on what you’ll be getting from Mr. Flood’s Party during the month of December, which miraculously has 5 Sundays (lucky you). Today, we’re talking gratitude, which we’ll dive into momentarily. Next week, you’ll get the final On Draft of 2024. On the 15th, we’re getting spicy: “11’s: Most Disappointing Meals of 2024.” We’ll round things out with the Flood’s Awards on the 22nd, and a very special year in review on the 29th. Now’s a damn good time to subscribe if you haven’t already.
The inspiration for today’s 11’s came from the barrage of Substack gift guides that have crossed my desk the past two weeks. I mean holy shit. Everyone and their mother seem to have assembled long, winding lists of products and recommendations for holiday purchases. As a young lad, I’d excitedly parse the GQ shopping guides to get myself in the gifting spirit. Today, these lists — published by your favorite niche internet personalities — are more hyper-curated than ever. Which, on the surface, seems like a good thing.
But as the gift guide emails started piling up, it became more and more evident why these guides were being produced en masse: they’re the perfect medium for pushing affiliate links, sharing product placements, and shilling spon-con. Promoting products under the guise of recommendations isn’t a new concept, but nowadays, it’s harder than ever to decipher what’s a genuine rec versus what’s paid for – even for the most social media-literate. I found myself browsing these lists attempting to read between the lines as to whether someone was actually suggesting a luxury handheld milk frother to achieve the “perfect at-home iced oat matcha consistency,” or if Golde Superwhisk was writing checks for every unit sold. I’m still not sure. My gift guide gripes don’t stem from independent writers trying to make a buck by getting their audience to click through and checkout on Diptyque.com. I’d honestly rather have it that way than see the affiliate dollars going to Condé Nast. My distaste is because of how intertwined (and sneaky) marketing has gotten in the age of the influencer. I feel strongly that the end-reader deserves to know what’s paid advertising.
This concept of discrete paid placement is massive in the world of restaurants and dining. When Bad Roman was seemingly on everyone’s feed in early 2023, it was clear that they were dumping funds into PR to promote their gimmicky Italian fare (let’s face it, a cacio e pepe raivolo on top of a filet looked too stupid not to be paid for). But content has evolved, and now you have places like Elbow Bread – which looks aesthetically pleasing but painfully mediocre – swarmed by influencers on day one, leaving it nearly impossible to tell if the posts are paid for by the business, or if people just flock to anything with cute branding.
Again, it’s not that I’m against influencers getting their bag for posting about restaurants – that’s the inevitable reality of the internet. I’m against people posting restaurant “reviews” that in actuality are paid advertisements. Ad disclosures are important, deception is incredibly lame.
Mr. Flood’s Party is a one-man, self-funded, self-motivated operation. If I ever crossed the line into pay-to-post territory, my opinions, my voice, and my taste become compromised — and, honestly, useless. I wholeheartedly stand behind every recommendation on this page. It’s not a high and mighty stance — it’s just the only way you can confidently trust what I’m saying.
ANYWAY. Today, I’m expressing a bit of gratitude for the restaurants I love that I’m almost certain have never paid for influencer marketing. These spots have never made an appearance in a chewyorkcity day-in-my-life post, and they’ve never been subject to a “Let me tell you why…” They’re down-to-earth, unsung heroes, and slept-on gems. Successful because of the food they offer and the space they hold — not because they paid their way into the spotlight.
Here are 11 Restaurants I’m Grateful For (That Don’t Get Enough Love). For today’s 11’s, the list is in no particular order — gratitude need not be ranked!
11's: Restaurants I'm Grateful For (That Don’t Get Enough Love)
Ingas Bar Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Tucked away on a quiet corner of Brooklyn Heights sits Ingas Bar. It’s a restaurant that embodies the charming, clean-cut nature of the neighborhood. Ingas is sophisticated, but far from stuffy. Casual, but dressed up just enough. Huddled around a 3-top in the bar room on a Thursday night is where I want to be, scheming weekend plans over a round of burgers and fries.
Grateful for: the best cheeseburger and fries in the neighborhood; the humming, walk-in-only bar room; the cheerful, conversational bartenders; their damn good Negroni
Little Miss Muffin 'N' Her Stuffin Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
There’s a tiny space on Washington Ave that I hold near and dear. Little Miss Muffin is a no-frills Caribbean bakeshop. “Her Stuffin’” presumably refers to the variety of meats (like curried chicken, and spicy beef) that are filled inside flaky pastry to form what’s known as the patty. These patties pair wonderfully with strong cold brew (ideally from Villager, two blocks over) — a sacred combination that gives me light and life.
Grateful for: 2 patties for $7; the Caribbean music that intermittently blasts and shuts off; the lone two-top table to eat your patties; the name of this restaurant
Super Taste Chinatown, New York
I still don’t feel like I have a grasp of Chinatown’s full spectrum of culinary offerings. And that’s partially because I just keep going back to Super Taste. It’s my default for cheap eats on the Lower East Side — a tried and true, dependable hit. Settled in with a plate of dumplings, a trio of pork belly bao, and a steaming bowl of hand-pulled beef noodle soup, seldom do I even wonder what else is out there.
Grateful for: steamed pork and chive dumplings; containers of chili oil on every table; their closing time being 9:20 pm rather than something normal
LaRina Pastifico Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Every Italian restaurant in NYC seemingly falls into one of two categories — absurdly hyped or criminally underrated. LaRina deserves way more love than it gets. The pastas are stellar, especially anything filled — ravioli, agnolotti. It’s casual, dimly lit but not too moody, and full of charm. If LaRina sat on the corner of Grove and Bleeker, I swear there would be lines before opening.
Grateful for: the flawless “buonasera” you’re met with at the door; a hefty slab of lasagna bolognese; there being an elite Italian restaurant in my neighborhood that no one seems to know about
Kafana East Village, New York
Kafana is a Serbian restaurant tucked deep in the East Village. It feels like a restaurant you’d stumble across in a small Euro farm town. Kafana is a lively space — far from sceney, but even further from sleepy. Convivial but more like a family reunion than a night out in Manhattan. Come with a crew, and order the mesano meso (mixed grill). Plus a zeljanica (spinach pie) for good measure.
Grateful for: an overflowing plate of Serbian meats; live Balkan music on Friday nights; $8 house red wine
Wizard Hat Pizza Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn
Not long ago, Wizard Hat was a takeout-only operation working out of an unmarked commissary kitchen. Memorably good pizza would emerge from this mysterious facade, and you’d take your pie over to Prospect Park. Still in PLG, still using a stone mill to produce their own flour, and still making damn good pizzas, Wizard Hat is now operating out of Anything, a bar on Rogers Ave with a few more frills than before.
Grateful for: stellar pizza a few blocks from Prospect Park; freshly stone-milled flour; house-pickled peppers; the ability to eat this very excellent pizza at a cool bar (rather than the park) in the winter months
The Fly Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
Roast chicken and fries isn’t a revolutionary duo. It’s simple, not sexy. Hard to fuck up, but even harder to do well. When both components are well-executed, the humble duo can deliver something transcendental. Throw in a big plate of crisp, tangy Caesar salad with a blanket of cheese and you’ll feel like you’re walking on the moon. There are plenty of places to eat a ½ chicken in this city. The Fly is among the best of them.
Grateful for: half chicken, Caesar salad, side of fries; white sauce; the perfect U-shaped bar; a room that’s always humming, but never too sceney
Sunny & Annie’s Deli East Village, New York
Even when I was living in the East Village, Sunny & Annie’s was never a convenient stop on my way home — it was always a few blocks in the wrong direction. But after a night out, I’d gladly trudge east — passing countless bodegas along the way — to patronize the 24/7 deli on the corner of 6&B. Sunny & Annie’s makes a damn good sandwich. It’s the bodega you wish you had on your corner.
Grateful for: sandwich #77, Love Shine; fresh hero bread, even at 1 am; a big bag of pepperoncini kettle chips; Sunny & Annie (respectively).
Cafe Spaghetti Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Cafe Spaghetti is a portal into a south Brooklyn fantasy where you’re a little bit older, a little bit wiser, and just maybe raising a family in Carroll Gardens. The home-style, Italian American restaurant is classic in some ways, inventive in others, never doing too much. Approachable and comforting, Cafe Spaghetti is as much a place to celebrate milestones as it is a place for weeknight family dinners.
Grateful for: each and every pasta on the menu; the periwinkle blue Vespa parked in the backyard; Tony’s tiramisu
NO GEM (formerly Sobak) Lower East Side, New York
Sobak was a two-seat Korean lunch counter in Dimes Square that has since evolved into a lifestyle cafe called NO GEM. While their new space is a bit larger, and the offerings have expanded (cafe beverages, and tasteful home goods), the quality of the lunch offering persists. The owner, Young, is still painstakingly preparing every bowl of Unagi Don — beautifully seasoned rice, shredded cabbage with special sauce, topped with barbecued eel.
Grateful for: Freshly torched unagi; Young, who runs the show; a humble small business on the least humble strip of Lower Manhattan
Rossy’s Bakery East Village, New York
Sometimes life calls for a Sweetgreen harvest bowl. Other times it calls for tender roast pork, creamy pinto beans, fluffy yellow rice, and caramelized sweet plantains. Rossy’s answers the call. The Dominican bakeshop and lunch counter is a magnificent little operation. You’ll be greeted with a smile, and leave with a hefty container of nourishing home-cooked Dominican food. Rossy’s is a true gem in Alphabet City.
Grateful for: fried sweet plantains; Rossy & her brother Gabriel; an aluminum carryout container packed to the brim
Restaurants I Love That Get A lot of Love But Somehow Not Enough Love (you know?)
Ops Bushwick, Brooklyn
Eyval Bushwick, Brooklyn
Le French Diner Lower East Side, New York
Casa Adela East Village, New York
Forma Pasta Factory Greenpoint & Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Vegetarian examples would be good. Lisa
Ingas wins for my all time favorite chocolate cake.