Restaurants To Try This Weekend in NYC: November 22

Welcome to our column in which we offer recommendations on fall Fridays, with new restaurants as well as unsung dishes or drinks from familiar places.

Horace Greeley himself presides over the square named in his honor, where once a bevy of newspaper offices flourished just west of Koreatown’s 32nd Street. It is one of the city’s most pleasant public spaces, with profuse foliage, lots of colorful tables and chairs, and a Parisian-style kiosk, around which flow a constant stream of passengers from the subway and PATH stations underneath. A sign on the top of the structure reads Perros Y Vainas (“Dogs and Things”).

This wonderful kiosk peddles the street snacks of Venezuela, as if this were Caracas. Yes, there are empanadas, stuffed arepas, tequenos (fried dough wrapped around melted cheese), and three types of hot dogs. The best is known as the Big Mess ($10): A pork-and-beef frank is topped with kernels of corn, shredded cabbage, crisp potato sticks, crumbled white cheese, and a trio of sauces: white garlic, pink, and ketchup. I took one bite, and the big mess descended on my lap. I glanced at the adjacent table, where a visiting couple were eating the same thing with a knife and fork. 32nd Street and Broadway, Midtown

The original No Fork in the Bronx’s Belmont neighborhood sells sandwiches, pizzas made with pita dough, and Albanian turnovers called samuna. Now a pared-down branch has swept into Tompkins Square, with delightful signage using stenciled spray paint, lots of branded merch on display, and a menu that consists mainly of unusual sandwiches made with a slender demi-baguette, pointy at both ends — so don’t stick yourself when you start eating it. Order the “famous No Fork” ($13), with smoked beef prosciutto planted in gooey mozzarella sauce and sprinkled with oregano. The taste and texture is really quite fantastic, and there are chicken, tuna, and artificial meat versions of the same sandwich. 131 Avenue A, near Ninth Street, East Village

La Tête d’Or is now open, the French steakhouse from Daniel Boulud. The room reminds me a bit of the Grill, with its posh midcentury leanings, wood paneling, and cushy seating. More on the scene next week, but dessert people might want to visit just for the sweets. I have a weakness for cookies in general, so it’s fun that the restaurant offers a selection of five (including madelines, caneles, $19). There’s also a soft-serve (chocolate, coffee, vanilla) sundae with caramel, hot fudge, and DIY toppings ($25). But my favorite was the citron-framboise with lemon curd and raspberry meringue ($17). The restaurant lists a selection of cakes, too (one with devil’s food cake!) but I had enough trouble choosing between citrus tarts, sundaes, and cookies. 318 Park Avenue South, at East 23rd, Flatiron

Melissa McCart/Eater NY