GG Restaurant Report:
July '25

GG Restaurant Report, July '25: Mob diners, tasting menus, Levantine cuisine

From cash-only Caribbean bakeries on White Plains Road to white tablecloth spots in Manhattan, we eat all ways. High, low, in between. Every month, we’re putting together a list of where to break bread.

1. Huda

Levantine heat with a homestyle hand. Garlic-heavy, spice-forward, this ain’t shy food. Order the carrot salad and the charred eggplant lingers. Vibes are Brooklyn-soft: low lights, warm hearts. Shout to the staff who treat you like you already came through last week. Peep the Free Palestine stickers by the register, proof that this place is about more than the plate.

637 Driggs Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Book here

2. Atoboy

Modern Korean in NoMad, plated like a flex but still full of soul. A la carte if you're here for a quick trip but do the tasting menu if you want the full story. The truffled corn is illegal in some states (not really but it should be). Chicken’s crispy, saucey, all the right kinds of wrong. Natural wine heavy, clean lines, service that glides.

43 E 28th St, New York, NY 10016
Book here

3. Sugarcane

This one’s a tip from Amanda Murray and if you read her Home Cookin’ feature, you know the palate’s elite. GG hasn’t vetted it yet but if Amanda vouches and that’s good enough for us. Trini fried chicken and oxtail braised in sugar and rum sounds like church. Right by Barclays. Pull up hungry.

238 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Walk-in only

4. Jackson Hole Diner

Originally called Airline Diner, only 10 minutes from LaGuardia. Family-owned and operated for decades and they kept their retro vibe with jukeboxes at every booth. The thing about diner food is it always hits. And theirs is good. Everything is made to order by cooks in the middle of the space. Any mob movie aficionado will recognize this spot from Goodfellas. Real diner energy. No fuss, just food that hugs. Support these spots before they vanish.

69-35 Astoria Blvd N, Queens, NY 11370
Walk-in only

5. Thai Diner

Another diner makes the list but a different kind. Diner vibes flipped with Thai fire. Getting a res feels like winning the lottery but the prize is coconut curry. The khao soi is the hero here: crispy noodles, silky broth, comfort food with a kick. Finish with Uncle Boon’s famous coconut sundae, coconut gelato topped with candied pecans.

186 Mott St, New York, NY 10012
Book here

6. Lloyd's Carrot Cake

Bronx-born legend. Lloyd started baking carrot cake in Harlem until he nailed the formula: moist, fluffy, not too sweet. Been holding it down since ‘86. Family’s still running the show after Lloyd’s passing in ‘86. This is sacred pastry. If you know, you go.

6087 Broadway, Bronx, NY 10471
Walk-in only

7. Çka Ka Qëllu

Bronx Albanian spot with Dua Lipa cred. Rustic, real, and rooted. Rustic decor, traditional dishes, big portions. Get the ajvar starter, a roasted red pepper spread that’s a staple in the Balkans, and sarma, another staple of stuffed cabbage with ground meat. Three locations but the Bronx one got heart.

2321 Hughes Ave, Bronx, NY 10458
Book here

8. Enoteca Maria

Rotating lineup of nonnas and abuelas from all over the globe — every night’s a different grandma, a different country, a different kind of love. One night you might get an Italian nonna making fresh pasta. The next, an Ecuadorian abuela serving up hearty stews. One-of-one spot. Staten Island feels like a mission, but this one’s holy.

27 Hyatt St, Staten Island, NY 10301
Call to reserve

9. Karahi King

South Asian, Pakistani & Indian cuisine on Allerton Ave. Watch the premiere episode of Les is More and see what's good at this Bronx eatery.

1075 Allerton Ave, Bronx, NY 10469
Walk-in only