New York City City, pleasantly off-script

I ate lamb ribs sticky with tamarind and dates, watched fairy tales transformed into extravagant burlesque, learned to make stained glass and watched people take shots of alcohol poured directly from the head of a bluefin tuna during my latest trip to New York City. It wasn’t exactly a conventional sightseeing itinerary, but that’s increasingly how I like to experience the city.

I used to live in New York, and no matter how many times I return, it never fails to surprise, delight, frustrate and invigorate me. I spent another week revisiting favorites and adding to the list of must-visit places I might never get to. The possibilities seem endless, particularly when you’re willing to follow your curiosity. From unforgettable meals to unexpected experiences, here’s where mine took me this time — and where I’d happily go again.

Lunch and cafes

One of my favorite things about eating in New York is how easily a casual lunch can become one of the most memorable meals of the trip. Take LAUT in Union Square, the first Malaysian restaurant in New York City to be awarded a Michelin star. While the establishment hasn’t retained it, if the bustling lunch crowd was any indication, it’s certainly a worthwhile stop. The menu draws from Singaporean, Thai and Malaysian cuisine, with fragrant curries, flaky roti, chewy noodles and wok-fried dishes.

We loved the fried butter garlic soft-shell crab with fragrant, crispy curry leaves. The roti canai was another standout, perfectly flaky and served with a spice-forward sauce you’ll want to eat with a spoon. Bone-in duck curry followed, braised in coconut milk with lime leaf and tomato, and served with rice. It had a stick-to-your-bones constitution, and you could easily get lost in the flavorful sauce.

Peruvian food is influenced by flavors from around the globe, with delicious peppers, lots of citrus and fresh ingredients as the stars of the show. At Mission Ceviche, also in Union Square, I found an excellent lunch menu offering a variety of ceviches — ceviche nikkei was my favorite! — and tiraditos, cravable mocktails and main dishes ranging from classics like lomo saltado to whole grilled branzino over a bright tomato chorrillana sauce. I could have easily downed several basil breeze mocktails.

Harlem is home to Red Rooster, co-founded by the acclaimed Marcus Samuelsson. Inspired by Black American, Southern and Caribbean cuisines, the restaurant serves as a gathering place with live music, good food and a lively atmosphere. The service was excellent despite the full restaurant and busy bar, and we ordered a variety of dishes for the three of us.

I loved fried chicken and this one was coated in a crispy shell while perfectly juicy inside, served with greens and unctuous mashed potatoes. Jerk wings were great, too, as well as the Uptown Guac, served with fried hushpuppies. Surprisingly, the highlight of our meal was dessert: a strawberry and mango salad with coconut sauce. So refreshing, and a perfect way to end the meal.

Of course, not every great food discovery requires a sit-down meal. Two small but mighty cafes in Greenwich Village made particularly memorable stops, each with a very different specialty.

Savory pastries meet halloumi from Cyprus at Hello Halloumi, a small bakery where the cheese is the star of the menu. Halloumi appears fried, baked into pastries, turned into grilled cheese, served as the meat in a “burger,” and featured in gyro wraps and bowls. The rose cloud matcha was delicious, and if you want something sweet, don’t miss the tahinopita, a cinnamon roll-style treat slathered in decadent tahini icing.

(Chaya Milchtein) Matcha and a Frenchie at Kawaii Cafe

Nearby, Kawaii Cafe is a little Vietnamese coffee shop with a French bulldog named Latte as its mascot that should be a required stop for any coffee or matcha lover. Kim, the owner, came to the United States from Vietnam and worked as a nail tech. Kawaii’s signature beverages hearken back to those days, when she’d talk to clients and hear all about their relationship problems. Situationship, Thirst Trap and What Are We are all handcrafted drinks inspired by those conversations.

Coffee beans are carefully sourced from Vietnam, cream toppings and jellies are made in-house, and vibrant green matcha from Shizuoka, Japan, makes for unforgettable combinations. The matcha was so good I came back twice!

Leisurely dinners

For dinner, New York offers endless opportunities to get a little more adventurous. Some of my favorite dishes from this trip came from restaurants drawing on different culinary traditions and finding exciting ways to bring them together.

At Eyval in Bushwick, an Iranian restaurant that bills itself as “recreating traditional Iranian cooking for a contemporary audience,” the dining room was bustling and lively, with every table full when we arrived. The menu isn’t overly extensive, but every dish we ate balanced flavors, textures and ingredients superbly.

I could eat the citrus, date and cabbage salad every day and probably never get tired of it. The punchy, rich chile-tahini dressing balances perfectly with the sweet, chewy dates, bursts of orange and crunchy cabbage. Match made in heaven, really. Then there were fall-off-the-bone lamb ribs with a sticky tamarind-and-date sauce that you just have to lick your fingers after devouring, and a saffron half chicken, pressed and served over rice studded with barberries and pumpkin seeds. This restaurant will live rent-free in my brain for quite some time.

Marcus Samuelsson’s Hav & Mar offers another inventive approach to familiar ingredients. Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, Samuelsson draws on both culinary traditions at this seafood-focused restaurant. The space is beautiful and lively, with mermaids on the walls and a central bar. The menu is spice-forward, with raw and cured dishes, small plates and a range of entrees.

We loved the crudo trio: tuna tartare with miso and injera, hamachi with gooseberries and crispy onions, and berbere-cured salmon, lox-style, in an orange broth. The highlight of our meal was a whole crispy-skin branzino served with fresh injera, shiro and plenty of herbs, while dry-aged lamb chops rounded out our order. My only regret is skipping the Hav bread basket, with teff biscuits, blue cornbread and injera crisps.

New York can also deliver an exceptional steak dinner, whether you’re drawn to Brazilian specialties or an old-school white-tablecloth institution.

The dimly lit Berimbau Brazilian Table in Midtown, from restaurateur Mario de Matos, was a delight, with a relatively small menu of Brazilian specialties. We started with the nearly obligatory pão de queijo, crispy, cheesy, chewy bread that’s naturally gluten-free and positively scrumptious.

The star of the menu is clear immediately: tableside-carved prime picanha, a treat for the eyes and certainly the taste buds. The massive 38-ounce portion sits on a bed of corn farofa, a textural delight, and is served with cheesy yuca purée, charred vegetables and salada vinagrete that adds a much-needed acidic punch. It technically serves three but is perfect for two, with plenty of leftovers. This might have been the best picanha I’ve ever had. The service, ambiance and lighting make it an excellent choice for a memorable meal.

Gallagher’s Steakhouse, on the other hand, is where you go for an old-school New York experience, complete with waiters in bow ties, dry-aged steaks and classic sides. Originally a speakeasy that opened during Prohibition, it changed hands several times and became a New York City institution.

The menu offers classics: a raw bar with delicious oysters (ask for horseradish, they have it!), Caesar salad, French onion soup and other starters. Steaks of all kinds, some dry-aged in the meat lockers you walk past as you’re seated, can be topped with blue cheese or served with bone marrow. I’d skip the latter, even as a bone marrow lover.

We opted for a well-aged, medium-rare T-bone steak cooked over hickory logs, with buttered corn and spinach served family-style. In the classic Gallagher’s way, the waiter fills your plate. Endearing or disconcerting? You decide. Save room for the New York cheesecake. It’s made in-house and was a surprising standout.

And for a completely different kind of fine dining, there’s Sushi Akira, where chef-owner Nikki Zheng is right at home behind the counter.

Sushi Akira specializes in Edomae-style sushi, using curing, marinating and dry aging to bring out the best texture and flavor of each ingredient without relying on heavy sauces. Chef Zheng is generous with her time, answering questions and explaining techniques and ingredients as she creates an 18-course omakase. Each carefully crafted piece of nigiri changes depending on what’s in season, and the meal unfolds in a choreographed dance for just 16 lucky diners.

Get the sake pairing if you’re imbibing, even if you don’t usually think of yourself as a sake drinker. The selections brilliantly complemented and enhanced each course and introduced me to combinations I wouldn’t have expected.

(Jodyann Morgan) Stripped jack nigiri at Sushi Akira

For a lively dinner with a group, I loved MangoSeed in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood. The playlist really set the mood. Billed as “Caribbean-inspired” and heavily influenced by Jamaican cuisine, the restaurant offers a fun atmosphere, hearty food and excellent service. My wife and I invited her mother, niece and nephew to join us, and despite the restaurant’s size, it fit our multigenerational group perfectly.

We really enjoyed the whole grilled fish with charred lemon and spicy jerk wings. Order a rum punch if you like a fruity drink that packs a punch, pun intended. A beloved favorite, the baked four-cheese mac and cheese was gooey and decadent. The rice and peas and oxtail didn’t quite live up to our high standards, but they rounded out the meal. And for dessert, the chocolate cake was moist and deeply chocolatey, a surprising standout for the entire group.

Getting around

Of course, getting to and around New York City can be stressful. Between traffic and the sheer number of people, it can overwhelm even seasoned travelers. A couple of transportation services made my recent visits easier.

Having a professional driver from Gotham Ride Chauffeur Service pick you up at the airport can help a trip start off right. The company tracks your flight so the driver can meet you even if it’s delayed, and you’re greeted with cold beverages while you take a load off.

I’ve used the service on two trips, and both were a breeze, even when one of my flights was turned around midair and another was canceled as we were about to get into the car. Those are precisely the moments when having some help with the logistics makes a difference.

For getting around town, I’ve also been testing alternatives to the usual rideshare options. I lived in New York during the golden age of rideshare, when it was largely budget-friendly and so many new apps were popping up that the competition was fierce. In the years since, Uber and Lyft have become the primary choices, but whenever I return, I try to test-drive newer options.

Empower isn’t exactly traditional rideshare. The company bills itself as a software platform, allowing drivers to set their own rates and keep 100% of the fare revenue while paying a daily or monthly fee to use the service.

On my visits, drivers were available quickly, rates were reliably lower than the Uber fares I was comparing against, and service was what you’d expect. I plan to use the app again the next time I’m in New York City.

Experiences worth booking

As much as I love eating my way through New York, every trip deserves a few experiences that don’t revolve entirely around a restaurant reservation. This time, that meant everything from burlesque and close-up magic to a four-hour stained-glass class and a very unusual encounter with a bluefin tuna.

For a night out with some genuine spectacle, Company XIV reimagines classic stories like “Little Red Riding Hood” as full-scale burlesque productions. Complete with live singing, expert choreography, ballet, aerial performances and costumes designed to be removed piece by piece, the shows are sensual and mesmerizing.

The theater is a magnificent setting for each performance, decked out in velvet and glitter, with chandeliers overhead. If you enjoy a really good performance art, you must catch a show at Théâtre XIV. Whether you’re with a lover or a group of friends, prepare to be dazzled!

(And if you’re peckish before or after the show, stop by Tortillería Mexicana Los Hermanos, just a three-minute walk away. The restaurant operates inside a tortilla factory that has been making tortillas in-house since 1998, and the food never disappoints. I always get the carnitas, perfectly crispy and deeply savory, served in fresh, warm tortillas.)

For another kind of performance, consider the tuna-cutting experience at Sushi by Bou. If your TikTok feed looks anything like mine, you’ve probably watched plenty of videos of live tuna cuttings. If omakase isn’t interactive or exciting enough for you, this is a chance to watch an entire bluefin tuna being carved, sliced and served in an endless parade of toro, akami and more.

Sushi by Bou curated a party-like atmosphere in a room full of eager sushi lovers. Libations flowing, delicious fatty tuna passed around, and alcohol poured directly into your mouth from the tuna head itself were some of the highlights. You can even scrape tuna directly off the ribs if you choose. It’s not exactly a typical sushi dinner, but that’s part of the fun.

For an experience that trades culinary spectacle for old-fashioned wonder, there’s Chamber Magic at the glitzy Lotte New York Palace.

Tune out everything and let yourself believe in magic — at least for an hour and 45 minutes. Magician Steve Cohen makes everyone feel like an important part of the show. Held on Friday and Saturday, with a cocktail-attire dress code, the performance brings together just 64 people to giggle, laugh and try to figure out how Cohen pours someone’s perfect cocktail from a teapot unprompted, among other magical acts. You’ll leave with a wide smile, enchanted by the experience.

Not all my favorite activities involve watching someone else demonstrate a skill, though. I love finding a creative experience while traveling, particularly when it means learning something new and bringing home a one-of-a-kind souvenir I made myself.

Craftsman Ave in Brooklyn offers classes for even the most adventurous crafter, including knife making, leatherwork, textiles and stained glass, which I chose. Its introduction to stained glass is a four-hour class that walks you through every step of making a wall hanging, from selecting your design to cutting the glass, soldering and finishing the piece.

My wife and I have taken many craft classes, but this one felt more advanced than anything we’d tried before, with experienced artists working alongside us. I definitely felt frustrated at times because it took me a while to grasp each step. But in the end, I was glad I took the class, even if my cat was more amateur than I’d hoped.

If you’re looking for a bite before or after class, stop by Sahadi’s at Industry City, just a few minutes away on foot. The longtime Lebanese grocer has been operating in New York since the late 1800s, and this location has a grab-and-go deli as well as seated lunch and dinner service.

Another New York experience worth considering is having something made specifically for you. Have you ever put on a suit and had it fit perfectly? Me neither! Nothing off the rack makes me feel like a million bucks.

That’s what makes Alan David Custom in Midtown such an interesting stop. The bespoke tailoring house crafts suits to your exact measurements and requirements, guiding you through the process from fabric selection to final fitting.

The fabric choices are endless, and every detail is dictated by you rather than a mass-market clothing producer: pocket or no pocket, type of stitching, exact fit, even the hemline for the style of shoes you actually wear. After the initial measurements, the company can ship a basted fitting and arrange a virtual fitting to finalize the details before sewing and sending the finished garment.

Whether you’re preparing for a big occasion or simply tired of wearing something that doesn’t quite fit, it’s a luxury experience that offers something more personal than an ordinary shopping trip.

Where to stay

After a full day of exploring, there’s something to be said for returning to a comfortable hotel, particularly one that feels a little different from the generic, nondescript rooms you can find almost anywhere.

The Kimberly Hotel has old-school charm and timeless elegance, with gracious, helpful service and a massive round fish tank in the lobby that you can get lost in. The hotel has 194 rooms, including one- and two-bedroom suites.

We stayed in a massive one-bedroom suite, even by regular standards, with a lounge area and kitchenette complete with a microwave and refrigerator that we put to good use. The bed was super comfortable, but the bathroom was tiny considering all the space. A balcony with Manhattan views was simply the pièce de résistance. Even if your room doesn’t have a balcony, you can get 360-degree views at the rooftop lounge, aptly called Upstairs at The Kimberly.

For a comfortable home base with minimal frills, Kimpton Ashbel New York Park Avenue fits the brief well.

The lobby is inspired by a living and dining room spread across two spaces, with the registration desk at the center. It’s designed to give you room to relax and connect, and it’s great for people-watching, although the hustle and bustle means it isn’t a place to go for peace and quiet.

Our room was surprisingly spacious for New York City, with a table, chairs and a jetted tub — which was quite difficult to climb into, if I’m honest. Kimpton Ashbel is also pet-friendly, with no deposit required and no weight, size or breed restrictions, a huge boon for travelers with pets.

My stained-glass cat didn’t turn out quite as I’d hoped, and there are still countless restaurants on my list I never managed to visit. But I came home with some excellent meals, a few wonderfully strange memories and plenty of reasons to return.

Elevate your taste buds

New York’s legal cannabis scene is flourishing, with countless dispensaries competing for your business. Each dispensary offers a different experience depending on your style and preferences.

Housing Works Cannabis Co. is both New York’s first legal recreational cannabis dispensary and one of a handful of nonprofit dispensaries. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Housing Works has been serving homeless and low-income New Yorkers, particularly people living with HIV, in a variety of capacities for years. The dispensary, just a short walk from Union Square and the Village, puts all of its profits toward supporting that mission.

Then there’s The Daily Green in Times Square, impossible to miss beneath digital green billboards with cannabis displayed in bold newspaper type. The massive dispensary has a selection to match, with products ranging from pre-rolls and tinctures to topicals and vapes, including New York brands like ayrloom and national ones including STIIIZY and Dogwalker.

An interactive bud bar lets customers get a firsthand look at different cannabis varieties, with a terpene guide providing additional information. It’s a distinctly different experience from visiting a small neighborhood shop, and an interesting example of how cannabis has become part of the Times Square retail landscape.

On the Upper West Side, Superfly Dispensary offers another approach. The budtenders are knowledgeable, cannabis varieties are available to examine under magnification, and the selection intentionally includes LGBT- and Black-owned brands. Superfly also serves as a community hub, with weekly yoga and Pilates, disco nights, Halloween parties and brand activations. There’s something for people looking to connect and spend time with like-minded neighbors, not simply shop. Great choices include ayrloom’s Lychee Dream pre-rolls, Good Tide guava gummies and Sluggers Lemon Cherry Gelato vape.

The post New York City, deliciously off-script appeared first on Salon.com.