Harlem

Three brothers developed a taste for quality cacao while growing up in the Caribbean eating chocolate made from trees they had grown (and picked from) themselves. Cut to: Dominic, Nicholas, and Daniel Maloney craft single-origin, bean-to-bar dairy- and nut-free, organic, fair-trade chocolate in Harlem. A square or two of Sol Cacao’s 70 percent plus chocolate is the kind of rich, slightly sweet, slightly bitter treat you enjoy with a glass of red wine after dinner or with a thimble of espresso in the afternoon—it’s to be savored. Find Sol Cacao sprinkled throughout New York City's best artisanal food purveyors like Chelsea Market, Chicky's General store, and Brooklyn Larder, as well as at Whole Foods and online.

Hot Bread Kitchen isn’t your—or anyone else’s—average bakery. Its founder, Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez (her background is in social justice and public policy) and has made hiring immigrant women a priority since opening in 2007. In fact, several have since moved on to higher-level roles in the NYC food world. The handmade baked goods coming from the kitchen reflect the countries of the women who work here, ranging from Moroccan msemen (a traditional flatbread) to Mexican heritage corn tortillas. Rodriguez also runs HBK Incubates, which provides commercial kitchen and market access and business development support to food start-ups.

Beyond being one of the more perfect independent grocery stores around, Fairway is the perfect New York cross section: You'll see young families, old ladies in fur coats, students looking for good food at good prices, and just about every New York "type" you can think of.

Beyond being one of the more perfect independent grocery stores around, Fairway is the perfect New York cross section: You'll see young families, old ladies in fur coats, students looking for good food at good prices, and just about every New York "type" you can think of.