Tribeca Specialty

Frenchette has long been a fixture in our restaurant rotation. Why? The crispy, crunchy French fries; the unbeatable roast chicken; and, of course, the bread. Its latest bakery venture means we can enjoy perfect crusty baguettes and buttery croissants at home alongside less traditional but no less delicious pastries, like kimchi-and-egg croissants, sesame-seed-encrusted loaves, and pistachio everything. Oh, and they've just added sourdough base pizza to the menu. Images courtesy of Melanie Dunea.

A friend clued us in to Frankly’s insanely informative (and fun) virtual wine tastings on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. sharp. A quick scroll through its Instagram feed led to a deep dive of its well-curated and generously stocked site. Delivery to lower Manhattan is free, and if you’re at a total loss on where to start, Frankly offers a personalized sommelier service to help you along.

The brains behind this wine lover's paradise, Robert Allen and Derrick Mize, worked at Italian Wine Merchants under Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich before establishing this one-stop shop for all things vino. Their Tribeca shop is a lot bigger on the inside than it looks from the storefront, which shows off their collection of temperature-controlled, mostly European wines. Here they host wine tastings and classes where you can learn about food pairings (they’ll even teach you what makes biodynamic, organic, and sustainable winemaking practices superior). Their workshops and lessons are all-inclusive, so you don’t need to bring anything but an open mind.

Years ago, Hugh Jackman and his wife, Deborah-Lee Furness traveled to Ethiopia during a World Vision trip and he happened to meet a coffee farmer named Dukale, who was growing incredible beans in an effort to support his struggling family. In 2011, Jackman started the Laughing Man Foundation, to help farmers in developing countries find a market for their beans in America, which you can sample at his Tribeca coffee shop. Not only do 100% of the profits support the foundation, but they make an excellent Flat White, too.

Years ago, Hugh Jackman and his wife, Deborah-Lee Furness traveled to Ethiopia during a World Vision trip and he happened to meet a coffee farmer named Dukale, who was growing incredible beans in an effort to support his struggling family. In 2011, Jackman started the Laughing Man Foundation, to help farmers in developing countries find a market for their beans in America, which you can sample at his Tribeca coffee shop. Not only do 100% of the profits support the foundation, but they make an excellent Flat White, too.

The emphasis here is on super-clean prepared salads and proteins, all sold as sides. There are tons of gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options, though you won’t feel like you’ve feasted on air. The Southwest Quinoa with corn and avocado is delicious, as are the red lentil dal, the roasted sweet potatoes, and the simply prepared chicken. Meanwhile, they do great gluten-free donuts.

The emphasis here is on super-clean prepared salads and proteins, all sold as sides. There are tons of gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options, though you won’t feel like you’ve feasted on air. The Southwest Quinoa with corn and avocado is delicious, as are the red lentil dal, the roasted sweet potatoes, and the simply prepared chicken. Meanwhile, they do great gluten-free donuts.

Come here for classic, hand-rolled, kettle-boiled bagels: And all the relevant toppings, from super-thick cream cheese variations, to smoked lox, to a pretty great egg salad (and an egg sandwich, for mornings when nothing else will do). There’s room to sit quickly, though most people don’t linger (although they do serve La Colombe coffee). It’s also a great option for catering.

Come here for classic, hand-rolled, kettle-boiled bagels: And all the relevant toppings, from super-thick cream cheese variations, to smoked lox, to a pretty great egg salad (and an egg sandwich, for mornings when nothing else will do). There’s room to sit quickly, though most people don’t linger (although they do serve La Colombe coffee). It’s also a great option for catering.

On a good day, Chambers Street Wines has around 2,000 bottles wedged onto its many shelves and crates, and all of them are available for delivery. In a city packed with excellent wine purveyors, Chambers Street stands out for its dedication to organic, small-production wines and unusual champagnes (yes, there’s a whole world of champagne out there beyond the five or six labels we’re so accustomed to paying top dollar for). Chambers has compiled a slew of what it calls “sampler cases” of wine running the gamut: pét-nat (naturally sparkling), skin-contact (orange wine), red, white, and natural (biodynamic). You can try a case of six or twelve wines of the same type but from different regions and producers to note the variations and nuances of terroir. These cases of six start at $137.77, which is a solid bargain for the quality and attention to the provenance we associate with this excellent wine store.