Fall has officially rolled in and brought some chilly winds and rains.
As tempting as it may be to mourn the oven-y summer weather, the chill is the perfect chance to indulge in your favorite comfort foods. Put on an oversized sweater that may or may not smell like your dusty closet, and curl up with these hot and cozy dishes to keep you warm and happy/full.
You do not need your mom, you jewish grandmother, or your southern aunt to cook up the comfort food of your dreams. New York City is overflowing with eateries that are ready and waiting to help you fight off the wind and rain with their warm and sultry comfort food.
We hit you with some quintessential comfort foods and where to find them at the beginning of the season, so here are 7 more places to indulge in the best home-cooked tasting comfort food without ever having to lay a finger on a sauce-pan or the oven dial.
1. Heavy Woods (50 Wyckoff Avenue - Brooklyn)
ruthlesslacy Holy shit this is good. Crawfish Mac and cheese with a two hearted IPA @heavywoods . Tomorrow is my birthday so I'm starting early because I'm feeling old and weird. #heavywoods #ipa #daydrinking #bushwick
Home to killer mulled wine and a smoking hot toddy, this Bushwick bar-restaurant has a quirky cozy atmosphere that is perfect for a full-on meal, or a drink and a snack.
But once you experience the caliber of authentic New Orleans eats Heavy Woods has to offer, you won’t be able to help but work your way through all of it.
The duck and okra gumbo and fried catfish po’ boy are some of our personal favorites, but the chicken pot pie is absolutely unbeatable.
Do yourself a favor and get a house-made buttermilk biscuit on the side that comes with a fiery dipping sauce and will leave you full of the best food around.
2. Amy Ruth’s (113 West 116th Street)
Amy Ruth’s is a Harlem neighborhood favorite that has decently priced but decadent foods to comfort your soul. The bright yellow dining space is warm and inviting, and is the perfect place to gorge yourself on some amazing southern food.
The meals here are made in the tradition of the restaurant’s founding Alabama grandmother, and taste like they’ve just been foisted on you by Amy Ruth herself after she has declared that you’re getting too skinny.
The catchily titled Latesha Anderson (shrimp n’ grits), Mamane Baque (meatloaf), and the Gabrielle Union (fried or smothered pork chops), are enough to make your mouth water from the wafting smell alone.
There is an entire separate menu for waffle creations (many including chicken, because duh) and the Bessie Mac Bass’ sweet potato pie is not to be missed. And we haven’t even mentioned the sides- the mashed potatoes and potato salad are everything you could hope for.
3. Murray’s Cheese Bar (264 Bleeker Street)
The small and classy space at Murray’s will meet any and all dairy-related desires. And yes, we know you have many.
Who doesn’t daydream about hot melty cheese and all of its shapes and forms when they’re craving some nostalgic comfort food? Well, Murray’s has the best version of all the cheesy dishes you could hope for.
The Murray’s classic mac n’ cheese, Murray’s melt, fondue, and halloumi will pick up your spirits by sheer virtue of melted. cheese. You guys, melted cheese fixes everything, even if there isn’t anything that particularly needs fixed.
4. The Rookery (425 Troutman Street - Brooklyn)
A great gastropub for brunch, dinner, or some quality beer, The Rookery in Bushwick has something tasty for all of your cold weather needs. There’s some excellent graffiti to greet you on your way in the door, so you’ll know you’re at the right place for a chill time.
A trendy, open space with eclectic decor, you can fill your belly with a pint of Ommegang craft beer, oatmeal stout, or Crabbies ginger beer before you even get to your delicious main course.
As for the meals, the curried goat Shepherd’s pie, rookery scotch egg, egg sammy, or even the full English breakfast are sure to supply you with all the hot and heavy comfort you could possibly need.
You can sit back with a plate of meaty, British goodness in a laid-back atmosphere at The Rookery which really is the perfect antidote to grey days.
,5. BarBacon (836 9th Avenue)
This newly minted Hell’s Kitchen delight is sure to satisfy with classic American eats taken to over the top perfection. It’s just as the label says- a haven full of booze and bacony goodness.
But BarBacon welcomes its patrons to try some of their more adventurous fare- you can taste a fresh new twist on your favorite classics by trying the avocado and shrimp tortilla, lobster loves bacon mac n’ cheese, jambalaya, or the hot and savory Montauk corn and clam chowder.
If some delicious comfort food means to you that seafood should be thrown in, and soup should take up a place front and center, than Barbacon is the place for you.
6. Egg (109 North 3rd Street - Brooklyn)
With a clean and inviting aesthetic, Williamsburg’s Egg is a homey oasis in which to chow down on a wide assortment of familiar favorites.
Ideal for breakfast, brunch, or lunch, Egg is cooking some of the best grilled cheese around. And if you’re in the mood for something more Southern, the hush puppies, fried chicken, biscuit and gravy, fried oyster sandwich, and yes that’s right, the eggs are not to be missed out on.
Egg will present you with the cozy food you need in a freshly designed atmosphere, perfect for a friendly catch-up or even a date (if you’re ok with stuffing your face in front of your date which really, you probably should be.)
7. The Redhead (349 East 13th Street)
theredheadnyc ☁️☁️Cloudy day cravings☁️☁️#shrimpandgrits #theredheadnyc #eastvillage #eeeeeats 📷cred: the talented @megjoneswall of @trycaviarnyc
This East Village eatery has some famously delectable soul food, as well as some other American classics that will warm you up from the inside out.
Starting out with the house-made soft pretzel and beer cheese is a must to ease you into a catatonic state of tastiness, and prepare you for what is to come. The jalapeno cornbread, grilled corn with chili-lime butter are excellent choices, and will sate your palate with a touch of spiciness.
You have to finish off with the apple crisp or brioche bread pudding, which will successfully comfort you into a happily-fed stupor, and let’s be real, you probably should just spring for a comfortable cab ride home after all of that hot food.
Check out 7 Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwiches in NYC.
[Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]