By Marco Shalma

I walked past two restaurants on 145th this week that had “For Lease” signs in the windows. One was a Latin-grill that built its reputation on late-night crowds, the other a family-run fish-and-chips spot that has been in the neighborhood for 30 years. The reason they’re both closing? The same: the city talks ‘vibrancy’ and ‘culture’ but nobody fixes the plumbing, the landlord demands market rent, and bureaucracy chews your cash faster than a lunch rush.

Here’s what’s really going on in NYC’s food scene: the glam pops up on your feed, the 10-course omakase, the rooftop speakeasy, the “street-food pod” in the park. But behind it are the pipes, the rent checks, the city rules you can’t even read, and the politicians who act surprised when two spots close on the same block. The upcoming administration is promising “affordability” for NY businesses. Good. But there’s a gap between “promise” and “permission to stay open.” 

Apps take their cut. Banks take theirs. Landlords secure their futures. The food workers wait tables, hustle carts, and cook in basements. And the consumer pays the price—not just in dollars, but in fewer neighborhoods where your favorite taco place still exists. The reality is this: food culture isn’t just Instagrammable dessert fountains. It’s credible kitchens, landlords who behave, and city systems you can navigate.

If we lose the block-by-block spots, we don’t just lose flavor, we lose connection. So next time you queue for the flash pop-up: remember the sibling team running a 22-seat spot where the only “buzz” is the line out the door at 11 pm. They’re real. They’re rooted. They’re fighting. And if you care about food in NYC, you need them more than the media hype.

Tiny spaces. Zero ego. Maximum flavor.

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New York’s eating weird right now. Everyone’s chasing trends, dodging rent, and pretending they discovered hot sauce. The city’s loud again, but half the noise is PR, and the other half is people who actually cook.

Here’s what’s lighting up the streets this week:

1. GOOD FOOD TREND – “Back to the Block.”

Neighborhood spots are ditching the influencer bait and going hyper-local. Think arroz con pollo on actual plates, not paper boats. Bronx and Uptown joints are cooking for neighbors again, not for TikTok. That’s the movement.

2. BAD FOOD TREND – “Gimmick Menus.”

Every mid-tier restaurant suddenly thinks it’s Noma. Charcoal ice cream? Espresso martini flights? Get the fuck outta here. If your menu needs a prop table, it’s not a vibe, it’s a cry for help.

3. POLICY – “Delivery App Bloodsuckers.”

The 43% cap lift is officially in play. DoorDash calls it innovation; small restaurants call it robbery with push notifications. Expect more closures and fewer egg rolls at 2 am.

4. NEW OPENING TO CHECK – “Casa de la Flor, Inwood.”

Tiny Dominican bistro doing pastelón that’ll make you forget keto exists. No influencers yet, just real flavor and a line of locals. Go before Grubhub finds them.

5. I CALL BULLSHIT – “The $28 Salad Economy.”

If your lettuce costs the same as lunch for a family of four on 181st, you’re not selling health, you’re selling delusion. I’m all for clean eating, but not at hedge-fund prices.

That’s the week. The city’s still cooking, but half the flavor’s stuck in the algorithm. Keep your money in the hands that actually season their food.

Another week, another hustle. See you in them streets.

— Marco Shalma | Editor-in-Chief, New York Eats Here

📍From Bushwick to The Bronx

Something beautiful is happening in NYC’s food scene: Grandmas are back and they’re taking over pop-ups, markets, and ghost kitchens.

You’ve got Abuela Gloria selling tamales from her East Harlem walk-up. Nani’s Secret Supper Club is doing Gujarati home-style dinners in Jackson Heights. A Dominican titi frying pastelitos behind her grandson’s sneaker shop in The Bronx. These aren’t restaurants. They’re love letters. Recipes with no measurements. Stories in every bite. No PR firm. No fancy plating. Just “come hungry and don’t disrespect the table.”

And here’s the best part:

Younger generations are the ones building the brands. Making the flyers. Running the IG. Filming grandma while she yells at them for touching the dough wrong.

It’s not farm-to-table. It’s familia-to-street.

And it’s one of the most honest, joyful trends in New York food right now.

We’re building a list. They deserve all the flowers.

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