NYC Food & Neighborhood News 2/5/26

NYC FOOD & NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS 2/5/26

In praise of the tuna melt, the ultimate NYC sandwich: Though the decline of the New York City diner has been well documented, we’re living in the golden age of tuna melts. Across Formica counters, city chefs are pushing tuna melts of great distinction and panache.
Here Are NY’s 2026 James Beard Awards Semifinalists: Sunny Lee of Korean wine bar Sunn’s and exciting Cambodian Brooklyn restaurant Bong are up for awards.
Travel Back in Time With Seafood Platters at NYC’s Grandest Train Station Restaurant: Rail travel may no longer be all the rage in the U.S., but Grand Central Oyster Bar still hits.
NYC’s Hard-To-Get Burgers, Ranked: How do you create a hype burger? Make it really hard to acquire one.
Dark, Dense, and Disappearing: How pumpernickel bagels became an endangered species.
The Spots Of The Winter, NYC Edition: Spend the season eating your way through the city.

A Vegas Steakhouse Icon Is Now Open in NYC: Golden Steer opened its first location outside Nevada on Friday, January 23 in the One Fifth building in Greenwich Village. The nearly 70-year-old Las Vegas steakhouse was once frequented by Frank Sinatra and mobsters like Tony Spilotro, who was portrayed by Joe Pesci in the movie Casino. The space was previously home to Marc Forgione’s One Fifth, which closed after two years, and before that, Mario Batali’s Otto for nearly 20 years.

People Still Wait Hours for This $32 French Dip From an Influencer: The sandwich at Salt Hank’s West Village shop sells out daily.
What to See, Eat and Drink in New York City’s Chinatown: The dumpling houses, hidden bars and legacy shops worth knowing in a neighborhood that’s survived 150 years of New York trying to change it.
L’Industrie Pizzeria Is Opening in Little Italy Next to Ferrara Bakery: Wildly popular slice shop, L’Industrie, is opening its third location in NYC, this one next to the 134-year-old Italian bakery, Ferrara, the neighborhood go-to for cannoli and lobster tails.
The Return of Cheap Eats: The Dominican smashburgers, swordfish tortas, and mortadella bagels in this story all cost less than anything from Carbone.
The Golden Diner Pancakes Are Still Worth the Wait on the Lower East Side.

The Best New Restaurants in Queens, According to Eater Editors: A James Beard semifinalist and a relocated noodle shop join the list.
The Best New Restaurants in Brooklyn, According to Eater Editors: From a stellar pop-up’s full-on Mexican restaurant to the return of a Jewish deli
Los Burritos Juárez Brings a Different Kind of Burrito to NYC: Each thick, lard-laced tortilla is handmade and rolled to order.