This week in NYC news we’ll roll into October and we’ll learn what’s happening in the space formerly known as Donohue’s, plus new brunch service at Carversteak and the resurrection of lunch service at Massara. And lots more! Have a tip? Send us a note via Instagram or by emailing info@diningout.com.
The 411
This week we say farewell to three East Village restaurants. We learn the top NYC spots diners are Yelping about the most, and we welcome to this world The Vinyl Lounge.
The Pop Star vs. Cookbook Store Owner
Bonnie Slotnick, who owns and runs her eponymous cookbook shop in the East Village, was arrested last week when tension between her and the organizers of a nearby Harry Styles pop-up shop, came to a head. The Harry Styles’ merchandise store, Together, has been causing long lines down the street, blocking entry to Slotnick’s shop.
She told EV Grieve, “I don’t think the people standing in line, who are mostly from elsewhere, have any idea of the disruption they’re causing.” Slotnick, 72 years old, ended up in a confrontation with the organizers of Together and was eventually arrested, sitting in a jail cell for 12 hours before being released. So far, Harry Styles has been mum about the incident.
Donohue’s Is Back. Sort of
The 76-year-old beloved chophouse Donohue’s permanently shuttered earlier this year, much to the sadness of the NYC regulars. The Upper East Side space, though, will soon be active again: restaurateur Jon Neidich of Golden Age Hospitality plans to open a restaurant here in the future. Neidich says he hopes to keep the interior as similar to the original as possible and is leaning on a chophouse concept for the menu, though nothing is certain at this point.
Yelp’s Best Restaurants of 2026
Crowd-sourcing website Yelp just released its top 25 restaurants of the year. In at number one is Filthy Animal in Tempe, AZ. followed by Firstborn in Los Angeles. Rounding out the top three is Limusina, a Mexican restaurant near New York’s Hudson Yards. The other NYC’s representative is Ambassador’s Clubhouse at number 10.
Wagyu and Vinyl
The wagyu omakase restaurant Togyushi has just opened a spot within the restaurant called The Vinyl Lounge where guests can graze on Japanese-inspired small plates and sip on signature cocktails while records create an ambient soundtrack to the evening. The new menu includes the Wagyu Tasting Tower, a three-tiered display featuring various cuts of the popular beef and uni.
Icelandic Yogurt is Fönn
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In this season of waiting in long lines for frozen yogurt, there’s a new spot that may be worth waiting for. Meet Fonn (pronounced fun), a new destination for skyr (pronounced skeer), a high-protein, Icelandic-style yogurt. You can get your skyr in a bowl, as a smoothie, or as part of a sandwich. Fönn is currently available at the Bryant Park outlet of Talea Beer Co.
This Week’s Closures
The Unapologetic Food Group, who runs lauded NYC restaurants Semma, Adda, and Dhamka, have permanently closed Kebawala, the Indian street food spot in the one-year-old Time Out Market near Union Square. Nearby in the East Village, two-year-old Holy Burger, a fast-casual burger spot, on East 14th Street and Avenue B, has flicked off its lights and let the grill get cold. Just south of there at East 7th Street and First Avenue, Hunan Slurp will no longer see humans slurp up Chinese rice noodles, as it has permanently closed.
On the Menu
There’s a new steak-centric brunch in Midtown, a week of sake flights, and some hard-to-find Brazilian dishes on this week in new NYC menus.
Something to Cluck About
At Berimbau Brazilian Table on West 36th Street you can indulge in a new menu item for autumn: Galinhada, a traditional chicken dish that you won’t find at many other Brazilian restaurants outside of Brazil. The dish consists of chicken that is marinated for 24 hours in a blend of Brazilian spices and herbs, then roasted, pulled apart, and plunged in a rich broth. Rice, grilled corn, and okra are then added to the dish. It’s only available for lunch.
Steak-Centric Brunch
Las Vegas import Carversteak just began offering brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Some of the new weekend dishes include Apple Cider Pancakes, Cacio e Pepe Benedict, Bananas Foster Waffles, and, of course, Steak & Eggs.
Sake It to Me
October 1 is National Sake Day and Blue Ribbon Sushi is offering a fun sake flight for the first week of October. Stop in from October 1 to 8 to sample three different styles of sake from Blue Ribbon’s proprietary collection. There are nine different outlets of Blue Ribbon Sushi around NYC.
Don’t Miss This Week
Need some dining out recommendations? Try these three hot spots, and make sure to check out the week’s events.
Thursday: After moving back to its original location on Broadway and East 20th Street, Massara has resurrected its lunch service. You can now get a two-course lunch for $40 and a three-course lunch for $50. I will be heading there this week to tuck into chef Stefano Secchi’s incredible mini pizzas, as well as pasta dishes like Paccheri Pomodoro and lamb sausage-spiked Cavatelli Verde.
Saturday: Piccolo Morini, the new-ish Italian restaurant in Nolita, has just begun brunch service and I’ll be there on Saturday to dig into pistachio-filled Cornetti, the Piccolo Smash Burger, and Mini Ricotta Pancakes. Brunch is available Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sunday: This Sunday I’ll be checking out the new menu items at Chatti by Regi Mathew, an Indian restaurant on West 37th Street. Some of the autumnal dishes include Claypot Pumpkin Curry and Homestyle Egg Curry.
