Where to Eat
The Hell's Kitchen gayborhood, running along 9th and 10th Avenue from the 40s through 50s, is of course packed with buzzy see-and-be-seen, ethnically diverse spots to eat and socialize. Plenty of gay chefs and restaurateurs keep the NYC dining scene exciting, and several specialize in Southeast Asian cuisine.
- Chelsea's Elmo and the 24/7 Cafeteria are longtime gay favorites, serving up twists on American comfort fare, tasty cocktails, and of course brunch. The same goes for West Chelsea's bustling Cookshop, located just across from Highline Park. If you're a fan of Mexican cuisine, James Beard Award-nominated, openly gay chef/cookbook author Roberto Santibañez's Fonda—with locations in both Chelsea and Park Slope—offers dishes straight out of Mexico City.
- Chef Hillary Sterling's Vic's in NoHo, to the southeast, offers creative fresh pastas, light, blistery wood-fired pizzas, and paleo-friendly options, in addition to the Italian gluten decadence. The Lower East Side's Bari Musacchio's Baz Bagel combines traditional Miami and New York City Jewish delicatessen culture, decor, and menus with mouthwatering hand-rolled bagels, smoked fish, latkes, matzoh ball soup, blintzes, and a variety of other delicious foods. This is definitely one of the most important LGBTQ travel guides to NYC.
