A Selective Guide To Some Of NYC’s Delicious Takeout Options

I've never really participated in New York's delivery culture, always preferring to get out of the house and into the streets when mealtime rolled around, moving through and engaging with my beloved city, dining with people I enjoy (or alone!) in a roomful of strangers. Either that, or doing my own grocery shopping and making something simple at home. This has been true my entire adult life, through all its various chapters. Now, of course, both of those options are either impossible or fraught with insecurity.

I've readjusted and have been getting my food supplies from small shops, greenmarkets, and, a little at a time, trying takeout options from some of my favorite spots that are still operating. The following list (more of ramble, really) isn't exhaustive by any means—mostly these are places I can more easily access under the current conditions—so I hope you will add your favorite locals in the comments. This is a team effort to support local businesses.

My suggestion: if you've got a favorite spot near your home, see if they're operating through takeout now as a way to support them. And if you're having the food delivered, remember to deal directly with the restaurant whenever possible (some intermediary delivery services may pocket a fair amount from each order, taking money from the business you're trying to support). Lastly: tip your delivery person at least twice as much as you usually do.

Note: Serious Eats has a great guide to food safety and coronavirus. "Wash your hands after bringing [takeout] home, transfer to clean containers and/or sanitize packaging when possible, and wash your hands."

Some of the most exciting new restaurants that opened in the early going of 2020 have suspended all services — places like 232 Bleecker in the West Village, and Rule of Thirds in Greenpoint — but one standout newcomer is keeping things going with both delivery and contactless pickup options: Thai Diner in Nolita, now operating out of Ann Redding and Matt Danzer's dedicated take-out spot around the corner, Uncle Boons Sister. The menu is limited, but you can still get things like the terrific Thai Diner Egg Sandwich, several popular Uncle Boons dishes, and pints of Morgenstern's ice cream.

After two years of planning, construction, and development, including a menu-testing pop-up at Boys Don't Cry, chef Helen Nguyen was set to finally open her Vietnamese restaurant Saigon Social when the pandemic hit our shores. Rather than completely fold in the face of disaster, Nguyen has been offering a short but appealing daily menu for delivery or pickup from her prime Lower East Side corner spot on Stanton and Orchard Streets. Hanoi Style Vermicelli, Garlic Noodles with Shrimp, and Spicy Chicken Sandwich with Tater Tots seem like sure winners here.

Meanwhile, a few blocks down on Orchard, the acclaimed duo Jeremiah Stone and Fabián von Hauske recently launched Contrair, a delivery-only amalgam of their hit restaurants Contra and Wildair, with dishes like Lamb Birria, Miso Kale and Charred Beet Salad, and Rice Pudding with Caramel. Also in this part of town, two of the city's best restaurants, Kopitiam and Golden Diner, have continued to feed their fans while also devoting their energy and resources to help newly unemployed hospitality workers and anyone struggling in their community.

Pizza is an obvious to-go go-to, and, thankfully, our greatest pizzaiola Frank Tuttolomondo continues to serve up pies as usual on the Upper West Side at Mama's Too. In addition to slinging full pies and, now, four-slice half pies, Tuttolomondo is also keeping up with his weekly one-day specials, like a recent Lasagna Bolognese and his excellent Meatball Parm. Both of Noam Grossman's stellar slice shops remain open as well, Upside Pizza on a grimy corner near Port Authority (and now with an expanded delivery zone), and Norm's on a sterile stretch of Downtown Brooklyn, home to one of the best Vodka Slices you'll ever eat.

More good delivery awaits at Leo, the pizza-and-more place in Williamsburg that opened late last fall from the Ops folks (and, so, also boasts an impressive natural wine list), and both Camillo and Bar Camillo, in Prospect Lefferts and Bed-Stuy, respectively. These latter two actually make Roman-style pinsa rather than pizza, but it's still dough covered with stuff, and it's very good. Team Camillo can also provide you with ten-drink bottles of their Negronis.

Also of note: at Adam Enzler's Sauce Pizzeria, with three Manhattan locations (LES, East Village, and Midtown), each specializing in classic NYC pizza that comes with a side of dipping sauce, you can tack on a pie to your order and they'll deliver it to the staff at an area hospital. Last week they were sending 250+ pizzas to hospitals a day!

Chinese food is another classic genre in the NYC delivery canon, and good choices abound throughout the city. There's excellent vegan Sichuan at Spicy Moon in the East Village, excellent not-vegan Sichuan at Birds of a Feather in Williamsburg, and Sichuan at Little Pepper in College Point. Harlem's The Handpulled Noodle is always a solid bet, and all three Junzi Kitchen locations, in Morningside Heights, Midtown, and Greenwich Village, are sending out rice bowls, noodle bowls, wraps, and family meals.

Although Chinatown's historic Nom Wah Tea Parlor is temporarily closed, the fast-casual offshoot Nom Wah Nolita will be happy to make you a whole mess of dumplings.

The East Village has an incredible concentration of great restaurants, so it's no surprise that there are still plenty of first-rate options even if you can't actually go inside anywhere. At Abraco Espresso, for example, Liz Quijada and Jamie McCormick are preparing a daily, three-item "family meal" (often involving homemade soup, and a sandwich of some sort, and a dessert) in addition to Quijada's always-a-pleasure pastries.

A block away, chef Kyungmin Kay Hyun has combined dishes from her Korean tapas spots Thursday Kitchen and her superb new Mokyo for a delivery menu, those boozy "capri-sun" drinks included.

There's no shortage of reliably good West Indian restaurants in Crown Heights, but two of my favorites are located just a couple of blocks apart on Nostrand Avenue. The namesake dish at Peppa's Jerk Chicken always satisfies, but I think the Curry Goat here is even better. And my usuals at Gloria's are either the tender and fatty Stew Oxtail or any of the first-rate Rotis. Serving sizes at both places are extremely generous.

Trigg Brown and Josh Ku's one-two punch of Win Son and Win Son Bakery in East Williamsburg have just now joined the takeout-only game, with the former handling dinner requests and the latter breakfast (including Mochi Doughnuts) and lunch. The menus are of the "greatest hits" variety which, with restaurants as top-notch as these two, means some quality eats indeed.

And both Mekelburg’s Brooklyn restaurants, in Clinton Hill and Williamsburg, remain open with takeout/delivery menus (including their famous sandwiches and stuffed baked potatoes), an array of groceries (on the pricey side), and tons and tons of beer.

Another dynamic duo, Roni Mazumdar and Chintan Pandya's Indian restaurants Adda in Long Island City, and Rahi in the West Village, are open for delivery or curbside pick-up. Adda is one of my favorite spots anywhere in the city, and even with an abbreviated menu there's still a lot to love coming out of the kitchen here, from the Tandoori Gobi (fiery, cheesy cauliflower) to the earthy Saag Paneer to the exceptional Goat Junglee Maas starring Pandya's goat curry.

On the Upper West Side, Parm is offering its full menu of sandwiches, pastas, and sides for takeout (sleeper hits: the Roast Beef Hero and the Italian Fries), and, among other things, North Miznon is selling their Folded Cheeseburger, complete with chewy griddled cheddar and gooey sauce in a fluffy pita.

And the hugely popular Jacob's Pickles continues to feed their gigantic platters of American comfort food to the neighborhood as well.

Fresh baked goods have really boosted morale here in my lonely home, thanks to several of the city's best bakeries. The practically peerless Partybus Bakeshop on the LES offers delivery on Wednesday, and online pre-order with no-contact pickup on Saturday, so it's (relatively) easy to get your hands on Jacqueline Eng's exceptional Monster Cookies and loaves of Sourdough bread.

The Awkward Scone in Bed-Stuy is hanging in there as well, starring Eric See and Erin Emmet's decadent doughnuts, lemon poppy passion fruit cake, and gloppy breakfast burritos.

The croissants, cookies, and loaves of bread at Monsieur Gus's L'imprimerie in Bushwick remain as delicious as ever, and if you've never had one of Dominique Ansel's Cronuts because who can deal with that line, well if you're nearby then now's the time to waltz right in to his shop on Spring Street and grab as many as you want. They've also been donating to hospitals: