Chain vs. Indie

Manhattan is known for having a Starbucks at every corner, but it's also known for its independent restaurants and cafes. This post will give you some ideas for the next time you feel like trying an indie place instead of a franchise.


Like Chipotle's "Mexican" food?

Try a more authentic approach at El Luchador.


An alternative to Starbucks?


Try the lattes as 12 Corners Coffee

Branching out of Manhattan

Manhattan isn't the only borough that has some of the world's tastiest food. Brooklyn's Williamsburg and Prospect Park are the locations for Smorgasburg, a food flew market, open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays. More than a hundred vendors gather in Williamsburg to showcase their variation of classic (and some not-so-classic) dishes. 

This YouTube video captures the essence of Smorgasburg:

Two of the market's most sought out foods are the Ramen Burger & Raindrop Cake

      

If you want to leave the city entirely, Smorgasburg has added an upstate location: Kingston, NY beginning in June 2016.

For the Love of Milkshakes

Many New Yorkers have dropped everything to stand in line for four hours all for Black Tap's obnoxiously appealing milkshakes. These milkshakes are a physical representation that good things come to those who wait because very few people leave disappointed from this place. Black Tap sells other food of course, like burgers and wings, but their main attraction are the insane milkshakes. They come in different flavors like:

Oreo Cookies & Cream
Nutella
Cotten Candy
Strawberry
Peanut Butter
U Bet Chocolate

Sound ordinary right? Until they arrive at your table looking like this:

 


   

If you absolutely can't wait for the restaurant's fame to subside I recommend waiting in line for one (maybe two) of these Shakes.