Hell’s Kitchen Local

Flex is a great neighborhood bar. I love the crowd and there’s always a crowd in there. It’s got a fun Happy Hour.

The staff here are incredibly knowledgeable about wine and spirits. They have great prices, offer delivery, and occasionally host wine tastings. Javi is one of the main reasons I enjoy shopping there. He’s always ready to help and does it with a smile. They also keep treats on hand for dogs, which is perfect if you’re like me and take your dog everywhere.

The New Dramatists has a striking Gothic aesthetic that has always captivated me. Long ago, the building served as a church, and that history can still be felt throughout its halls and architecture. Before the pandemic, it was a vibrant gathering place filled with activity and community.

In 1978, a group of neighbors on W48th Street looked at a lot that had been a garbage heap for 28 years and decided to build something better. When the city moved to auction the land out from under them in the early 1980s, they fought back. They formed the Committee to Save Clinton Community Garden, ran a “Square Inch Campaign” selling pieces of the garden for five dollars apiece, and in 1984 made it the first community garden in New York City protected as permanent parkland.

Great coffee, amazing food, lots of tables. I’ve written many songs sitting at this coffee shop.

My favorite place to grab a Guinness and some wings, or my current favorite, their braised-beef brisket tacos (formerly sliders) after a long day or week.

Homemade Taqueria has been my lunch go-to for the past five Saturdays in a row. Sometimes twice a day. The food is amazing — taco al pastor and aqua fresca watermelon. The background music is hip. The staff are super sweet. And the vibe is both modern and old school. I am already a regular — and plan to continue!

Their $16 Siesta Lunch Special is one of the finest deals in the neighborhood. My rotating order includes the lamb barbacoa braised in Negra Modelo with salsa borracha and serrano chilies, the crispy Gulf shrimp taco with guacamole, pico de gallo, and the beer-battered mahi mahi with poblano slaw and lime aioli on a flour tortilla. Bright, satisfying and always a treat.

I’ve made VERS Bar a pseudo second home base for this campaign, bringing the community together first for a Summer House Watch Party with my wife, Darya, and Jackie Cox, then for the LGBTQ+ for Bores canvassing launch earlier this month. There’s something special about a space where you can have a serious conversation about what’s at stake in this election and then turn around and cheer at reality TV together.

Reliable, hearty and consistently excellent. Their pad kee mao, the drunken noodles with tofu and mixed vegetables, is my comfort food of choice. When I am under the weather or just exhausted, this is my go-to spot for delivery.