The Best of Bay Ridge: Food - New York Basics

Happy hump day! Our Johnson's Guide to the Best of Bay Ridge is starting off with, what else, FOOD!

Alternately, this series could be titled: Eat the World

Our neighborhood of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn is a culinary melting pot. The quantity and variety of amazing places to eat is definitely one of the main highlights of this area. Since we love this place and we benefit from its amazing food I wanted to do a few posts about our favorite places to eat.

Today I'm going to share our favorite "New York basic" food places and in another post we'll tour you around the world. I'm calling this "New York basic" because I can't come up with something else and because you'll see all the other restaurants are specifically international.

Please excuse the poor quality photos. Most of these restaurants are small and along the main business streets. It's hard to take a good photo without looking like a loon. Trust us, what they lack in photo presence they make-up in amazing dining. This post is NOT sponsored, it's all our own delicious opinions.

Best Bagel: Steve's on 4th Avenue between Bay Ridge Avenue and Ovington

From the moment I moved to Bay Ridge in 2009, Steve's has been my bagel homeland. I've tried other bagel places in the area and they aren't bad but Steve's is my personal favorite. Whenever my family comes to visit they request Steve's, every single morning. They have good coffee, egg sandwiches, and other deli items. Also, buy one dozen bagels and you get a half a dozen free! Bagels freeze well too. My favorite menu item is the Cheese Blitz - bagel toasted with slices of real cheddar cheese. But anything is good here.

Also, if you ever come to New York City - any part, don't leave until you've had an authentic NY bagel. Do NOT go to Dunkin or get a chain supplied bagel. There is a difference and you must experience it.

Best Donut: Mike's on 5th Avenue between Bay Ridge Avenue and 68th Street

Dunkin Donuts run rampant in this city and I have no DD shame, but homemade donuts from mom and pop establishments can't be beat. Here in Bay Ridge, that's Mike's.

Pic coming soon

There are a couple of newer gourmet donut places popping up in our area. We haven't tried them yet and I feel like gourmet donuts belong in a separate category from no-frill donuts. Mike's is a hole in the wall, for sure, but the owners are super friendly and their prices are great. 10 donut holes for $1!! They also serve coffee in the classic New York cup.

Best Diner: Anopoli's on 3rd Avenue between Bay Ridge Avenue and Ovington

Okay, so this one was hard. There are a lot of great diners in Bay Ridge. They are all very basic and all serve the standard menu. Nothing out of this world but just your average diner. We picked Anopoli's as our favorite because it still has that original soda shop feeling. There are old photos on the walls of the place back in the day, it has the old booths, and kitchy decor. They serve homemade ice cream too! One time my Dad and I went there for Sunday brunch and they had potato croquettes. AMAZING!

When I first moved here I met my first friend in New York at Anopli's. Margaret and I had a mutual friend who connected us as we were both about to start the same program in grad school at NYU. She is the one that told me to look for an apartment in Bay Ridge in the first place! We met at Anopoli's for the first time and had eggs, breakfast potatoes, coffee, juice and toast. It's a fond first memory for me.

Best Pizza: Grandma's Original Pizzeria same as Anopoli's on 3rd Avenue between Bay Ridge Avenue and Ovington

People are fierce about their pizza attachments in Brooklyn. Bay Ridge has to have at least two dozen different local pizza shops. Dan and I plan to try every single one but it's winter and austerity so that will have to wait. In the meantime, the title is held close to our hearts by Grandma's.

We love the Grandma's Original pie which is a thin crust, square slice, with super flavorful and chunky sauce and only a small bit of cheese. We order it every time we have out of town guests because it is so unique. I also love their Vodka pizza and garlic knots.

Best Ice Cream: Uncle Louie G on 3rd Avenue and 87th Street

Unfortunately there isn't much in the way of ice cream in Bay Ridge. There used to be a Häagen-Dazs and a Cold Stone and before that an independent place I can't remember the name of. We have a handful of Carvel's (chain) and most pizza places serve Italian ice. Anopoli's has good ice cream (limited flavors). But for our basic cone we go to Uncle Louie's (a local chain). Nothing fancy just high school scoopers, decent portions, and fair prices. I love the Cappuccino Chip and Dan likes the Butter Pecan or Strawberry.

Are you hungry yet? I am! And there is more to share. Come back next week for Asian fusion!