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New American Restaurant · Flatiron District · 154 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Large-Format Pork. "$76 dish for two ppl, but it could easily feed more. (You can generally order this simply by walking in, but call ahead to guarantee its availability.)"
Italian Restaurant · Tribeca · 508 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Wood-Fired Guinea Hen. "Every Tuesday, the kitchen gets a dozen guinea hens from Vermont, a number so small that they don't let the general public know about it."
Breakfast Spot · East Village · 381 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: "Secret" Burger. "Piedmontese beef slathered w homemade pimento cheese then topped with bacon, pickle jalapeño slaw, pickles, and lettuce. On the side: homemade tater tots."
77 Worth St (btwn Broadway & Church St), New York, NY
Molecular Gastronomy Restaurant · Tribeca · 45 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Charcoaled Tempura Leeks With Strained Buttermilk. "People who order the vegetarian tasting are privy to dishes that meat-eaters won't get, like the fried-leek dish."
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Schnitzel. "super-crispy off-menu schnitzel is made with either pork or veal, comes with seasonal vegetables, and gets finished with lemon-caper buerre blanc."
277 E 10th St (btwn 1st Ave & Avenue A), New York, NY
American Restaurant · East Village · 192 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Pizza. "an off-menu pizza with a super-crispy crust that's built in a cast-iron skillet at an East Village restaurant otherwise known for its comfort-food classics."
Cocktail Bar · Greenwich Village · 303 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu drink: Kill Devil. "Rhum agricole, green Chartreuse, and bitters. The garnish: a liqueur-filled lime cup that the bartenders set aflame for just a touch of tiki flair."
227 10th Ave (btwn W 23rd & W 24th St), New York, NY
New American Restaurant · Chelsea · 130 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Tempura Bacon. "The over-the-top deep-fried bacon dish has been on and off the menu sporadically, though the restaurant assures us it's always available."
218 Lafayette St (btwn Kenmare & Spring St), New York, NY
Italian Restaurant · SoHo · 301 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Brunch Sub. "Brunch diners at Michael White's Soho spot can get a sandwich of guanciale, a fried egg, and taleggio on a house-made bun. On the side: Pecorino potatoes."
Italian Restaurant · Lower East Side · 187 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Amatriciana. "Extra-thick bucatini tossed w mint & pecorino then topped w a dry-cured, 24-hr braised spare rib belly chop. Call ahead—it takes a full day just to cook it."
188 Grand St (btwn Bedford & Driggs Ave.), Brooklyn, NY
Tapas Restaurant · Williamsburg · 59 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Suquet. "Catalan seafood stew with shrimp, mussels, market fish, lobster broth, fingerlings, and almonds is worth the inquiry."
Austrian Restaurant · Alphabet City · 160 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Duck Dinner. "Call ahead, and for $100, 4 people can tuck into an entire roasted duck. Sides include pretzel brioche and braised red cabbage."
Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant · NoMad · 292 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Lavender Duck. "The lavender-roasted duck was one of the most famous dishes before the restaurant changed its menu format. You can still call ahead to request the dish."
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: The Stella. "Nico Calzone — yes, that's his real last name — has this awesome four-point pie. The seasonal toppings change every day. Just ask for it next time you go."
510 W 52nd St (btwn 10th & 11th Ave.), New York, NY
Wine Bar · Hell's Kitchen · 108 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu drink: Faux-Bloody Mary. "There's no vodka served at this westside wine bar. Instead, the staff infuses dry sherry with jalapeño & combines it with pimenton-spiked tomato juice."
597 Manhattan Ave (btwn Nassau & Driggs Ave), Brooklyn, NY
Bar · Williamsburg · 103 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: An Entire Noodle Counter. "This isn't so much an off-menu dish as it is an entire semisecret restaurant in the basement of a nameless Greenpoint bar."
13 E 13th St (btwn 5th Ave & University Pl), New York, NY
Wine Bar · Greenwich Village · 130 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Corn Beignets. "Not only are these fritters--choux pastry beignets, mixed with cornmeal and fresh kernels--unlisted, they aren't even available until 10 p.m."
New American Restaurant · Lincoln Square · 86 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Personal Pizzas. "Bar diners can get individual pizzas if they ask. Toppings change but expect things like veal Parmesan w ricotta; or a cheddar, spinach, & bacon option."
136 Metropolitan Ave (btwn Berry St & Wythe Ave), Brooklyn, NY
Movie Theater · Williamsburg · 301 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu drink: Barrel-Aged Martinez. "an off-menu Martinez (a combination of gin, sweet vermouth, and Maraschino liqueur) that's been barrel-aged for six weeks.
2 Lexington Ave (at Gramercy Park N), New York, NY
Italian Restaurant · Gramercy Park · 460 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Gluten-Free Pasta. "Chef Nick Anderer's kitchen always has a few gluten-free pastas available and can pair any of them with whatever sauces their customers might want."
American Restaurant · Meatpacking District · 381 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu drink: El Gringo Cocktail. "The Standard Grill's El Gringo is a combination of tequila, tarragon-infused triple sec, muddled jalapeño, housemade sour mix, and smoked sea salt."
210 Elizabeth St (btwn Prince & Spring St), New York, NY
Cocktail Bar · NoLita · 66 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Pig's Head Banh Mi. "This take on the Vietnamese sandwich used to be available only at brunch at Public, but now it's at the adjacent cocktail bar during the evening."
142 W 10th St (Between Waverly and Greenwich), New York, NY
Southern Food Restaurant · West Village · 43 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Cornmeal-Crusted Oysters. "This Southern staple was excised in favor of pimento-cheese-baked oysters. But fans of the original can still request it."
Italian Restaurant · West Village · 167 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Ricotta Tortellini. "There's plenty of pasta on the menu, but one that's always available is this rich combo of creamy ricotta & seasonal produce such as beets or eggplant."
New American Restaurant · Chelsea · 28 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Sweet-Potato Fries With Harissa Aioli. "Several off-menu options--steamed buns, lobster dumplings, & even desserts--but our favorite is still the crispy sweet-potato fries."
30 W 26th St (btwn Broadway & 6th Ave), New York, NY
BBQ Joint · NoMad · 489 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Chili Mac. "Red chili & macaroni and cheese are both regularly available, but upon request, the restaurant is more than willing to combine them into a single gonzo mash-up."
French Restaurant · West Village · 92 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Foie-and-Langoustine Wellington. "Instead of beef Wellington, the staff swaps in langoustine & fatty goose liver into a tiny puff pastry shell w a Japanese red curry sauce."
Italian Restaurant · West Village · 384 tips and reviews
Risa: Grub Street off-menu dish: Linguine alla Herbe. "They've still got at least one secret dish: a plate of linguine and ricotta finished with a garden's worth of herbs from the trattoria's rooftop."