A great selection of olive oils, imported pastas, salamis and house-aged cheeses, and the largest selections of fine chocolate in the country. The deli menu doesn’t reflect the market, but is a reliable source for meatball sandwiches and such.

Plus a few hot dishes make this a fave morning stop. For lunch, try the herbed goat cheese on a chewy baguette.

Carmine’s has a robust menu of Italian classics, including housemade pasta, Neapolitan pizza and a wine list expansive enough for picture-perfect pairings.

More bodega than restaurant, Central 9th’s breakfast sandwich is probably the best you’ll have outside of New York City...then head next door to Scion or Water Witch to eat up.

One of Annie Sooksri’s parade of restaurants, this one features what the name implies: a solid menu of Thai favorites plus some inventions based on Thai flavors.

A meal here is like a casual dinner at your best Thai friend’s place. Try curried fish cakes and red-curry prawns with coconut milk and pineapple.

Popular for its generous servings of Mexican food, this place usually has a line on Friday nights. Heavy on the protein—the molcajete holds beef, pork and chicken—but cheese enchiladas and margaritas and other staples are good, too.

Probably the only gourmet cookie delivery company that began out of pregnancy cravings. Try the weekly specialty cookies or original flavors. Delivery, pick-up and catering available.

The menu is straightforward, chilled shellfish and rare steaks, with a few seafood and poultry entrees thrown in for the non-beefeaters.

These tacos al pastor are the real deal. Carved from a big pineapple-marinated hunk, the meat is folded in delicate masa tortillas with chopped pineapple, onion and cilantro.

Gluten-free that is so good you’ll never miss it. Or the dairy—City Cakes has vegan goodies, too. And epic vegan mac ‘n’ chezah.

An instant hit when it opened, constant crowds attest to the continuing popularity of Ryan Lowder’s Copper Onion. Though the hearty, flavorful menu changes regularly, some favorites never leave: the mussels, the burger, the ricotta dumplings. Bank on the specials.

Cucina has added fine restaurant to its list of descriptors—good for lunch or a leisurely dinner. The menu has recently expanded to include small plates and substantial beer and wine-by-the-glass lists.

This longtime favorite turns out Italian classics like veal scaloppine, carbonara and a risotto of the day in a chic setting.

The menu is full of creative creations and coffee shop classics done well. They roast their own coffee beans, rotated seasonally.

An all-star team made this cool downtown restaurant an instant hit. Excellent and inventive seafood dishes plenty of non-fishy options.

The Nisar family’s restaurant is tiny, but fast service and fair prices make this a great take-out spot. But if you opt to dine in, there’s always a Bollywood film on.

A familiar face in a whole new space—the favored breakfast joint has moved to Millcreek. Hip and homey, all at once.

A smart French-style cafe and bakery in the heart of downtown. Different bakers are behind the patisserie and the boulangerie, meaning sweet and daily breads get the attention they deserve. Go for classics like onion soup and croque monsieur, but

Cross-cultural food with a menu of fusion dishes based on Thai flavors