Three of the Best Bodega Meals in N.Y.C.

Some of my favorite meals this year haven’t been at restaurants or bars. They’ve been at bodegas and delis. Mount Everest Deli and Grocery in Ridgewood serves food that borders on fusion: saucy, bright red tandoori chicken heroes; bacon, egg and cheese paratha wraps. But you have to get the Jhol momo. It’s a tall tub of dumplings sloshing around in a spicy, tomato-based broth. Part of the fun of eating it is scooping up these massive chicken-filled dumplings with a little plastic deli spoon. And since this is a deli with no seating, you’re probably going to be doing that in the park across the street. Then there’s Reyes Deli and Grocery in Gowanus — part taqueria, part bodega. They have dishes that you’d expect to find at a taqueria like carnitas and squash blossom quesadillas, along with some pretty standard bodega sandwiches. And on the weekends, they sell tamales starting at 7 a.m. The masa is super rich and creamy, and filled with bits of nutty mole poblano or pork in salsa verde. And if you’re lucky, they might have weekend barbacoa tacos too. TikTok led me |to Deli Boyz, a late-night deli in East Harlem. One whole wall of the deli is a hot bar stocked with West African and American foods: peanut butter stew, baked mac and cheese and these wonderful ribeye steaks topped with garlic cilantro sauce. My favorite dish there was the dibi lamb piled with peanuts, onions, suya spice and these massive globs of mustard. Let me know what other bodegas and delis I should check out.