Piscator is a renowned, sought-after seafood pop-up in New York celebrated for its…read moreMediterranean-inspired grilled branzino, which consistently sells out through pre-orders on Hotplate. Founded by Mason Acevedo, it is distinguished by its fresh, simple, and flavorful whole fish, served with sides like house-made focaccia, slaw, and seasonal berries. These dishes are often prepared in front of customers at various locations, such as the backyard of the Troost bar in Brooklyn. Before visiting any eatery, I make sure to research it thoroughly and follow reputable sources like New York Times Cooking. Piscator was regarded as one of the hottest pop-ups in New York, which immediately piqued my interest. I was determined to try it and, after months of effort, finally secured a reservation--then another the following week. Hotplate's notifications alert you 10 minutes before sales open, but be prepared: over 300 people are in line waiting for an order. My first experience was at Little Island in Manhattan. Upon arrival, I provided my name, and my fish was cooked to order. I had the pleasure of speaking with Mason, who was outgoing and friendly. When the fish arrived, it looked stunning. Its presentation emphasized simplicity and quality, with flavors of lemon, seasonings, and thyme that complemented the fish's pure taste. The Chimichurri side was vibrant and freshly made, with bold garlic notes that enhanced the dish. The slaw, drizzled with blood orange juice and miso, was exquisitely fresh, balancing citrus and umami without overpowering. The rosemary focaccia bread was fluffy, fragrant, and pillowy, clearly infused with rosemary. The berries served as a perfect, refreshing palate cleanser. On my second visit, the pop-up was at Edy's Grocers in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Mason collaborated with Edy's Grocers, a Lebanese market owned by Chef Edouard (Edy) Massih, renowned for Middle Eastern imports, house-made mezze, baked goods, and modern Lebanese cuisine. This time, Piscator prepared a delicious Branzino, while Chef Edouard crafted a remarkable hummus dip and a mint salad with corn, cucumbers, and tomatoes, seasoned to perfection. The fish was even better the second time, and the mint salad was incredibly fresh and cooling--ideal for a hot day. The hummus was exceptional, with complex flavors that invigorated the palate. The entire meal was a culinary symphony. I would gladly make a two-hour trip again to experience this pop-up, as it's unmistakably special and destined to grow into something even bigger.

This pop up is hosted every Thursday and Saturday and on Saturdays it's hosted at Troost. They…read moregrill the fish in the back and you can get seated anywhere in the bar and in the back patio. Overall pretty relaxed vibes, you get a number and they bring fish out for you, and you can order drinks at the standard Troost bar. It was $38 per branzino and comes with blackberries, slaw and focaccia. The fish is beautifully made, nicely grilled with good flavor. Slaw is fresh tasting with a touch of orange. Focaccia is a bit dry but you're here for the fish!

Best bar in the neighborhood!! New spot opened up recently. Vibes are on point. Fabulous bartender…read more Really great bar menu. Lots of choices in the neighborhood but absolutely worth a trip!

From the owner: Welcome to Our Bar!! Greenpoint's newest pop-up bar located inside Elêva Café. Serving a rotation…read moreof craft beer, wine, shochu, vermouth and creatively crafted cocktails.

Stop what you're doing and go check out this Yayoi Kusama collab. It's gorgeous filled with…read morehandbags and ready to wear that truly demonstrates how far street wear has come. Say hi to Andre (who works here) and chat him up about design. I had an inspired conversation with him about everything from how prep/varsity in infused in the design to our collective POVs on AI.

What a great seafood restaurant! Greenpoint Fish & Lobster has a fresh seafood counter to purchase…read moreitems as well as a full restaurant. Be sure to make a reservation, as this spot is popular, especially on a nice weekend. We recently had a weekend brunch at one of the tables outside. Everything on the menu sounded good, but we decided on a couple of their specials. Started with the razor clams, which were cooked perfectly and topped with fresh herbs. We also had the fried soft shell crab sandwich with the side of Caesar salad. The sandwich was well balanced with the crunchy crab and herby aioli. The Caesar was light and refreshing. The fish and chips came with two fried filets of white fish and a basket of classic fries. The fish was lightly battered and flakey. The house made tartar sauce was a good complement to it. One of my top meals this year so far! Perfect summer meal!

I'm so torn about this review. The food was pretty good but the full experience truly lacked I wish…read moreI could give another half a star. Going to Greenpoint Fish and Lobster on a weekend is truly a mission. If you don't have a reservation chances are you'll be waiting around for a long time. They estimated 30min wait and it turned out to be over an hour. We were ready to walk away 3 times but ended up sticking around as we were promised we were third on the list meanwhile more than 3 parties were seated before us (strange!). Once we were seated, we ordered right away having had time to look at the menu while waiting. Crudo, dozen of oysters, clam chowder + lobster roll. - Crudo was a bit sad with 6 pieces of fish lying on a big plate with an insane amount of salt flakes. It was fresh but don't think it's worth ordering. - East coast oysters were puny. Very mid especially because I've recently tried some at Upstate that were amazing. They're incomparable. - Lobster roll. Okay should've just gone straight for the roll because it was perfect. Buttery and fresh with perfect balance of lobster roll bread. The salad dressing also was delicious. So good! Definitely highlight of this restaurant. - Clam chowder. Also 10/10. Hearty, flavorful. Loved every bite of it. Service was average. They weren't profoundly interested in giving best service instead just chatting amongst each other and dropping off plates. Also they forgot about the clam chowder we ordered and asked if we still want it.. YES..that's why we ordered it. Overall if you don't pay attention to those details it's worth coming for some great seafood. BUT I highly recommend getting a reservation.

I've been dying to visit another pop up interactive art gallery but since covid it's been…read moreextremely difficult, but as the city reopens I've been on the hunt for new and exciting places to visit and this was it. The hot pot lab is a food themed experience, each ticket sold is one dollar donated to food banks in nyc. It was refreshing to see the staff who by the way were extremely dope wearing masks and the rooms supplied with sanitizer wipes etc. this day it was empty so we had the entire exhibit to ourselves, each exhibit is themed after ingredients found in hot pot, my fav was the noodle wall and the fish balls. This was definitely a much needed day of fun . Check out the gift shop as well.

From the owner: The Hot Pot Lab, NYC's first interactive food themed pop-up exhibition, is providing visitors a…read morenon-traditional way to experience traditional Chinese hot pot. As food is the most significant trademark of culture, we invite you to take part in the cultural melting pot NYC through a unique interactive food experience. This exhibition is proudly supporting Food Bank, the city's largest hunger relief organization during COVID-19 by donating 1 dollar per ticket sold.

I stopped by Kora Bakery yesterday and was so excited to visit that I ran into several people I…read moreknew while I was there. In the middle of all the conversations, I grabbed my drinks and accidentally left my pastries on the counter. I didn't realize it until much later! I quickly sent them a DM, and they responded right away, telling me to come back the next day for fresh replacements. That level of kindness and customer service is rare these days. The team at Kora Bakery has always been amazinghumble, welcoming, and genuinely appreciative of their customers. I've been supporting them since their pop-up days, and experiences like this are exactly why I'll continue to do so. Beyond the delicious baked goods, it's the people behind the bakery that make it such a special place. Well, that said I did try their new pastry which is spam and cheese and delicious. Reminds me of Hawaii. Thank you for your hospitality and generosity. Wishing you continued successyou've earned a customer for life! #korafortheculture

I've been wanting to come here for a while as I also wanted to explore the Sunnyside neighborhood…read more I would say the best thing to get is the ube donut as well as the salted egg babka. I was sadly not a fan of the spam and egg croissant or the flan donut. The flan was too dense and thick for our liking, and I wasn't a fan of the sticky coating of the spam and egg croissant. Has potential, but needs a bit of improvement with execution - the flan could be lighter, ube cookie softer, and the spam and egg croissant could've been just crispy and buttery on the outside. 4/5

This unassuming little spot was very well rated and it was one of the few soul food spots that…read morestood out in a few online lists and FB groups. So..... we went and totally understand the hype. As soon as you walk in, you can smell the amazing dishes and you can literally feel the love they put on each plate as they serve the guests. I almost don't want to share this review for fear that the line may get longer but this restaurant is now one of the few that I recommend you go out of your way to try and enjoy. Their menu is classically simple but made with an abundance of care and no shortcuts in their cooking. As you are seated you are welcome to place your order in the front of the glass display, they cook everything in house and sometimes they run out of the specials so don't sleep on getting there on time. We ended up getting their lunch specials and picked one main and two sides. I know my girl loves Ox Tails and ended up getting the last plate with some candied yams and Mac and cheese. Let me tell you, we cleaned the plate and it was finger licking good!!! The jerk ribs were amazingly tender and fall off the bone. All of the sides were well portioned and absolutely flawless. Don't come here if you're on a diet there is only one way to enjoy this restaurant and it's to just dive in. FYI - you will need a nap after your meal. This place just hits your tastebuds differently; it doesn't just leave an impression, its mind shattering good. You will sing after the meal - happy dancing the whole time as you're eating.

Customer service is 5 stars and phenomenal…read more But I'm here to talk about the food. I wanted to love it so much especially since TikTok critic/MMA fighter Keith Lee visited them in 2023, but my experience was not like his. I want to say that online reviews are almost about accurate. They were out of cold salads and collard greens which was an issue for other customers at times as well. No problem, they were super helpful and offered an alternative but not a good one. I had steamed vegetables that mashed in my mouth like mashed potatoes when I took a bite. I did end up going to another spot for collard greens and potato salad because you can't have soul-food without that. I had the rib dinner with mac n cheese and yams and a tiny piece of complimentary cornbread. The ribs definitely taste amazing but they don't take off the membrane in the back which is slimy and gross. I left that part behind. The yams were sweet and good BUT.....that mac n cheese is NOT soul-food Mac n cheese. Here's the thing I figured out, they use such little cheese but season the noodles very well that you don't truly notice unless you love mac n cheese, which I do, so I noticed it lacked so much cheese but had seasoned noodles. The rib dinner was a 3/5 because ribs were great but sides needed help. I had rice and peas as an additional side and fried wings. The wings were ATROCIOUS! I ate the smallest one and didn't eat the rest. How can you serve such huge feathered wings like that? It was a nightmare. The feathers being on it turned me off. This tells me they don't make their food with care, they move quick to be one and done and I want my food cooked with love and care. They were also frozen wings that were thawed and seasoned, I know the difference. The rice and peas were okay 3/5 as well. Overall the food was not worth the hype. Customer service was beautiful for sure but the food was not it.