My favorite places for takeout in Williamsburg
An ode to the fantastic local standbys that are holding strong against a rising tide of soulless corporate chains in one of Brooklyn's silliest neighborhoods
I didn’t mean to be in Williamsburg in my mid-thirties. It’s not the neighborhood where I’d choose to move now, as a married lady with a dog. But it was definitely fun to be here a decade ago, lightly partying my way through all the cliche hipster spots when hipster was both a slur and a secret aspiration, doing my best impression of an extra on “Girls” (I’m equal parts every single one of them and as annoying as all four, thanks so much for asking). The sense memories of making friends in the ravenous and rowdy line for street tacos outside Output or squeezing my way into the pulsing warmth of Bembe, where I’d be too smushed among swiveling salsa hips for anyone to notice I was the worst dancer in the room, are ones I look back on fondly. They remind me that although I should’ve spent more time misspending my youth, at least I was a youth (who is she?? I’m so old now), and at least I was making it work in New York.
When I got my first job at Vanity Fair, my salary was $25,000. That necessitated picking up extra work and living in a commune, which is a story for another time, but after that I got my first job in TV, which paid $32k, and felt like an enormous improvement. I do want to say thank you so much to Alligator Lounge for the legendary free pizza program, which sustained more than its fair share of yuppie strivers. And to our sainted landlord, who appears to have forgotten that we exist and hasn’t raised the rent in all this time. I found out the average price for a Williamsburg apartment recently and just about fell off my chair. With full awareness that the gentrification of this neighborhood was already shocking to locals when I first arrived in 2014, I still can’t help but gape when I see those numbers and try to figure out how that many people are that rich. Watching the cookie-cutter waterfront condos popping up like mushrooms in a neighborhood once dominated by fellow grungy young people, I wondered who they were for. Then a controversial Hermes store took up residence (what is this, SoHo??) and it was time to accept that I am simply not the target audience here any more.
Some things haven’t changed, like the polarizing Peter Luger’s, a steakhouse from 1887 which can’t be accused of catering to people with parents with money because it has always been expensive, and remains as committed to its old-world bit as ever. But there are some amazing and affordable local businesses that still make it feel like home here and that I love supporting due to my constant fear they’ll be replaced by a Bondi Sushi. In a time of razor-thin restaurant margins, not to mention a political climate that imperils all I hold dear and delicious, I don’t know how they do it, but I am so grateful for every day that they do. And the love that goes into this world-class food for under $20. When folks come to visit or ask for local recs, I send them to:
It is so embarrassing recommending this dumb name to people but I persist, because I love spreading the word about this tiny but mighty gem. Their khao soy comes with two braised chicken legs in a flavorful coconut curry broth, plus a separate container of noodles to mix in as well as crispy noodles for topping, salty pickled veg, sliced fresh onion and herbs, and insanely spicy chili paste to add at your discretion. A single order lasts me two full meals and costs $17. I would gladly pay twice that and am always scared they’re not charging enough.
My order: fried chive cakes (crispy, mochi-like chew, addictive, unusual), crab fried rice (generous amounts of sweet crab meat make it really special), khao soy that haunts my dreams.
Every container of the fragrantly spiced basmati rice that comes with the entrees has a curry leaf or two along with whole pods of green cardamom- which is how you know they’re neither cutting corners nor messing around. I get tons and eat leftovers over spinach the next few days for lunch.
My order: butter chicken (creamy, irresistible), Chennai lamb (coconutty with fork-tender meat), black lentil dal (the most luxurious lentils ever), mixed pickle (for some necessary salt and tang), paratha (buttery, flaky).
Rightfully famous Southern fried chicken that’s crunchy without being greasy. As a hangover cure, the chicken buttermilk biscuit slathered with hot sauce and honey butter might actually kill you, but you’ll die happy.
My order: fried chicken box with mac and cheese (the platonic ideal of both), cherry pie (same).
Living a block away from some of the best pizza in New York is such a flex, especially because it means I can monitor the line on dog walks and pop over at weird times. They just expanded into the space next door, which seems to be helping with said line.
My order: the L’Industrie (prosciutto, fresh basil, and cooling blobs of burrata), the Spicy Salami (Italian soppressata, add hot honey). IYKYK: the Wednesday-only sandwich special.
Cutie patootie!! Must schedule a trip to visit new york asap and check some of these spots out
I feel like a lucrative side hustle would be alerting the citizen app every time LI has no line LETS OFFLINE