Best Dishes Eater NY Editors Ate This Week: October 21

With Eater editors dining out sometimes several times a day, we come across lots of standout dishes, and we don’t want to keep any secrets. Check back weekly for the best things we ate this week.

Panzerotti from Panzerotti Bites

They say every cuisine has some kind of filled-and-fried dough pocket situation, and I submit that Puglia’s panzerotti takes the throne. I went in skeptical, having grown up inhaling homemade versions of these every holiday season since birth, but rest assured: The squad at Panzerotti Bites in Cobble Hill knows exactly what they’re doing. The dough is fresh and crisp, the fillings are paired just right, and there are so many variations that it was hard to stop at just four. I chose a classic tomato and mozzarella; an otherworldly mortadella and pistachio; an artichoke-and-mozzarella-filled version; and a sandwich-style option with prosciutto crudo di Parma. Doubling my order next time. 235 Smith Street, between Douglass and Butler streets, Cobble Hill — Stefania Orrù, director of production

Stephanie Wu/Eater NY

Pommes frites at Tusk Bar

New York has no shortage of great bars, but it has a shortage of well-located bars with expertly made cocktails that are also easy enough to walk in with a group. Tusk Bar, the lobby bar from Jeremiah Stone and Fabián Von Hauske Valtierra, met all the above criteria on a Saturday night. The drinks were fantastic — I loved the Marigold with tequila, bell pepper, and chile, and the savory Mignonette Gibson — but the fries have landed squarely as some of my favorite in the city. I’ll be the first to admit that $13 for a side of fries is staggering, but they were worth it. They came piled high on a platter and reminded me of an upgraded version of McDonald’s fries (and I say this as the highest form of praise): perfectly crispy and salted, heavy on umami, with an aioli for dipping. Go for happy hour or stop in before or after a meal at Brass, because this won’t be a well-kept secret for long. 7 E. 27th Street, between Fifth and Madison avenues, Nomad — Stephanie Wu, editor-in-chief

Tacos at Casa Maya

With the crown for best tacos in Bushwick typically residing on the head of Nenes or perhaps Taqueria Al Pastor, Casa Maya sits rather hidden on Myrtle Avenue, offering two birria tacos and a side of consomé for $12. The corn tortillas are perfectly fried and crispy, and the cheese provides just as much flavor as structural integrity. 1264 Myrtle Avenue, at Cedar Street, Bushwick — Sergio Scardigno, social video producer

Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Roast beef and coleslaw sandwich at Ready to Eat

The time has come for me to mention my favorite sandwich in my West Village neighborhood. A little place called Ready to Eat specializes in dinner carryout items like lasagna, rotisserie chickens, spinach pies, and vegetable platters, but at lunch its refrigerator cases are filled with plastic-wrapped sandwiches that local residents dash in and grab for a quick lunch, often eaten while walking. The curried chicken wrap is quite good, but even better is a sandwich of roast beef — a modest amount — on rye with clouds of crunchy coleslaw ($11). The plastic wrap actually improves the flavor of the sandwich by concentrating the flavors, and the density of the ingredients means you’ll be totally gorged when you get to the last bite. 525 Hudson Street, near West 10th Street, West Village — Robert Sietsema, senior critic

Melissa McCart/Eater NY

Broccoli rabe with romesco at Kernel

Dare I say the sides at Kernel in Flatiron remind me of old-school Superiority Burger, with vegetables getting the chef treatment with multiple preparations, while hitting the savory-sweet, crunchy, and creamy notes — for $5. The restaurant shuttered for an overhaul last season and has reopened so it feels warmer (and there are seats). This broccoli rabe side layers roasted with steamed greens so as to tame its inherent bitterness, paired with gigante beans, roasted garlic, pickled fennel, and breadcrumbs, topped with red pepper romesco. I’ll go back to load up on sides like maple carrot with farro and slivered almonds, marinated beets with green hummus, crunchy cucumbers with wild rice, and the crispy potatoes that are creamy on the inside. Pick four for $20 that you could easily share for lunch. (By the way, a new location opens near NYU this week, at 15 E. Fourth Street, at Lafayette Street, with free chicken sandwiches to NYU students starting at noon on October 22.) 315 Park Avenue South, near East 24th Street, Flatiron — Melissa McCart, editor