B & H Dairy

This Kosher lunch counter is the kind of classic New York place that makes us say, “goddammit I love B&H Dairy” every time we pass by. It’s been open since the 1940s and now run by a couple who met in the East Village (they’re named Ola and Fawzy, make sure to say hi).

The Eastern European breakfast and lunch menus are extensive, but you can’t go wrong with pierogies. Get them filled with potato or sauerkraut and mushroom, and you’ll spend your afternoon living in a sour cream-allium-filled paradise. Otherwise, try one of the soups or giant sandwiches (like the tuna melt on toasted, homemade challah). Feel free to bring your own newspaper and tattered hat for a full New York experience.